In 2023 Rolex quietly updated its flagship chronograph with the type of tiny changes that only a die-hard aficionado could fully appreciate. Some updates include thinner rings around the chronograph subdials and smaller hour markers. As we’ve come to find out over the years, Lionel Messi is one of these obsessive watch collectors: The Inter Miami CF captain has been spotted in a rose gold Yacht-Master, a yellow-dial Oyster Perpetual, a gem-set Submariner, and more. But it doesn’t matter how loaded your collection is—it’s still not finished until you add the iconic Rolex Daytona.
Launched in 2023 on the 60th anniversary of the model’s birth back in 1963, Messi’s Cosmograph Daytona ref. 126500LN is the modern steel Daytona. In addition to the aesthetic changes, this watch was the first to use of the brand’s cal. 4131 automatic movement with Chronergy escapement.
Gotham
.png "Lionel Messi Knows No Great Watch Collection Is Complete Without This Beloved Rolex 3")
The changes made to the Daytona are typical of how Rolex likes to tinker with its stable of iconic pieces. For the Daytona, these adjustments add up to a more refined version of one of the world’s most important sport watches. Add in—subtract, rather—a roughly 0.5mm reduction in case thickness, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for one heck of an everyday watch. Naysayers will decry the Daytona’s general unavailability at retail, but this is now part of the equation when considering a new watch from Rolex: Everybody and their mother (and their toddlers) wants one, and even at production numbers said to exceed a million pieces per year, there simply aren’t enough of them to go around.
Unless, of course, you’re one of the best soccer players in history. We can only assume Messi doesn’t have to sweet talk his A.D. for a Daytona allocation like the rest of us mere mortals—especially considering what other Rolex bangers he’s already picked up along the way. Messi was once spotted in a platinum-dial ref. 116509, a fancier version of the otherwise purpose-built Daytona.
No matter how you slice it, the modern steel Daytona is a horological staple for a reason. Sleek yet utilitarian, it looks the part on anybody’s wrist—especially Messi’s.
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin
LeBron James’s Audemars Piguet Royal Oak ref. 15402 OR
The fun thing about the Royal Oak is that there’s seemingly no end to the vast catalog of compelling references floating around. Take this ref. 15402 OR spotted on the wrist of LeBron James at the premiere of Netflix’s Starting 5 this week: With its diamond-set rose gold case, bezel, and dial, it ain’t exactly subtle. But that’s okay: Not every watch is meant to fly under the radar! Measuring 41mm in diameter and powered by an automatic in-house movement, it fits well in King James’s collection, which also includes heavy hitters from the likes of Rolex, Patek, Richard Mille, and more.
Jason Howard/Bauer-Griffin
Andrew Garfield’s Omega De Ville Trésor
Andrew Garfield is never far from an excellent Omega. Case in point is the handsome De Ville Trésor, a beautiful, simple dress watch with, in this configuration, a silver dial, applied hour indices, and a date window at 6 o’clock. Spotted outside the set of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Garfield wore his casually with a denim jacket (complete with the infamous carousel horse head from his new movie We Live in Time) and a pair of cream slacks, but this is a watch that looks equally at home in black tie. The Trésor is a stalwart in Omega’s catalog, which goes far beyond the Moonwatch. The line was launched in 1949 and continues to form an important piece in helping folks like Garfield look a little sleeker after leaving an Omega boutique.
Courtesy of IWC
Courtesy of IWC
John Krasinski’s IWC Portugieser Chronograph ref. IW371609
John Krasinski wore one of the world’s more elegant chronographs to the 2024 Albie Awards. The IWC Portugieser Chronograph ref. IW371609 is part of a collection born in the 1930s at the behest of two Portuguese businessmen who wanted an oversized everyday watch. Jim Halpert’s ref. IW371609 maintains the pocket-watch-inspired case and proportions of early models, adding a dual-register chronograph in an “up-down” configuration and powering it with the automatic cal. 69355 movement. Measuring 41mm in steel, it’s a sleek, dressy take on a typically utilitarian complication.
