Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Neymar Jr spotted wearing Rolex

Neymar Jr was recently spotted on the wrist with one of the most ostentatious pieces in Rolex's current production lineup: the Daytona reference 116588TBR in 18kt yellow gold, fitted on the brand's proprietary Oysterflex bracelet and featuring a bezel set with 36 factory-fitted trapeze-cut diamonds. For a footballer who has never been shy about his watch collection, this is a statement piece even by his own elevated standards.

The Rolex Daytona 116588TBR houses the Calibre 4130, Rolex's fully in-house chronograph movement introduced in 2000 and widely regarded as one of the most robust and reliable chronograph ebauches in modern watchmaking. The movement beats at 28,800 vph, offers a 72-hour power reserve, and features a column wheel and vertical clutch — technical choices that prioritise precision and longevity over complication. The case measures 40mm in 18kt yellow gold, and the dial itself is set with a further diamond chapter ring, making the 116588TBR one of the most jewellery-forward references in the Daytona family.

The trapeze-cut diamond bezel is what separates this reference from the broader Daytona universe. Rolex's in-house gem-setting atelier selects, cuts, and sets each stone individually, with trapeze-cut diamonds chosen specifically to follow the bezel's tachymeter graduation contour. The result is a seamless, uninterrupted ring of ice around the ceramic-free gold case — a detail that demands hundreds of hours of skilled labour and explains, in part, the watch's significant market premium.

Neymar Jr has long cultivated a reputation as one of football's most serious watch collectors, with documented sightings across Patek Philippe, Richard Mille, and the upper registers of Rolex's catalogue. The 116588TBR fits squarely within his aesthetic: gold, diamonds, and a recognisable silhouette that reads instantly to a global audience. It is a watch worn without apology.

On the market, the Rolex Daytona 116588TBR carries a retail list price of approximately $120,000, but grey-market realities tell a different story. Current secondary market valuations place the reference at roughly $247,000 — more than double retail — reflecting both the perpetual demand for precious-metal Daytotas and the scarcity of factory diamond-set references in circulation. For collectors, this is not a watch you stumble upon; it is one you wait for.