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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 116515LN}}
{{#seo:
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex 116515LN — Production, Dials & Serial Ranges | BezelBase
|title=Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 116515LN — Rolexopedia
|description=Rolex Daytona 116515LN: the first ceramic-bezel Daytona, launched 2011 in Everose gold with black Cerachrom and leather strap; transitioned to Oysterflex in 2017. Caliber 4130, 40mm Everose case, dial branches across chocolate, black, ivory, sundust, and meteorite.
|description=The Everose-gold Daytona with a black Cerachrom bezel and caliber 4130. Launched on leather in 2011, it gained an Oysterflex option in 2017.
|keywords=Rolex 116515LN, Daytona Cerachrom, Daytona Everose, first ceramic Daytona, Oysterflex Daytona, caliber 4130, sundust dial, chocolate dial, meteorite dial
|keywords=Rolex 116515LN, Daytona, Everose, Cerachrom, Oysterflex, caliber 4130
|image=Ref 116515LN hero.webp
|type=article
|image_alt=Rolex Daytona 116515LN Everose with Cerachrom bezel
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-04-30T03:40:40Z
|modified_time=2026-08-04T00:07:11Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}
}}


<small>[[Reference:daytona|Daytona]] -> '''116515LN'''</small>
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex Daytona 116515LN}}


The 116515LN is the first Cerachrom-bezel Daytona in any case material. Rolex launched it at Baselworld 2011 in Everose gold on a leather strap with an Everose Oysterlock fold-over clasp, five years before the steel 116500LN brought ceramic to the entry-level Daytona. The black Cerachrom monobloc tachymeter bezel that defines every modern ceramic Daytona made its debut here, on the warm pink case Rolex had introduced three years earlier on the engraved-bezel 116505. The LN suffix — lunette noire, black bezel — separates it from the engraved-Everose 116505 it ran alongside.
<small>[[Reference:daytona|Daytona]] → '''116515LN'''</small>


In 2017 Rolex moved the watch from leather to Oysterflex and kept the reference number, which made the 116515LN the first Daytona on Oysterflex, two years after the strap debuted on the Yacht-Master 116655 in 2015. Both strap eras share the same case, movement, and bezel across the reference's twelve-year production run (2011–2023), so the strap is the practical generation marker. Caliber 4130 runs the whole span, the first in-house Rolex chronograph and the movement behind every modern Daytona since 2000.
<div class="rp-lead">
[[File:Ref 116515LN hero.webp|thumb|center|640px|alt=Rolex Daytona 116515LN in Everose gold with chocolate dial, black Cerachrom bezel, and leather strap|Bonhams Fine Watches, London, lot 20, circa 2015; image via EveryWatch]]
</div>


[[File:Ref 116515LN hero.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex Daytona 116515LN Everose with Cerachrom bezel|116515LN in Everose gold with black Cerachrom monobloc bezel and Oysterflex strap]]
The 116515LN is an Everose-gold Cosmograph Daytona with a black Cerachrom tachymeter bezel and caliber 4130. Rolex listed the reference in its 2011 catalogue on a leather strap. In 2017, it added an Oysterflex version under the same reference number. Rolex introduced the successor, 126515LN, with caliber 4131 in 2023. The public record does not establish the exact last production date for the 116515LN.


==Core facts==
==Core facts==


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
! detail !! value
! Detail !! Specification
|-
|-
| reference || 116515LN
| Reference || 116515LN
|-
|-
| family || Daytona (Cosmograph, automatic)
| Family || Cosmograph Daytona
|-
|-
| production || 2011–2023
| Production || Introduced in 2011; superseded in the catalogue by 126515LN in 2023. Exact end date not published.
|-
|-
| case || 40mm, 18k Everose gold
| Case || 40 mm, 18 ct Everose gold
|-
|-
| crystal || flat sapphire, no Cyclops
| Bezel || Black monobloc Cerachrom with tachymetric scale
|-
|-
| bezel || Cerachrom monobloc black ceramic, tachymeter; Everose-PVD-filled numerals
| Crystal || Sapphire
|-
|-
| crown || Triplock screw-down, Everose gold
| Crown || Screw-down Triplock
|-
|-
| movement || Rolex caliber 4130, in-house, COSC
| Movement || Rolex caliber 4130, automatic chronograph
|-
|-
| frequency || 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
| Frequency || 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
|-
|-
| power reserve || 72 hours
| Jewels || 44
|-
|-
| jewels || 44
| Power reserve || Approximately 72 hours
|-
|-
| water resistance || 100m / 330ft
| Water resistance || 100 m / 330 ft
|-
|-
| strap (2011–2017) || black leather with 18k Everose Oysterlock fold-over clasp
| Straps || Leather at launch; Oysterflex added in 2017
|-
|-
| strap (2017–present) || Oysterflex elastomer with titanium-nickel alloy core; 18k Everose Oysterlock clasp
| Successor || 126515LN, caliber 4131
|-
| siblings || 116518LN (yellow gold, Cerachrom, Oysterflex 2017), 116519LN (white gold, Cerachrom, Oysterflex 2017), 116505 (engraved-Everose bezel, Oyster bracelet)
|-
| successor || 126515LN (cal 4131, 2023)
|}
|}


