Results for Rolex Daytona

Why Does This G-Shock Cost Almost As Much As a Platinum Rolex Daytona?

Casio’s $80,000 G-Shock MRG-D5000 costs nearly as much as a platinum Rolex Daytona. Here’s what makes this 20-piece release so unusual.

Takeaways from the Record-Breaking Rolex Daytona Auction

In just a couple of weeks, Rolex and Phillips pulled off the near-impossible: a record-setting auction where the unique Daytona “Four Seasons” set sold for £37.3 million, equivalent to US$49.5 million. The sum is the largest tally ever for a charity watch auction of any sort, and also surpasses the US$31 million achieved by the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime ref. 6300A in 2019 – which was admittedly a single watch. All of the proceeds from the sale of the “Four Seasons” go to charities founded by Roger Federer and Leonardo DiCaprio, global celebrities and Rolex “Testimonees” who lent star power to the evening, which took place on September 28, the day after the Laver Cup that Mr Federer attended. The venue was the Raffles London, perhaps the latest and greatest hotel in the British capital, a city with no shortage of grand hotels. Reputedly the most expensive hotel project in the city’s history, having cost some £1.5 billion, the colonial building was once home to the British Ministry of Defence. The four Daytonas were on display in a room that appeared to be a basement bunker. The lavishly rebuilt interiors of the “Old War Office” were a fitting venue for the record-breaking evening, which was populated by a mix of celebrities, including Mick Jagger and Jon Bon Jovi, as well as many anonymous but well-heeled watch collectors who are clients of Phillips. Some of the world’s most significant watch collectors were in the room. Despite the short time...

Rolex Daytona “Four Seasons” Set Shatters Auction Record

When we first reported on Rolex’s Daytona “Four Seasons” charity auction, we wondered whether the quartet could reach CHF31 million, the sum achieved by Patek Philippe’s steel Grandmaster Chime at Only Watch in 2019. We got our answer today in London, where the four Daytonas together raised £37.3 million, equivalent to CHF41.2 million, or approximately US$49.5 million. That comparison comes with an obvious qualification: Rolex’s total covers four watches, while the Grandmaster Chime result was for one. Nevertheless, it is an extraordinary sum for a quartet of chronographs sharing the same movement, distinguished by their unique combinations of precious metals and stones. The auction was hosted Phillips and conducted by Aurel Bacs. Summer led at £10.3 million, followed by Autumn at £10.2 million, Winter at £10 million, and Spring at £6.8 million. Most of the action occurred over the phone. Phillips describes the combined result as a record for a single consignment to a charity auction. All proceeds will benefit the Federer Foundation, which supports early education in Southern Africa and Switzerland, and Re:wild, the conservation organisation co-founded by Leonardo DiCaprio. Left to right: Summer, Autumn, Winter, and Spring Key facts and price Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona “Four Seasons” Ref. 126596 SABV — Winter (platinum) Ref. 126599 SAVL — Spring (white gold) Ref. 126595 SARO — Summer (Everose gold) Ref. 126598 TML — Autumn (yellow ...

Rolex Daytona “Four Seasons” Achieves Record Price

When we first reported on Rolex’s Daytona “Four Seasons” charity auction, we wondered whether the quartet could reach CHF31 million, the sum achieved by Patek Philippe’s steel Grandmaster Chime at Only Watch in 2019. We got our answer today in London, where the four Daytonas together raised £37.3 million, equivalent to CHF41.2 million, or approximately US$49.5 million. That comparison comes with an obvious qualification: Rolex’s total covers four watches, while the Grandmaster Chime result was for one. Nevertheless, it is an extraordinary sum for a quartet of chronographs sharing the same movement, distinguished by their unique combinations of precious metals and stones. The auction was hosted Phillips and conducted by Aurel Bacs. Summer led at £10.3 million, followed by Autumn at £10.2 million, Winter at £10 million, and Spring at £6.8 million. Most of the action occurred over the phone. Phillips describes the combined result as a record for a single consignment to a charity auction. All proceeds will benefit the Federer Foundation, which supports early education in Southern Africa and Switzerland, and Re:wild, the conservation organisation co-founded by Leonardo DiCaprio. Left to right: Summer, Autumn, Winter, and Spring Key facts and price Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona “Four Seasons” Ref. 126596 SABV — Winter (platinum) Ref. 126599 SAVL — Spring (white gold) Ref. 126595 SARO — Summer (Everose gold) Ref. 126598 TML — Autumn (yellow ...

