The chronograph that defined collectibility — from manual-wind Paul Newman dials to the in-house Panda.
Introduced
1963
Family
Daytona
Current ref.
126500LN
Calibre
4131
The Daytona was Rolex's answer to the 1960s motorsport boom: a legible chronograph with a tachymeter bezel for calculating speed over a known distance. Slow to catch on, it became the most coveted Rolex of all once collectors discovered the exotic-dial examples worn by Paul Newman.
Modern Daytonas pair a ceramic bezel with an in-house movement and are famously hard to buy at retail. The white-dial 116500LN earned the “Panda” nickname for its black sub-dials.
History
The earliest Daytonas (6239, 6241, 6263, 6265) were hand-wound; a subset with Art-Deco “exotic” dials became the legendary Paul Newman Daytonas. In 1988 the 16520 went automatic using a modified Zenith El Primero.
The 116520 (2000) introduced Rolex's own calibre 4130. The 2016 116500LN added a black Cerachrom bezel; in white-dial form it is the “Panda.” The 2023 126500LN brought the updated calibre 4131 and subtle case revisions.
Reference table
A selective map of the references collectors ask about most — not every variant, but the ones that anchor the line.
| Reference | Years | Variant | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6239 | 1963–1969 | Manual | Early Cosmograph; some exotic “Paul Newman” dials |
| 6263 | 1969–1987 | Manual, screw pushers | Oyster case manual-wind classic |
| 16520 | 1988–2000 | Zenith auto | First automatic Daytona (El Primero base) |
| 116520 | 2000–2016 | In-house auto | Calibre 4130, steel, metal bezel |
| 116500LN | 2016–2023 | Ceramic bezel | White-dial version is the “Panda” |
| 126500LN | 2023–present | Calibre 4131 | Current Daytona |
Years are approximate production windows. Verify the reference and serial against the watch in hand before relying on any figure.
Nicknames
Each nickname maps to a reference and a story. Tap through for the Naples reference guide on each.
Panda
116500LN
The white-dial ceramic Daytona - black sub-dials against white, like a panda's eyes.
Reference guide →Paul Newman
6239 / 6241 / 6263 / 6265
The vintage exotic-dial Daytona - among the most valuable wristwatches ever sold.
Reference guide →Rainbow
116595RBOW
The gem-set Daytona - a bezel of graduated rainbow sapphires.
Reference guide →In Naples
Naples is a settled, well-travelled collector town, and the Cosmograph Daytona fits a Gulf-coast life of flights, boats, and Fifth Avenue South dinners. We are a reference, not a dealer — this is context for buyers, not a storefront.
Cosmograph Daytona FAQ
Demand far exceeds production. The steel Daytona has a long waitlist at authorised dealers, so most buyers turn to the secondary market, where it typically trades above retail.
A Paul Newman Daytona is a vintage manual-wind Daytona (references such as 6239, 6241, 6263, 6265) fitted with an Art-Deco “exotic” dial. The actor's own example sold for 17.8 million dollars in 2017.
The Panda is the white-dial Daytona (116500LN, 2016–2023) whose black sub-dials against a white face recall a panda's eyes. The reverse colourway is a Reverse Panda.