Reference:daytona: Difference between revisions

[checked revision]

Latest revision as of 14:15, 15 September 2026

The Cosmograph Daytona is Rolex's chronograph family, introduced in 1963. The original manual-wind watches used Valjoux-based movements. Automatic winding arrived with the Zenith-derived caliber 4030 in 1988, followed by Rolex's own caliber 4130 in 2000.

The reference tables begin with the 6238 predecessor and run through the 4130 generation. Rolex introduced the redesigned 4131 generation in 2023. Earlier Oyster and non-Oyster chronographs are covered under pre-Daytona chronographs.

Vintage Rolex Cosmograph Daytona advertisement

Common entry points

Manual-wind, black bezel

6263

Caliber 727, screw-down pushers and a black acrylic bezel insert. Dial variants include the large red Daytona signature known as Big Red.

Zenith automatic, steel

16520

Caliber 4030, sapphire crystal and an engraved steel bezel. The article compares dial printing and the brown subdial rings called Patrizzi.

Rolex automatic, steel bezel

116520

The 2000–2016 steel Daytona with caliber 4130. Running seconds moved to the subdial at 6 o'clock.

Manual-wind chronograph (1962–1988)

The 6238, now called the Pre-Daytona, has its tachymetric scale on the dial. The 6239 moved that scale to the bezel in 1963. Rolex added screw-down chronograph pushers with the 6240 in 1965; the 6241 combined a black acrylic bezel insert with the earlier pump pushers.

The short-lived 6262 and 6264 retained pump pushers but used caliber 727. The 6263 and 6265 paired that movement with screw-down pushers and remained in the range until the late 1980s.

Reference	Approximate period	Movement	Bezel	Pushers	Distinction
6238	c.1962–1968	72B / 722	Smooth metal	Pump	Tachymetric scale on the dial
6239	c.1963–1969	72B / 722 family	Engraved metal	Pump	The first Cosmograph reference; Newman's own exotic-dial watch was a 6239
6240	c.1965–1969	722 family	Black acrylic insert	Screw-down	Introduced screw-down pushers to the Daytona
6241	c.1966–1969	722 family	Black acrylic insert	Pump	Black-insert alternative to the metal-bezel 6239
6262	c.1970–1972	727	Engraved metal	Pump	Caliber 727 in a pump-pusher case
6263	Around 1970–late 1980s	727	Black acrylic insert	Screw-down	Black-insert counterpart to the 6265
6264	c.1970–1972	727	Black acrylic insert	Pump	Black-insert counterpart to the 6262
6265	Around 1970–late 1980s	727	Engraved metal	Screw-down	Metal-bezel counterpart to the 6263

Vintage production dates vary between sources. Monochrome gives 1971–1988 for the 6263/6265 pair; Phillips's Geneva XX catalogue discussions place their introduction in 1969 or the early 1970s and their end in 1987. Monochrome's 1963–1969 range for the 6239 also differs from the later endpoint in Phillips's account.

The early movements belong to the Valjoux 72 family. Catalogues use the designations 72B, 722 and 722-1; Phillips identifies a 72B in an early 6239 and a 722 in a 6241. The reference number alone does not identify the caliber fitted to an individual watch.

Zenith automatic (1988–2000)

Caliber 4030 is Rolex's reworking of the Zenith El Primero 400. Rolex removed the date mechanism, reduced the frequency from 36,000 to 28,800 vibrations per hour and changed the balance assembly. The steel 16520 has a sapphire crystal and crown guards, both departures from the manual-wind models.

Reference	Period or dated example	Movement	Material	Bracelet or strap	Distinction
16520	1988–2000	4030	Steel	Oyster bracelet	Steel automatic Daytona; dial variations include changed text spacing and Patrizzi subdial rings
16518	Documented sale in 1992; 1990s	4030	18k yellow gold	Leather strap	Strap-mounted yellow gold version
16519	Catalogued example c.1997; late 1990s	4030	18k white gold	Leather strap	Strap-mounted white gold version
16523	c.1988–2000	4030	Steel and 18k yellow gold	Oyster bracelet	Two-tone version, called Rolesor by Rolex
16528	c.1988–2000	4030	18k yellow gold	Oyster bracelet	Bracelet-mounted yellow gold version

Monaco Legend records a December 1992 warranty sale for a 16518; Phillips dates a 16519 to around 1997. Neither catalogue establishes an exact launch date.