SJX Podcast: Geneva Watch Days Recap

Geneva Watch Days (GWD) just concluded, and by most measures it was the biggest ever. Brands exhibiting topped 70 while visitors were at a record high. In addition, the event attracted “an even larger contingent of content creators” according to GWD’s organisers, underscoring the growing fashionability of watches on social media. Some 400 watches were debuted at the event — but were they any good? Overall, the event reflected the current state of the industry; demands of buyers were perfectly echoed by the watches released. But as SJX notes during the episode, “just because something looks like a Ferrari doesn’t mean it’s a Ferrari”. Notably, some of the biggest announcements and best watches were launched outside of GWD, but during the same week — the most prominent of all being the Rolex Daytona “Four Seasons” charity auction. Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.  

Win a $100K Daytona, Drake freezes the world, and microbrands close the case

Win a $100K Rolex Daytona for charity, discover Drake’s one-of-one Ice Gradient Daytona, and enter Mr Jones Watches’ design competition.

I’d Give It All Up For You: The Yellow Gold Rolex Daytona 126518LN With A Turquoise Dial

Something got me started. In fact, it was Brazilian football legend Ronaldo Nazário, who was attending the FIFA World Cup. He was wearing the yellow gold Rolex Daytona 126518LN with a turquoise dial, which debuted last year at Watches and Wonders. My first thought was, “Why are you wearing ‘my’ watch?” It was a rather […] Visit I’d Give It All Up For You: The Yellow Gold Rolex Daytona 126518LN With A Turquoise Dial to read the full article.

Hands On: The Rolex Daytona Enamel Dial Ref. 126502 is More Than Meets the Eye

Rolex surprised in a big way with the Cosmograph Daytona Rolesium Enamel Dial ref. 126502. Despite being an “off-catalogue” model, the new Daytona was launched publicly, perhaps to emphasise its unusual nature. To start with, it features a grand feu enamel dial – yes, fired vitreous enamel – inside a bi-metal case of mostly steel, with a touch of platinum, plus a new ceramic (or cermet) bezel. It also has a display back and a steep price tag rivalling that of an all-gold Daytona. While last year’s Land-Dweller and its cal. 7135 was chock-full of patents that Rolex explicitly explained, the Daytona ref. 126502 is more typical Rolex in possessing incremental technical innovation that is left unspecified; it probably incorporates multiple patents that Rolex will not elaborate on. The traditional nature of the dial, the materials and production techniques, and even the display back, hint at future developments at the leading champion of industrial quality perfection. The dial is a four-part affair in white grand feu enamel, while the bezel insert in cermet Initial thoughts Let’s start with the obvious: do I like the new Daytona? Yes. Do I think the dial is actually and technically enamel? Yes. Do I think it’s too expensive? No. While it seems pricey on its face, Rolex pricing is practically always reasonable. I believe the seemingly high price here is justified by something in the watch that Rolex hasn’t explicitly divulged. Price aside, it takes a bit of exami...

Rolex Daytona Rolesium Review: A New Direction for The Crown's Famed Chronograph

The latest off-catalog rendition of the icon might be the sleekest take yet. More

In-Depth - Impressions About the Rolex Daytona Rolesium 126502, a.k.a The Ultimate Cosmograph

Without a doubt, one of the most discussed releases of Watches and Wonders Geneva 2026 and the biggest surprise of Rolex for its 2026 collection… There’s now a new steel Rolex Daytona, but actually not quite. See, for decades, the steel Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona has been available in basically two versions only – white […]

The New Steel Rolex Daytona With Enamel Polar Dial And Exhibition Caseback

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Introducing - The Rolex Daytona Rolesium 126502 with White Enamel Dial and Vintage Grey Bezel

For decades, the stainless steel Rolex Daytona has been one of the most desirable watches from the Crown’s catalogue. The brand’s chronograph, born in 1963, has been available in hundreds of versions, but when it comes to steel versions, the choice has always been limited to two options: silvery-white with black contrasting counters or rings, […]

Bring a Loupe: A Five-Digit "Inverted Six" Rolex Daytona, A Cartier Tortue Monopoussoir, A Omega Chronographe de Ville Sport, And More

All that and more in this week's edition of Hodinkee's What's Selling Where column.