==Where it sits in the line==
==Where it sits in the line==


The 116515LN opens the ceramic Daytona programme. When Rolex launched it at Baselworld 2011, the modern Daytona case had been running metal-engraved tachymeter bezels since 2000 across steel, yellow gold, white gold, Rolesor, and Everose. Cerachrom, the scratch-resistant ceramic insert Rolex had been developing on Submariner and GMT bezels since the late 2000s, moved onto the Daytona for the first time on the Everose reference. The 40mm case Rolex had cast in Everose since 2008, cal 4130 and the Oysterlock clasp architecture all carried over. The bezel and the strap were new.
The 116515LN brought a black ceramic tachymeter bezel to the Everose Daytona. It shared the 40 mm case and caliber 4130 with the engraved-bezel 116505, but used Cerachrom instead of an Everose bezel. The 2011 Rolex catalogue identifies the 116515LN-0004 as an Everose Daytona with a black Cerachrom bezel.
 
The 2011 launch sat alongside two parallel ceramic-bezel gold Daytonas, the 116518LN in yellow gold and the 116519LN in white gold, both also on leather straps with matching gold Oysterlock clasps. The 116515LN leads the three in catalogue order and heads the ceramic Daytona generation. The five-year window before the steel 116500LN arrived in 2016 belonged to the gold ceramic references alone.


The 2017 Oysterflex rollout changed how the watch wears. Rolex had introduced the strap on the Yacht-Master 116655 in 2015, a hypoallergenic elastomer overmoulded around a titanium-nickel alloy blade with a longitudinal cushion system running inside it. The 2017 Baselworld release moved Oysterflex onto the 116515LN, 116518LN, and 116519LN at once, replacing the leather configuration and leaving all three reference numbers alone. Daytona became the second Rolex line to carry the strap.
At launch, the 116515LN was offered on leather. Rolex added Oysterflex to the Everose, yellow-gold, and white-gold ceramic-bezel Daytonas in 2017. The case material and bezel color distinguish the 116515LN from its 116518LN and 116519LN siblings.


The 126515LN took over the ceramic-Everose slot at Watches & Wonders Geneva in 2023 with cal 4131, alongside the parallel 126500LN steel transition. It inherited the Cerachrom-Everose-Oysterflex configuration and the same 40mm case footprint in a slightly thinner profile, which leaves the 116515LN as the cal 4130 generation of the ceramic-Everose Daytona.
In 2023 Rolex introduced the 126515LN with caliber 4131. It retained the Everose case, black Cerachrom bezel, and Oysterflex configuration. That catalogue change identifies the successor generation; it does not give a precise final production date for the 116515LN.


==Production outline==
==Production outline==


Production ran from Baselworld 2011 to 2023 under one reference number. The 2017 strap change is the only structural break inside it.
Rolex’s archived 2011 listing records the 116515LN-0004 with a black Cerachrom bezel. Contemporary 2011 model coverage and the catalogue record place the reference’s introduction in that year. The documented launch configuration used a leather strap and an Everose-gold folding clasp.


The launch configuration is a black alligator-leather strap with stitched edges and an 18k Everose Oysterlock fold-over clasp, the same clasp architecture Rolex used on the leather-strap 116519 white-gold Daytona. It ran from launch through early 2017. Suffix codes map the period — -0004 chocolate on leather, -0009 sundust pink on leather, plus the standard ivory and black-dial leather variants.
At Baselworld in 2017, Rolex presented the 116515LN on Oysterflex. The reference number remained unchanged. Later auction catalogues document both leather and Oysterflex examples, but a watch’s strap or warranty date does not by itself establish the production span of every dial configuration.


