Actor Uma Thurman spotted wearing a Rolex

On the wrist of Uma Thurman during the Kill Bill production period sits what appears to be a steel Rolex Cosmograph Daytona with a white lacquered dial — one of the most recognisable sports watches ever made and, for much of the early 2000s, one of the hardest to actually purchase at retail.

The watch in frame bears the hallmarks of reference 116520: the smooth, engine-turned tachymeter bezel in stainless steel, three black subsidiary registers on a white dial, and the characteristic rectangular index hour markers. The caseback conceals Rolex's Cal. 4130, an in-house column-wheel chronograph movement introduced in 2000 that replaced the Zenith El Primero-based ebauche used in the preceding 16520. The 4130 runs at 28,800 vph, offers approximately 72 hours of power reserve, and is widely regarded as one of the most robust and serviceable chronograph calibres in production watchmaking.

The 116520 was produced from 2000 to 2016, when it was superseded by the ceramic-bezel 116500LN. During its production run, authorised dealer waiting lists stretched for years, making grey-market premiums routine rather than exceptional. The white-dial variant alongside its black-dial sibling became the default benchmark against which all other steel chronographs were measured by serious collectors.

For Uma Thurman, the Daytona choice — whether personal or a wardrobe decision — carries a certain cultural logic. Kill Bill's visual language is deliberate and precise; a watch that rewards close inspection without demanding it fits that aesthetic entirely. The Daytona is never ostentatious on the wrist despite its horological weight, which aligns with how Thurman has historically approached personal style: understated but considered.

On today's grey market, a clean ref. 116520 in white dial commands significant premiums over its original retail price, typically trading between $18,000 and $24,000 depending on condition, box, and papers. The model's discontinuation and the enduring collector appetite for steel-bezel Daytonas ensure the 116520 white dial remains a benchmark piece — spotted on a cinematic icon or otherwise.