Dial-mark numbers depend on the author's classification. Ross Povey's account in Revolution uses Stefano Mazzariol's five-mark scheme for the 16520. The linked reference article compares the schemes and their dating limits. A later service dial can sit in an earlier case.

In-house caliber 4130 (2000–2023)

Caliber 4130 introduced a vertical clutch and an approximately 72-hour power reserve. On the steel 116520, running seconds moved from 9 to 6 o'clock. The steel reference ended in 2016, but other 4130 Daytonas continued until the 2023 redesign.

Ceramic bezels arrived in stages: the Everose-gold 116515LN in 2011, platinum 116506 in 2013 and steel 116500LN in 2016. Rolex added Oysterflex versions in yellow, white and Everose gold in 2017. Oysterflex has flexible metal blades covered in elastomer.

Reference	Approximate period	Movement	Material	Bezel	Distinction
116520	2000–2016	4130	Steel	Engraved steel	Steel bracelet model, replaced by the ceramic-bezel 116500LN
116523	c.2000–2016	4130	Steel and 18k yellow gold	Engraved yellow gold	Rolesor model preceding the 116503
116528	c.2000–2016	4130	18k yellow gold	Engraved yellow gold	Yellow gold Oyster bracelet; replaced by the 116508
116518	2000s–2010s	4130	18k yellow gold	Engraved yellow gold	Leather-strap version preceding the 116518LN
116519	2000s–2010s	4130	18k white gold	Engraved white gold	Leather-strap version; includes the coloured-dial Beach series
116509	2004–2023	4130	18k white gold	Engraved white gold	White gold Oyster bracelet
116505	2008–2023	4130	18k Everose gold	Engraved Everose gold	Rolex's rose-gold alloy, with matching Oyster bracelet
116515LN	2011–2023	4130	18k Everose gold	Black Cerachrom	Leather strap initially; Oysterflex from 2017
116508	2016–2023	4130	18k yellow gold	Engraved yellow gold	Successor to the 116528; includes the green-dial version
116503	2016–2023	4130	Steel and 18k yellow gold	Engraved yellow gold	Rolesor successor to the 116523
116500LN	2016–2023	4130	Steel	Black Cerachrom	Steel Oyster bracelet; black or white dial
116506	2013–2023	4130	950 platinum	Brown Cerachrom	Ice-blue dial and platinum Oyster bracelet
116519LN	2017–2023	4130	18k white gold	Black Cerachrom	White gold on Oysterflex
116518LN	2017–2023	4130	18k yellow gold	Black Cerachrom	Yellow gold on Oysterflex

Production and retail sales can overlap a successor's introduction; the dates above are approximate.

The 2023 generation

Rolex introduced caliber 4131 with a revised case and dial in 2023. The platinum version gained a transparent caseback. A separate Le Mans centenary version uses caliber 4132, with a chronograph hour counter that records 24 hours instead of 12. Rolex's current Daytona catalogue covers the later range.

Auction record and disputed examples

Paul Newman's two watches below have separate provenance records. The auction results apply to those watches; the dial nicknames also describe examples he never owned.

Watch	Case number	Sale	Published result
Newman's 6239 with an exotic dial	2,005,325	Phillips Winning Icons, lot 8, 26 October 2017	USD 17,752,500
Newman's 6263 with a Big Red dial	6,392,137	Phillips New York, lot 38, 12 December 2020	USD 5,475,000

Paul Newman Daytona: the collector name for the exotic dial family, with distinctive subdial numerals and square-ended markers.
Big Red: the large red Daytona signature above the hour counter. Newman's 6263 is one documented example.
Albino 6263: a pale dial with matching subdials. Eric Clapton's former watch and the example offered by Sotheby's in 2025 are different watches. Jose Pereztroika, writing at Perezcope, disputes the factory assembly of these dial and case combinations.
Unicorn 6265: the white gold watch presented by Phillips in 2018. Pereztroika challenges the components used in its restoration.
Neanderthal 6240: presented by Phillips as an early exotic-dial prototype. Pereztroika argues that the dial appeared in a different watch in a 1998 magazine photograph.
Oyster Sotto / RCO: dial text arranged ROLEX, COSMOGRAPH, OYSTER, with OYSTER below COSMOGRAPH. The names describe the text order.

