Footballer Diego Maradona spotted wearing a Rolex

Diego Maradona was photographed wearing a Rolex Submariner Date ref. 16610 in stainless steel, the iconic black-bezel sports watch that defined an era of serious dive watch collecting. The image carries extra weight today: Maradona passed away on November 25, 2020, at the age of 60, leaving behind a legacy that extended well beyond the football pitch and into the world of luxury objects he wore with characteristic excess and zero apology.

The Rolex Submariner Date ref. 16610 entered production in 1988 as the direct successor to the ref. 16800, and remained in the catalogue until 2010 when it was replaced by the ref. 116610. Throughout its 22-year run it was fitted with the Calibre 3135, a self-winding movement with a 48-hour power reserve, Rolex's Parachrom hairspring in later iterations, and a quickset date function. The case measures 40mm in stainless steel with a unidirectional rotating black aluminum bezel insert, a matt then gloss then finally matte dial evolution across its production run. Water resistance is rated to 300 metres.

Among collectors, the 16610 occupies a pivotal position. It bridges the vintage and modern Submariner worlds — old enough to carry the patina and character that collectors prize, modern enough to wear daily without anxiety. Specific variants, particularly the "T25" tritium-dial examples and transitional models with "SWISS MADE" only at the dial's base, command meaningful premiums on the secondary market. The reference appears in virtually every serious sports-watch collection.

Maradona's relationship with watches was well documented. He habitually wore two watches simultaneously — a habit he never fully explained but which aligned perfectly with his larger-than-life personal style. The pieces he chose were never modest: Rolex, Audemars Piguet, and Hublot all featured across his documented sightings. The Submariner, being simultaneously the world's most recognizable dive watch and a credible status symbol, was a natural fit for a man who existed at the intersection of sporting myth and pop-culture excess.

On the grey market, a clean Rolex Submariner Date ref. 16610 in full-set condition currently trades between $9,000 and $13,000 depending on dial variant, box and papers, and service history. Any example with documented celebrity provenance — particularly one connected to Maradona — would command a significant premium at auction.