The 2017 Baselworld release moved the reference to Oysterflex under the same reference number. Case, movement, dial, and bezel carried over untouched. The Oysterflex era is the longer of the two, running from 2017 to the 2023 arrival of the 126515LN.
Rolex showed the 126515LN successor in 2023. Auction records also document a 116515LN with a 2023-dated guarantee. These records bracket the changeover, but do not establish the last day or month of production. Serial numbers do not provide a public, precise year-by-year production chart.
 
Dial-printing variations inside the run track the wider cal 4130 generation. Early leather-era production carries the same dial print as the parallel 116505; mid-production examples show subtle dial-text spacing shifts and the occasional kerning change. Rolex announced none of it, and none of it maps to a clean serial cutoff.
 
Meteorite, the slate-grey Gibeon-meteorite mineral dial Rolex had used on Day-Date and earlier Daytona references, joined the catalogue in 2021, late in the run and alongside a parallel rollout across the other gold cal 4130 Daytonas. It ran roughly two years before the cal 4131 transition reset the meteorite-dial programme on the 126515LN.
 
Every 116515LN carries a random-alphanumeric serial; the reference launched in 2011, after Rolex had moved the entire catalogue to random alphanumerics in mid-2010. Lume across the run is Chromalight blue, consistent with the modern cal 4130 generation.


==Movement notes==
==Movement notes==


Caliber 4130 sits inside every 116515LN, the first in-house Rolex chronograph, launched on the 116520 in 2000. It runs at 28,800 vph on 44 jewels with a 72-hour reserve, COSC certification, and a blue Parachrom hairspring, and it switches start, stop, and reset through a column wheel. Vertical-clutch coupling removes the judder on engagement, the amplitude loss while the chronograph runs, and the backlash in the seconds hand. Hour and minute counters share one side of the movement, and the mainspring can be replaced without uncasing.
The 116515LN uses caliber 4130, Rolex’s automatic chronograph introduced in the Daytona line in 2000. It has a column wheel and vertical clutch, runs at 28,800 vibrations per hour, and has a stated reserve of about 72 hours. Rolex’s published 4130 specifications give 44 jewels. The 72-hour figure is a nominal specification; reserve can vary with use and condition.
 
The 4130 uses 201 components, a low count for an automatic integrated chronograph. The quoted 72-hour reserve is the no-chronograph figure; with the chronograph running continuously, the practical reserve drops to about 65 hours.
 
Chronometer specification changed mid-run. Rolex tightened it from COSC's −4/+6 to the Superlative Chronometer −2/+2 during the 116515LN's production life, so early leather-era examples and late Oysterflex examples left Geneva rated differently.


The 2023 cal 4131 is the same architecture with the Chronergy escapement Rolex had rolled across the three-hand Sport lines through the 2010s. The gain shows up in real-world precision; power reserve stays at roughly 72 hours. The 116515LN runs cal 4130 to the end.
The 2023 successor uses caliber 4131. That change marks the generation boundary; the 4131’s specification should not be applied to the 116515LN.


For the full caliber lineage and the architecture comparison with the predecessor cal 4030 Zenith-based chronograph, see [[Reference:Movements#cal-4130]].
For the movement family and its documented specifications, see [[Reference:Movements#cal-4130|caliber 4130 in the movement guide]].


==Dial map==
==Dial map==


Every dial branch works against the same constant — a black Cerachrom bezel over the warm pink Everose case, the same case treatment the engraved-bezel 116505 carries.
Catalogue and auction records document the dial treatments below. They do not provide a complete factory list or chronology.