Related families

Submariner: dive watches with an elapsed-time bezel.
GMT-Master: travel watches with a 24-hour hand and bezel.
Sea-Dweller: saturation-diving watches with a helium escape valve.

Shared references

Bracelets: bracelet construction, end links and clasp codes. A clasp code dates the clasp, not the watch head.
Movements: the Valjoux-based manual-wind calibers, Zenith-derived 4030 and Rolex 4130.
Serial numbers: case-number systems and the limits of serial-based dating.
Glossary: dial nicknames and component terms.

Sources

Rolex, Born to race: Daytona chronology
Rolex, Cosmograph Daytona technical description
Rolex, Cosmograph Daytona 116503 brochure
Christie’s, Important Watches, New York, 12 June 2026, lot 130
Phillips, Manual-wind Daytonas in Geneva Watch Auction XX
Monaco Legend, Exclusive Timepieces, October 2024, lot 42, reference 16518
Phillips, Hong Kong Watch Auction XV, lot 882, reference 16519
Paul Boutros, Daytona dissection, part 2, Hodinkee
Christie’s, reference 116509, lot 6407894
Christie’s, reference 116505, lot 6367443
Phillips, reference 116508, lot 217135
Phillips, The Only Known Vintage White Gold Rolex Daytona
Daytona Ultimatum, Geneva, 12 May 2018 — Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo, curated by Pucci Papaleo (auction catalogue)
Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6239, Lot 8, Winning Icons — Phillips, New York, 26 October 2017
Rolex Ref. 6263 Cosmograph Daytona "Big Red", Lot 38 — Phillips, New York, 12 December 2020
A Vintage Watch Nerd's Critical Dissection of the Rolex Daytona, Past to Present — Paul Boutros, Hodinkee (2012–2013, three parts)
The Very First Rolex Daytona, Explained — Benjamin Clymer, Hodinkee (2013)
In-Depth: The History of the Rolex Daytona — Erik Slaven, Monochrome (2024)
A Movement in History: The Zenith-driven Rolex Daytona — Ross Povey, Revolution (2018)
Rolex Daytona Zenith: The Essential Guide — Karyn Orrico, Sotheby's (2025)
The Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 116506 — Logan Baker, Phillips
Rolex Daytona 6265 — The "Unicorn" Frankenstein Plot — Jose Pereztroika, Perezcope (2022)
Rolex Daytona 6240 Paul Newman "Neanderthal" — A Myth Goes Extinct — Jose Pereztroika, Perezcope (2022)
Not Quite Whiter Than White: The Reality of the Rare Rolex 'Albino' Daytona Ref. 6263 — Jose Pereztroika, Perezcope (2025)

