Daytona
43 references catalogued, spanning production starts from 1955–2025.
Named for the Florida speedway, the Daytona spent its first two decades as a slow seller — steel manual-wind chronographs sat unsold in dealer cases through the 1960s and 70s. Then Paul Newman's association, and the 1988 switch to an automatic movement, inverted its position completely. It is now the hardest Rolex to buy at retail and the most valuable at auction.
Collection history
Generations.
1963–1988
Manual wind
6239 through 6265. Valjoux-based, tachymetre on the bezel. The exotic 'Paul Newman' dial appears across several of these references.1988–2000
Zenith automatic
16520 and siblings. A heavily modified Zenith El Primero as calibre 4030 — the reference that created the waitlists.2000–2016
In-house automatic
116520 onward. Calibre 4130, vertical clutch, 72-hour reserve, fewer parts.2016–present
Ceramic
116500LN then 126500LN. Cerachrom bezel; the 2023 update brings calibre 4131.References
Browse the Daytona collection.
Oldest to newest
016234Pre-Daytona1955–1961026238Pre-Daytona1962–1967036239Oystersteel1963–1969046240Pre-Daytona1965–1969056241Oystersteel1966–1969066262Oystersteel1970–1971076264Stainless Steel1970–1972086263Oyster Daytona1971–1988096265Oystersteel1971–1988106270The King1984–1986111651818k Yellow Gold1988–20001216520Zenith Daytona1988–20001316523Steel/18k Yellow Gold1988–2000141652818k Yellow Gold1988–20001516516Zenith Daytona (platinum unicorn)1998–199916116520Oystersteel2000–201617116523Steel/18k Yellow Gold2000–20161811652818k Yellow Gold2000–20161911650918k White Gold2004–20232011651918k White Gold2004–20162111650518k Everose Gold2008–202322116515LN18k Everose Gold2011–202323116506Platinum Ice / 50th Anniversary2013–202324116576TBRPlatinum2014–202325116500LNOystersteel2016–20232611650818ct Yellow Gold2016–202327116518LN18ct Yellow Gold2017–202328116519LN18ct White Gold2017–202329126500LNOystersteel2023–present30126503Stainless steel and yellow goldfrom 20233112650518k Everose Goldfrom 202332126506Platinum2023–present33126509White goldfrom 202334126515LN18k Everose Gold2023–present35126518LN18k Yellow Gold2023–present36126519LNWhite goldfrom 202337126528LN18k Yellow Gold2024–present3812650818k Yellow Gold2025–present39626918k Yellow GoldRecord pending406271—Record pending4116519White goldRecord pending42116503Stainless steel and yellow goldRecord pending43116596TBR—Record pending
References without production years are catalogued but do not yet carry a verified production record. Those fields are added as they are confirmed rather than estimated.