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
! Variant !! Period !! Distinguishing features
! Dial || Evidence in the record
|-
| Chocolate || 2011–present || Warm dark-brown lacquer base; black sub-dial rings on the most-photographed chocolate-leather and chocolate-Oysterflex configurations; applied gold five-minute markers; reads as the signature 116515LN dial colour and the configuration most commonly used in Rolex's launch press imagery
|-
| Black || 2011–present || Black lacquer base with Everose-tone (pink) sub-dial rings; applied gold markers; red Daytona script above the six o'clock sub-register on standard production
|-
|-
| Ivory || 2011–present || Off-white cream lacquer base with three sub-dials in the same ivory tone; applied gold markers; runs the entire production span and pairs naturally with the warm Everose case
| Chocolate || Rolex listed chocolate for the launch-era 116515LN-0004; a Bonhams lot records a circa-2015 chocolate example on leather.
|-
|-
| Sundust (pink) || 2011–present || Soft pink-rose lacquer base; black or matching-tone sub-dials; reads as the "rose on rose" configuration that defines a portion of the production market and pairs with the Everose case more naturally than any other dial colour
| Sundust || Sotheby’s catalogued a circa-2017 Oysterflex example with a sundust dial.
|-
|-
| Meteorite || 2021–2023 || Slate-grey Gibeon-meteorite mineral base showing the natural Widmanstätten crystal pattern; applied gold markers; short late-run 116515LN-0055 Oysterflex configuration within the final cal 4130 Daytona generation
| Black || Sotheby’s catalogued a circa-2021 Oysterflex example with a black dial.
|-
|-
| Diamond-marker variants || 2011–present || Applied diamond hour markers on chocolate, black, ivory, sundust, or meteorite base; documented across the production run with no single sub-period anchor
| Meteorite || Christie’s catalogued a circa-2023 example with a meteorite dial and Oysterflex strap. Its lot essay dates the reference introduction to 2012; Rolex’s 2011 catalogue provides earlier evidence for the reference, though not for this dial.
|-
|-
| Baguette-marker variants || 2011–present || Baguette-cut diamond markers replacing the standard applied gold markers; appears on chocolate, sundust, and ivory bases in catalogue text
| Gem-set example || Sotheby’s catalogued a circa-2020 pink-dial watch described as diamond-set. The listing does not specify which components carry diamonds.
|}
|}


Mother-of-pearl, documented on the 116519 white-gold Daytona, never formally entered the 116515LN catalogue. Overlap between the gold Daytonas of the 4130 generation is broad but not total.
Auction descriptions use their own color terms, and some lot essays contain errors. A dial color or case number from one lot identifies that watch; it does not give the full production chronology.


==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown==
==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown==


The 116515LN case is 40mm in 18k Everose gold — the same nameplate dimension as the steel 116520, the yellow-gold 116528, and the engraved-Everose 116505. The case, lugs, screw-down pushers, and crown geometry carry over unchanged from the 116505 architecture; the only material difference between the 116505 and 116515LN cases is the bezel.
The case is 40 mm and made from Rolex’s 18 ct Everose gold. The black monobloc Cerachrom bezel carries a tachymetric scale. The bezel separates the 116515LN from the engraved-Everose 116505, although both references use an Everose case and caliber 4130.


The bezel is the headline. Cerachrom is Rolex's proprietary scratch-resistant ceramic, sintered as a monobloc piece with the tachymeter scale recessed into the surface and filled with Everose-tone PVD on the 116515LN, against the platinum-PVD treatment that fills the steel 116500LN bezel. The black colourway gives the reference its LN suffix, lunette noire, and matches the colour-coding Rolex applies across the modern catalogue (LN black for lunette noire, LV green, BLNR blue and black, BLRO blue and red). The finish is close to permanent. It resists scratches, holds its colour, and shrugs off the UV exposure that gradually softened the engraved-Everose bezel surface on the parallel 116505 over years of wear.
The watch has a sapphire crystal, screw-down chronograph pushers, and a screw-down Triplock crown. Rolex rates the model to 100 metres. The Daytona has no date display.


The crystal is flat sapphire with no Cyclops. The running-seconds sub-dial sits at six o'clock, and the Triplock crown handles 100m water resistance. Screw-down chronograph pushers flank the crown and have to be unscrewed before the chronograph will start, the standing trade-off of the cal 4130 generation in every case material.
==Straps and clasp==


==Bracelets, end links, and clasps==
===Leather===


Two strap configurations span the run — leather from 2011 to 2017, Oysterflex from 2017 on. The reference number is identical across both eras, and auction catalogue text treats the strap as a year marker within one reference.
The 2011 catalogue configuration used a leather strap and an Everose-gold folding clasp. A later service replacement strap does not establish original delivery, so assess it separately from the watch head.