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex Cosmograph Daytona}}
 {{#seo:
-|title=Rolex Daytona — Reference Guide to Every Model & Year &#124; Rolexopedia
+|title=Rolex Daytona — Reference and Movement Guide &#124; Rolexopedia
-|description=Every pre-2020 Rolex Cosmograph Daytona reference, from the 1962 Pre-Daytona 6238 through the 2000-2016 in-house cal 4130 generation. Production histories, dial variants, movement specs, and collector context.
+|description=Rolex Daytona references from the manual-wind models through the Zenith and caliber 4130 generations, with production periods, dial differences and auction provenance.
 |keywords=Rolex Daytona, Cosmograph Daytona, Paul Newman Daytona, Zenith Daytona, vintage Daytona, 6239, 6263, 6265, 16520, 116520, manual-wind chronograph, Valjoux 72, cal 4030, cal 4130
 |image=Daytona vintage poster.webp
-|image_alt=Vintage Rolex Cosmograph Daytona advertising — the chronograph that defined the line
+|image_alt=Vintage Rolex Cosmograph Daytona advertisement
 |type=Article
 |og_type=article
@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
-The Cosmograph Daytona is Rolex's chronograph line, identified by its three subdials and tachymetric bezel. Rolex launched it in 1963, ran the manual-wind generation to 1988, switched to Zenith-based automatics that same year, and brought the movement in-house with cal 4130 in 2000.
+The Cosmograph Daytona is Rolex's chronograph family, introduced in 1963. The original manual-wind watches used Valjoux-based movements. Automatic winding arrived with the Zenith-derived caliber 4030 in 1988, followed by Rolex's own caliber 4130 in 2000.
-The map runs in four blocks: the 6238 Pre-Daytona, then the manual-wind Daytona from 1963 to 1988, the Zenith automatic from 1988 to 2000, and the in-house 4130 generation introduced in 2000. The table also includes later ceramic-bezel references.
+The reference tables begin with the 6238 predecessor and run through the 4130 generation. Rolex introduced the redesigned 4131 generation in 2023. Earlier Oyster and non-Oyster chronographs are covered under [[Reference:pre-daytona-chronographs|pre-Daytona chronographs]].
-Origins from 1937 to 1963 sit on a dedicated page. The Antimagnetique, Monoblocco, and 4xxx tonneau Oyster chronographs that hand the layout to the [[Reference:6239|6239]] are tracked under [[Reference:pre-daytona-chronographs|pre-Daytona chronographs]].
+[[File:Daytona vintage poster.webp|thumb|center|400px|alt=Vintage Rolex Cosmograph Daytona advertisement|Vintage Rolex Cosmograph Daytona advertisement]]
-[[File:Daytona vintage poster.webp|thumb|center|400px|alt=Vintage Rolex Cosmograph Daytona advertising — the chronograph that defined the line|Vintage Rolex Cosmograph Daytona advertising — the chronograph that defined the line]]
 == Common entry points ==
 <div class="rp-grid">
-<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Identifying a manual-wind acrylic Daytona?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:6263|6263]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">Longest-running manual-wind Daytona, caliber 727, screw-down pushers. Hosts the Albino, Big Red, RCO, and the retailer-signed branches.</div></div></div>
+<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Manual-wind, black bezel</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:6263|6263]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">Caliber 727, screw-down pushers and a black acrylic bezel insert. Dial variants include the large red Daytona signature known as Big Red.</div></div></div>
-<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Working from a Zenith-era dial photo?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:16520|16520]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">Twelve years on caliber 4030 with the seven-mark dial progression — MK1 floating Cosmograph porcelain through MK7 Luminova, plus the Patrizzi sub-branch.</div></div></div>
+<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Zenith automatic, steel</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:16520|16520]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">Caliber 4030, sapphire crystal and an engraved steel bezel. The article compares dial printing and the brown subdial rings called Patrizzi.</div></div></div>
-<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Cross-checking an in-house automatic Daytona?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:116520|116520]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">First in-house Daytona, caliber 4130 with vertical clutch and column wheel, sixteen-year run from 2000 to 2016.</div></div></div>