Fratello’s Top 5 Rolex Daytona Alternatives In 2026

Another Friday, another list. For this week’s Top 5, we look at another Rolex classic. The Cosmograph Daytona is one of the brand’s most iconic pieces in the watch world. The stainless steel versions of the racing chronograph are notoriously difficult to source through a Rolex dealer, and pre-owned prices are generally higher than retail. […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Rolex Daytona Alternatives In 2026 to read the full article.

Hands-On: Comparing The New Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch Black & White Ref. 310.30.42.50.01.004 With The Rolex Daytona Ref. 126500LN

From case to bracelet and everything in-between, we go into the nitty-gritty on two of the best sporty chronographs between $10,000 and $20,000 dollars

Hands-On: The Rolex Daytona Ref. 126508 "John Mayer 2.0"

The new model is starting to be delivered, and it's more than just another kind of green dial. We go in-depth to compare old vs. new.

In-Depth: Collecting The Rolex Daytona Oyster Paul Newman Panda Dial

A data-driven deep dive into the most collectible Rolex ever made.

The Revolutionary List: 30 Pioneering Watches - the Rolex Daytona Ref. 116250

Aziz Ansari Puts A 1978 Rolex Daytona Center Stage In 'Good Fortune'

In his feature directorial debut, Ansari gives a vintage Rolex Daytona a starring role-and teams up with Craft + Tailored's Cameron Barr to make it all real.

In-Depth: Rolex Daytona “Le Mans” Movement Cal. 4132

The cal. 4132 inside the Rolex Daytona “Le Mans” is a rare evolution of one of the most revered chronograph movements in modern watchmaking. Based on the long-running cal. 4130 platform, the new movement was developed specifically for the Daytona “Le Mans” unveiled in 2023 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the famed endurance race. While visually similar to the cal. 4131 found in current-production Daytonas, the cal. 4132 incorporates a clever mechanical upgrade that allows it to record up to 24 hours of elapsed time. Given the relatively simple upgrade from a 12-hour to 24-hour counter, the cal. 4132 might seem like a weekend project for a brand with the engineering might of Rolex, but the reality is more nuanced. To achieve this, Rolex engineered a compact differential gear set that doubles the timing capacity without altering the core movement architecture, leaving the movement dimensions unchanged. As with many Rolex innovations, the cal. 4132 reflects the brand’s quiet obsession with functional longevity and serviceability. The latest Daytona movements reveal a degree of decorative finishing unseen in past generations of Rolex movements An already quirky base For over two decades, the Rolex cal. 4130 stood as the benchmark for industrial chronograph movements. Launched in 2000, the cal. 4130 was the first in-house chronograph movement developed by Rolex. The movement was lauded for its compact architecture, low component count, and ease of service – a...

Rolex Daytona Rainbow: When An Icon Goes Colorfully Gem-Set

Aside from the watch that was made legendary by Paul Newman - and which would forever, unofficially, carry the famous actor’s name - there is probably no version of the Rolex Daytona that is more coveted than the “Rainbow” models that bring a meticulously designed and eye-catchingly beautiful assortment of colorful precious stones to the bezel, case, and dial of the motorsport-inspired luxury chronograph. Here is the story behind the Rolex Daytona “Rainbow” and why it has become yet another smash hit for the Crown in the 21st Century.  To start off, it’s worth answering the question, “Why is the Rolex Daytona so famous in the first place?” The model’s success story begins in 1962, when Rolex, hot on the heels of other genre-defining watch releases like the Explorer, GMT-Master, and Submariner several years earlier, became the official timekeeper of the “Great American Race,” the Daytona 500. In celebration of the partnership, the Swiss brand introduced its original “Cosmograph” racing-inspired chronograph watch the following year. The watch, notable for its tachymeter bezel and three-register dial design, adopted the name “Daytona” shortly thereafter and really took the enthusiast community by storm when actor, director, and part-time racecar driver Paul Newman began wearing one regularly. Newman became a big-screen icon in the 1970s, around the same time that auto racing took off in popularity as a spectator sport, and this confluence of...