===Leather strap (2011–2017)===
===Oysterflex===


The launch configuration is a black calf-leather strap with stitched edges and an 18k Everose Oysterlock fold-over deployant clasp. The clasp blade carries the Rolex crown on the underside. The strap is interchangeable with Rolex's service stock and was sold separately as a service replacement while the leather era lasted. Leather-strap suffix codes run through 2017 across four dial configurations: chocolate, black, ivory, and sundust.
Rolex added the Oysterflex option to the 116515LN in 2017. The strap uses flexible metal blades overmoulded with black elastomer and has cushions on its inner surfaces. Rolex describes Oysterflex as a bracelet and fits it with an Oysterlock clasp. A circa-2017 Sotheby’s example records a sundust dial, caliber 4130, and Oysterflex strap on the same watch.


===Oysterflex strap (2017–present)===
==Auction examples==


The 2017 Baselworld transition moved the 116515LN to Oysterflex, the patented elastomer-on-titanium-nickel-blade construction Rolex had introduced two years earlier on the Yacht-Master 116655. Black elastomer is overmoulded around a flexible titanium-and-nickel alloy blade, with a longitudinal cushion system inside the strap that stabilises the watch on the wrist. The clasp stays Oysterlock, the same 18k Everose deployant and the same architecture as the leather era, and the strap attaches through integrated lugs built for the blade construction.
These auction descriptions date individual watches; they do not establish factory-wide production ranges.


Fit is the collector caveat. The 116515LN uses fixed-length Oysterflex halves and the clasp's Easylink gives only about 5mm of quick adjustment, so getting the correct strap-letter pairing matters more than it does on a metal Oyster bracelet. The later 126515LN improves this with a Glidelock-style adjustment range, which makes the clasp one of the practical tells between the cal 4130 and cal 4131 Everose ceramic Daytonas.
{| class="wikitable"
 
! Sale record !! What the catalogue documents
The strap had reached the Yacht-Master 116655 (Everose, 2015) and the 116659SA (white gold with diamonds, 2015) before any Daytona wore it.
|-
 
| Sotheby’s, 2024, lot 2126 || Described as circa 2017; sundust dial, caliber 4130, 40 mm Everose case, and Oysterflex strap.
The 116515LN never took a metal Oyster bracelet. That option belonged to the engraved-bezel 116505, which carries the Oyster across its run for buyers who wanted Everose on Everose.
|-
 
| Sotheby’s, 2024, lot 215 || Described as circa 2021; black dial, caliber 4130, Everose case, and Oysterflex strap.
==Special branches==
|-
 
| Sotheby’s, Hong Kong, 2024 || Described as circa 2020; pink dial and diamond-set case/watch. The catalogue does not say which components are set.
The 116515LN is itself the outlier of the cal 4130 Daytona generation — first Cerachrom bezel, first Oysterflex strap, lead reference of the modern ceramic programme. Inside the run, the variants that matter are dial variants.
|-
 
| Bonhams, Fine Watches, London, lot 20 (2022) || Described as circa 2015; chocolate dial, caliber 4130, and leather strap. The listing is accessible through EveryWatch.
The meteorite dial is the most-collected late-run variant. Rolex introduced it across the gold cal 4130 Daytonas in 2021 — 116505, 116508, 116509, 116515LN, 116518LN, 116519LN — and it ran through the final two years of cal 4130 production. The Gibeon-meteorite base shows the natural Widmanstätten crystal pattern, so no two dials are identical. It carries a documented secondary-market premium over the lacquer dials.
|-
 
| Christie’s, Important Watches, lot 6567928 || Described as circa 2023; meteorite dial, 40 mm case, Oysterflex strap, and a guarantee dated 2023. Its essay incorrectly says the reference was introduced in 2012; Rolex’s 2011 listing predates that claim.
On the 116515LN the meteorite configuration tracks as 116515LN-0055 — Everose case, black Cerachrom bezel, Oysterflex, cal 4130, meteorite dial. It is a short late-run branch documented from 2021 to 2023, so reading a full set or a catalogue record means keeping it apart from the earlier lacquer and diamond-marker configurations.
|}
 
Chocolate on leather is the launch-press configuration and the most-photographed of the leather-era variants. Catalogue imagery from 2011 to 2017 leans on it as the reference's signature shot; after the 2017 transition the press pictures shift to black and sundust on Oysterflex.
 
==Historical market and auction record==
 
The 116515LN trades mostly through dealer and private channels rather than at major auction. Sotheby's, Christie's, and Phillips have catalogued individual lots across the production span, and meteorite-dial and leather-era chocolate examples draw the strongest bids at the major houses. None of the single-artifact records that anchor the vintage Daytona market sit here; the reference is collected on material and movement.
 