+<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Rolex automatic, steel bezel</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:116520|116520]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">The 2000–2016 steel Daytona with caliber 4130. Running seconds moved to the subdial at 6 o'clock.</div></div></div>
 </div>
 == Manual-wind chronograph (1962–1988) ==
-This is the Valjoux 72 era. Rolex first sold the 6238 as the Pre-Daytona, then moved the tachymetre to the bezel on the 6239. Screw-down pushers and the Oyster case arrived with the 6240, while the 6241 kept pump pushers behind an acrylic bezel insert. After the brief transitional 6262 and 6264, the 6263 and 6265 carried the manual-wind line out to 1988 on caliber 727.
+The [[Reference:6238|6238]], now called the Pre-Daytona, has its tachymetric scale on the dial. The [[Reference:6239|6239]] moved that scale to the bezel in 1963. Rolex added screw-down chronograph pushers with the [[Reference:6240|6240]] in 1965; the [[Reference:6241|6241]] combined a black acrylic bezel insert with the earlier pump pushers.
+The short-lived [[Reference:6262|6262]] and [[Reference:6264|6264]] retained pump pushers but used caliber 727. The [[Reference:6263|6263]] and [[Reference:6265|6265]] paired that movement with screw-down pushers and remained in the range until the late 1980s.
 {| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
 |-
-! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Bezel !! Pushers !! Key distinction
+! Reference !! Approximate period !! Movement !! Bezel !! Pushers !! Distinction
 |-
-| [[Reference:6238|6238]] || 1962–1968 || 722 || Smooth || Pump || "Pre-Daytona"; chronograph without the Daytona name; tachymetre printed on the dial
+| [[Reference:6238|6238]] || c.1962–1968 || 72B / 722 || Smooth metal || Pump || Tachymetric scale on the dial
 |-
-| [[Reference:6239|6239]] || 1963–1969 || 722 || Engraved metal tachymetre || Pump || First true Cosmograph Daytona; Paul Newman's reference
+| [[Reference:6239|6239]] || c.1963–1969 || 72B / 722 family || Engraved metal || Pump || The first Cosmograph reference; Newman's own exotic-dial watch was a 6239
 |-
-| [[Reference:6240|6240]] || 1965–1969 || 722-1 || Acrylic black insert || Screw-down || First Oyster Daytona; introduced screw-down pushers and 100m water resistance
+| [[Reference:6240|6240]] || c.1965–1969 || 722 family || Black acrylic insert || Screw-down || Introduced screw-down pushers to the Daytona
 |-
-| [[Reference:6241|6241]] || 1966–1969 || 722-1 || Acrylic black insert || Pump || Pump-pusher sibling of the 6240; hosts the 14k yellow gold John Player Special
+| [[Reference:6241|6241]] || c.1966–1969 || 722 family || Black acrylic insert || Pump || Black-insert alternative to the metal-bezel 6239
 |-
-| [[Reference:6262|6262]] || 1970–1972 || 727 || Engraved metal tachymetre || Pump || Brief transitional pair — pump pushers with the new 21,600 vph caliber
+| [[Reference:6262|6262]] || c.1970–1972 || 727 || Engraved metal || Pump || Caliber 727 in a pump-pusher case
 |-
-| [[Reference:6263|6263]] || 1969–1988 || 727 || Acrylic black insert || Screw-down || Longest-running manual-wind Daytona; Albino, Big Red, RCO, every retailer-signed branch
+| [[Reference:6263|6263]] || Around 1970–late 1980s || 727 || Black acrylic insert || Screw-down || Black-insert counterpart to the 6265
 |-
-| [[Reference:6264|6264]] || 1970–1972 || 727 || Acrylic black insert || Pump || Acrylic-bezel pump-pusher sibling of the engraved-metal 6262; same brief window
+| [[Reference:6264|6264]] || c.1970–1972 || 727 || Black acrylic insert || Pump || Black-insert counterpart to the 6262
 |-
-| [[Reference:6265|6265]] || 1971–1988 || 727 || Engraved metal tachymetre || Screw-down || Metal-bezel sibling of the 6263; the Unicorn 18k white gold lives here
+| [[Reference:6265|6265]] || Around 1970–late 1980s || 727 || Engraved metal || Screw-down || Metal-bezel counterpart to the 6263
 |}
+Vintage production dates vary between sources. Monochrome gives 1971–1988 for the 6263/6265 pair; Phillips's Geneva XX catalogue discussions place their introduction in 1969 or the early 1970s and their end in 1987. Monochrome's 1963–1969 range for the 6239 also differs from the later endpoint in Phillips's account.
+The early movements belong to the Valjoux 72 family. Catalogues use the designations 72B, 722 and 722-1; Phillips identifies a 72B in an early 6239 and a 722 in a 6241. The reference number alone does not identify the caliber fitted to an individual watch.