Rolex Daytona Panda Dial Ref. 126500 Review

The Rolex Daytona is a tricky watch to discuss these days. It’s difficult to separate the watch itself from its status as a barometer to the health of the entire second-hand market — a position that the watch itself surely never asked to be put into. Everyone has an opinion on the Daytona, and these days, those opinions seem to lean more negative due mostly to what it has come to represent. As such, it rarely gets a fair crack at an honest judgment. In fact, it’s a watch I generally shy away from discussing publicly. But I’ve always liked the Daytona, and I take pleasure in wearing mine in non-watch-enthusiast environments. That’s because, behind all the speculation and hype culture, there’s a genuinely good sports watch that’s almost never seen as such. After a year of owning the reference 126500 Rolex Daytona Panda dial introduced in 2023, and amidst a cooling second-hand market, I think it’s time to change that.  Let’s start off by confronting the reality of this watch. The MSRP of the steel Daytona Reference 126500 in either black or white dial (dark or light, in Rolex parlance) is $16,000. The same watches trade for between $27,000 and $32,000 in the open market. This is a serious discrepancy, but it does seem to have stabilized from a high point in 2021. In fact, it seems to be slowly coming down, but not nearly to a price that the watch merits, if you ask me. At its MSRP, the Daytona is a legitimately great watch, but only just. At ~$30,000, this ...

Hands-on - Some Thoughts about the Rolex Daytona “Alcaraz” 126518LN with Turquoise Lacquer Dial

In recent years, basically since the introduction of the ceramic bezel on the steel edition (the 116500LN), the Daytona has become the hottest watch in Rolex’s portfolio, but also remained a fairly conservative model, with a rather parsimonious use of colours. This hasn’t always been the case, though, and in the past, we’ve seen wild […]

18 Great Panda-Dial Watches (2026)

Panda-dial watches - a category of chronographs that derive their nickname from their two-tone dial colorways, generally defined by black subdials on a white main dial - have gone from a niche favorite to a widely popular genre for collectors and enthusiasts, who prize their high-contrast sharpness and legibility. Even in an era of watchmaking when bolder and brighter colorways seem more dominant than ever, there is something about the black-and-white simplicity of pandas, and their mirror-image cousins, the so-called “reverse pandas” (white subdials on black dial), that still strike a chord. Here are 18 of our favorites. Dan Henry 1964 Chronograph Price: $300, Case Size: 38mm, Thickness: 12.9mm, Lug-to-Lug: 44.7mm, Lug Width: 19mm, Water Resistance: 50 meters, Crystal: Sapphire, Movement: Seiko VK63 Mechaquartz A longtime watch collector, and founder of the historical-watch website Timeline Watch, Dan Henry established his eponymous watch brand in 2016, inspired by his extensive collection of vintage pieces to produce contemporary watches with recognizably retro design language. Each Dan Henry watch model is limited and numbered, and named after the year from which it draws its main aesthetic influence. The mechaquartz-powered 1964 Gran Turismo Chronograph brings to mind iconic racing watches born in the ‘60s like the Heuer Carrera and Rolex Daytona, and Dan Henry makes it in both 36mm and 38mm case sizes, with either a two- or three-register dial design, with o...

A Golden Gift: Redditor Receives Gold Rolex Daytona As A Token Of Gratitude From A Neighbor

Here is a quick, feel-good story that shows it’s always important to take care of those around you! A good Samaritan in the United States posted a photo on Reddit with a watch, noting that it was a gift from his neighbor. The neighbor wanted to thank him for all his help. We’ve withheld names […] Visit A Golden Gift: Redditor Receives Gold Rolex Daytona As A Token Of Gratitude From A Neighbor to read the full article.