The 2023 cal 4131 transition reset the secondary market. With the 126515LN absorbing demand at retail, the 116515LN settled into position as the last cal 4130 ceramic-Everose Daytona, and prices on full-set examples — leather-era and meteorite-dial especially — have firmed in the years since.


== Related references ==
==Related references==


* [[Reference:3525|Daytona 3525]] — "Monoblocco", WWII Chronograph (1939–1945)
* [[Reference:116505|116505]]: Everose Daytona with engraved-metal bezel
* [[Reference:6234|Daytona 6234]] — Pre-Daytona (1955–1961)
* [[Reference:116518LN|116518LN]]: yellow-gold Daytona with Cerachrom bezel
* [[Reference:6238|Daytona 6238]] — the 'Pre-Daytona' Chronograph
* [[Reference:116519LN|116519LN]]: white-gold Daytona with Cerachrom bezel
* [[Reference:6239|Daytona 6239]] — First Cosmograph, Paul Newman Dials
* 126515LN: successor with caliber 4131
* [[Reference:6240|Daytona 6240]] — First Screw-Down-Pusher Daytona (1965–1969)
* [[Reference:6241|Daytona 6241]] — "John Player Special", 14k Gold (1966–1969)


See also the [[Reference:daytona|Daytona family index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].
See also [[Reference:daytona|Daytona family index]] and [[Reference:Movements|movement guide]].


== Sources ==
== Sources ==


* [https://web.archive.org/web/20111119221019/http://www.rolex.com/en/rolex-watches/cosmograph-daytona/cosmograph-daytona-40mm-everose-gold-m116515ln-0004 Rolex SA, "Cosmograph Daytona 40mm Everose gold M116515LN-0004, black monobloc Cerachrom bezel", Rolex, 2011-11-19]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20170403093549/https://www.rolex.com/watches/baselworld/new-cosmograph-daytona/m116518ln-0040.html Rolex SA, "New Rolex Cosmograph Daytona — Baselworld 2017 (M116518LN-0040)", Rolex, 2017-04-03]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20230603101657/https://www.rolex.com/watches/cosmograph-daytona/all-models.html Rolex SA, "Cosmograph Daytona all-models catalogue (cal 4131 generation, 116503 removed)", Rolex, 2023-06-03]
* [https://www.rolex.com/watchmaking/features/materials/everose "Everose - Materials, Watchmaking Features", Rolex]
* [https://www.rolex.com/watchmaking/features/materials/everose "Everose - Materials, Watchmaking Features", Rolex]
* [https://millenarywatches.com/what-is-rolex-everose-gold-a-complete-guide/ "What is Rolex Everose Gold? A Complete Guide", Millenary Watches]
* [https://millenarywatches.com/rolex-caliber-4130/ "Rolex Caliber 4130 Complete Guide", Millenary Watches]
* [https://millenarywatches.com/rolex-caliber-4130/ "Rolex Caliber 4130 Complete Guide", Millenary Watches]
* [https://calibercorner.com/rolex-caliber-4130/ "Rolex Caliber 4130 Watch Movement", CaliberCorner]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2024/important-watches-i/cosmograph-daytona-reference-116515ln-an-everose Sotheby's, "Rolex Cosmograph Daytona, reference 116515LN, lot 2126", Sotheby's, 2024-04-07]
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/history-rolex-daytona-chronograph-1963-in-depth-review/ Erik Slaven, "In-Depth: The History of the Rolex Daytona, The Emblematic Racing Chronograph", Monochrome, 2024-12-20]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2024/important-watches-part-ii/daytona-reference-116515ln-a-pink-gold-chronograph Sotheby's, "Rolex Daytona, reference 116515LN, lot 215", Sotheby's, 2024-05-15]
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/a-vintage-watch-nerds-critical-dissection-of-the-rolex-daytona-past-to-present-part-33 Paul Boutros, "In-Depth: A Vintage Watch Nerd's Critical Dissection of the Rolex Daytona, Past to Present (Part 3/3)", Hodinkee, 2013-03]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/buy/508cf0c8-aaa6-4692-a1fa-23b91690e686/lots/226eeeac-6cf3-4672-bb72-7f6740b1c215 Sotheby's, "Rolex Cosmograph Daytona, reference 116515LN, lot HK8626", Sotheby's, 2024-03-12]
* [https://revolutionwatch.com/a-movement-in-history-the-zenith-driven-rolex-daytona/ Ross Povey, "A Movement in History: The Zenith-driven Rolex Daytona", Revolution Watch, 2018-09-03]
* [https://everywatch.com/rolex/daytona/116515/watch-9044130 Bonhams; record mirrored by EveryWatch, "Bonhams Fine Watches, London, ref. 116515LN, lot 20", EveryWatch, 2022-06-12]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/vintage-rolex-daytona-the-gold-standard Karyn Orrico, "Vintage Rolex Daytona: The Gold Standard", Sotheby's, 2024-12-17]
* [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6567928 Christie's, "Rolex Daytona meteorite, reference 116515LN, lot 6567928", Christie's, 2023]
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* [https://www.vintagewatchstraps.com/ David Boettcher, "Vintage Watch Straps — Rolex bracelet and clasp reference", vintagewatchstraps.com, 2026-04-18]
* [https://www.watchguys.com/pages/rolex-daytona-116515-oysterflex-rose-gold-review "Rolex Daytona 116515LN Review: Everose on Oysterflex Guide", WatchGuys]
* [https://watchbase.com/rolex/daytona/116515ln-0004 "Rolex 116515LN-0004: Cosmograph Daytona Everose / Cerachrom / Chocolate / Strap", WatchBase]
* [https://www.ablogtowatch.com/rolex-cosmograph-daytona-watches-gold-oysterflex-rubber-strap-ceramic-bezel/ "Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Watches In Gold With Oysterflex Rubber Strap & Ceramic Bezel Hands-On", aBlogToWatch]
* [https://www.prestigetime.com/blog/rolex-yachtmaster-rubber-oysterflex-bracelet.html "116655 FULL REVIEW - Rolex Yachtmaster 40mm 18k Rose Gold", PrestigeTime]
* [https://www.jaztime.com/rolex/daytona/meteorite "All Meteorite Dial - Rolex Daytona Chronograph Watches", Jaztime]


[[Category:Daytona]]
[[Category:Daytona]]

Latest revision as of 07:39, 29 September 2026



Daytona → 116515LN

Rolex Daytona 116515LN in Everose gold with chocolate dial, black Cerachrom bezel, and leather strap
Bonhams Fine Watches, London, lot 20, circa 2015; image via EveryWatch

The 116515LN is an Everose-gold Cosmograph Daytona with a black Cerachrom tachymeter bezel and caliber 4130. Rolex listed the reference in its 2011 catalogue on a leather strap. In 2017, it added an Oysterflex version under the same reference number. Rolex introduced the successor, 126515LN, with caliber 4131 in 2023. The public record does not establish the exact last production date for the 116515LN.

Core facts

Detail Specification
Reference 116515LN
Family Cosmograph Daytona
Production Introduced in 2011; superseded in the catalogue by 126515LN in 2023. Exact end date not published.
Case 40 mm, 18 ct Everose gold
Bezel Black monobloc Cerachrom with tachymetric scale
Crystal Sapphire
Crown Screw-down Triplock
Movement Rolex caliber 4130, automatic chronograph
Frequency 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
Jewels 44
Power reserve Approximately 72 hours
Water resistance 100 m / 330 ft
Straps Leather at launch; Oysterflex added in 2017
Successor 126515LN, caliber 4131

Where it sits in the line

The 116515LN brought a black ceramic tachymeter bezel to the Everose Daytona. It shared the 40 mm case and caliber 4130 with the engraved-bezel 116505, but used Cerachrom instead of an Everose bezel. The 2011 Rolex catalogue identifies the 116515LN-0004 as an Everose Daytona with a black Cerachrom bezel.

At launch, the 116515LN was offered on leather. Rolex added Oysterflex to the Everose, yellow-gold, and white-gold ceramic-bezel Daytonas in 2017. The case material and bezel color distinguish the 116515LN from its 116518LN and 116519LN siblings.

In 2023 Rolex introduced the 126515LN with caliber 4131. It retained the Everose case, black Cerachrom bezel, and Oysterflex configuration. That catalogue change identifies the successor generation; it does not give a precise final production date for the 116515LN.

Production outline

Rolex’s archived 2011 listing records the 116515LN-0004 with a black Cerachrom bezel. Contemporary 2011 model coverage and the catalogue record place the reference’s introduction in that year. The documented launch configuration used a leather strap and an Everose-gold folding clasp.

At Baselworld in 2017, Rolex presented the 116515LN on Oysterflex. The reference number remained unchanged. Later auction catalogues document both leather and Oysterflex examples, but a watch’s strap or warranty date does not by itself establish the production span of every dial configuration.

Rolex showed the 126515LN successor in 2023. Auction records also document a 116515LN with a 2023-dated guarantee. These records bracket the changeover, but do not establish the last day or month of production. Serial numbers do not provide a public, precise year-by-year production chart.

Movement notes

The 116515LN uses caliber 4130, Rolex’s automatic chronograph introduced in the Daytona line in 2000. It has a column wheel and vertical clutch, runs at 28,800 vibrations per hour, and has a stated reserve of about 72 hours. Rolex’s published 4130 specifications give 44 jewels. The 72-hour figure is a nominal specification; reserve can vary with use and condition.

The 2023 successor uses caliber 4131. That change marks the generation boundary; the 4131’s specification should not be applied to the 116515LN.

For the movement family and its documented specifications, see caliber 4130 in the movement guide.

Dial map

Catalogue and auction records document the dial treatments below. They do not provide a complete factory list or chronology.

Dial Evidence in the record
Chocolate Rolex listed chocolate for the launch-era 116515LN-0004; a Bonhams lot records a circa-2015 chocolate example on leather.
Sundust Sotheby’s catalogued a circa-2017 Oysterflex example with a sundust dial.
Black Sotheby’s catalogued a circa-2021 Oysterflex example with a black dial.
Meteorite Christie’s catalogued a circa-2023 example with a meteorite dial and Oysterflex strap. Its lot essay dates the reference introduction to 2012; Rolex’s 2011 catalogue provides earlier evidence for the reference, though not for this dial.
Gem-set example Sotheby’s catalogued a circa-2020 pink-dial watch described as diamond-set. The listing does not specify which components carry diamonds.

Auction descriptions use their own color terms, and some lot essays contain errors. A dial color or case number from one lot identifies that watch; it does not give the full production chronology.

Case, bezel, crystal, and crown

The case is 40 mm and made from Rolex’s 18 ct Everose gold. The black monobloc Cerachrom bezel carries a tachymetric scale. The bezel separates the 116515LN from the engraved-Everose 116505, although both references use an Everose case and caliber 4130.

The watch has a sapphire crystal, screw-down chronograph pushers, and a screw-down Triplock crown. Rolex rates the model to 100 metres. The Daytona has no date display.

Straps and clasp

Leather

The 2011 catalogue configuration used a leather strap and an Everose-gold folding clasp. A later service replacement strap does not establish original delivery, so assess it separately from the watch head.

Oysterflex

Rolex added the Oysterflex option to the 116515LN in 2017. The strap uses flexible metal blades overmoulded with black elastomer and has cushions on its inner surfaces. Rolex describes Oysterflex as a bracelet and fits it with an Oysterlock clasp. A circa-2017 Sotheby’s example records a sundust dial, caliber 4130, and Oysterflex strap on the same watch.

Auction examples

These auction descriptions date individual watches; they do not establish factory-wide production ranges.

Sale record What the catalogue documents
Sotheby’s, 2024, lot 2126 Described as circa 2017; sundust dial, caliber 4130, 40 mm Everose case, and Oysterflex strap.
Sotheby’s, 2024, lot 215 Described as circa 2021; black dial, caliber 4130, Everose case, and Oysterflex strap.
Sotheby’s, Hong Kong, 2024 Described as circa 2020; pink dial and diamond-set case/watch. The catalogue does not say which components are set.
Bonhams, Fine Watches, London, lot 20 (2022) Described as circa 2015; chocolate dial, caliber 4130, and leather strap. The listing is accessible through EveryWatch.
Christie’s, Important Watches, lot 6567928 Described as circa 2023; meteorite dial, 40 mm case, Oysterflex strap, and a guarantee dated 2023. Its essay incorrectly says the reference was introduced in 2012; Rolex’s 2011 listing predates that claim.

Related references

  • 116505: Everose Daytona with engraved-metal bezel
  • 116518LN: yellow-gold Daytona with Cerachrom bezel
  • 116519LN: white-gold Daytona with Cerachrom bezel
  • 126515LN: successor with caliber 4131

See also Daytona family index and movement guide.

Sources

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