 == Zenith automatic (1988–2000) ==
-Rolex reworked the Zenith El Primero into caliber 4030 by cutting the beat rate, removing the date, and fitting a Rolex balance and escapement. The 16520 is the steel reference; 16518, 16519, 16523, and 16528 are the gold and Rolesor parallels. The 16520 article explains the dial-mark systems and their dating limits.
+Caliber 4030 is Rolex's reworking of the Zenith El Primero 400. Rolex removed the date mechanism, reduced the frequency from 36,000 to 28,800 vibrations per hour and changed the balance assembly. The steel [[Reference:16520|16520]] has a sapphire crystal and crown guards, both departures from the manual-wind models.
 {| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
 |-
-! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Material !! Bracelet !! Key distinction
+! Reference !! Period or dated example !! Movement !! Material !! Bracelet or strap !! Distinction
 |-
-| [[Reference:16520|16520]] || 1988–2000 || 4030 || Stainless steel || Oyster (78360 → 78390) || First automatic Daytona; MK1 floating Cosmograph porcelain through MK7 Luminova; Patrizzi
+| [[Reference:16520|16520]] || 1988–2000 || 4030 || Steel || Oyster bracelet || Steel automatic Daytona; dial variations include changed text spacing and Patrizzi subdial rings
 |-
-| [[Reference:16518|16518]] || 1988–2000 || 4030 || 18k yellow gold || Leather strap || Yellow gold leather-strap sibling
+| [[Reference:16518|16518]] || Documented sale in 1992; 1990s || 4030 || 18k yellow gold || Leather strap || Strap-mounted yellow gold version
 |-
-| [[Reference:16519|16519]] || 1989–2000 || 4030 || 18k white gold || Leather strap || White gold leather-strap sibling
+| [[Reference:16519|16519]] || Catalogued example c.1997; late 1990s || 4030 || 18k white gold || Leather strap || Strap-mounted white gold version
 |-
-| [[Reference:16523|16523]] || 1988–2000 || 4030 || Steel + 18k yellow gold (Rolesor) || Oyster || Two-tone Rolesor variant
+| [[Reference:16523|16523]] || c.1988–2000 || 4030 || Steel and 18k yellow gold || Oyster bracelet || Two-tone version, called Rolesor by Rolex
 |-
-| [[Reference:16528|16528]] || 1988–2000 || 4030 || 18k yellow gold || Oyster || Yellow gold bracelet sibling
+| [[Reference:16528|16528]] || c.1988–2000 || 4030 || 18k yellow gold || Oyster bracelet || Bracelet-mounted yellow gold version
 |}
-== In-house cal 4130 (2000–2016) ==
+Monaco Legend records a December 1992 warranty sale for a 16518; Phillips dates a 16519 to around 1997. Neither catalogue establishes an exact launch date.
+Dial-mark numbers depend on the author's classification. Ross Povey's account in Revolution uses Stefano Mazzariol's five-mark scheme for the 16520. The linked reference article compares the schemes and their dating limits. A later service dial can sit in an earlier case.
+<span id="In-house_cal_4130_(2000–2016)"></span>
+== In-house caliber 4130 (2000–2023) ==
-Caliber 4130 brought vertical clutch, column wheel, and a 72-hour reserve. The 116520 is the steel reference; 116523 and 116528 are the Rolesor and yellow-gold siblings. Cerachrom reached the Cosmograph in 2011 on the Everose-gold [[Reference:116515LN|116515LN]], then the platinum [[Reference:116506|116506]] in 2013, and steel in 2016 with the [[Reference:116500LN|116500LN]]. The 2017 Baselworld release carried it across the remaining precious metals on the Oysterflex strap: the yellow gold [[Reference:116518LN|116518LN]], the white gold [[Reference:116519LN|116519LN]], and the 116515LN re-cased off leather.
+Caliber 4130 introduced a vertical clutch and an approximately 72-hour power reserve. On the steel [[Reference:116520|116520]], running seconds moved from 9 to 6 o'clock. The steel reference ended in 2016, but other 4130 Daytonas continued until the 2023 redesign.
+Ceramic bezels arrived in stages: the Everose-gold [[Reference:116515LN|116515LN]] in 2011, platinum [[Reference:116506|116506]] in 2013 and steel [[Reference:116500LN|116500LN]] in 2016. Rolex added Oysterflex versions in yellow, white and Everose gold in 2017. Oysterflex has flexible metal blades covered in elastomer.
 {| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
 |-
-! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Material !! Bezel !! Key distinction
+! Reference !! Approximate period !! Movement !! Material !! Bezel !! Distinction
 |-
-| [[Reference:116520|116520]] || 2000–2016 || 4130 || Stainless steel || Steel tachymetre || First in-house Daytona; APH error dial; Fratello-measured 38.5mm true case
+| [[Reference:116520|116520]] || 2000–2016 || 4130 || Steel || Engraved steel || Steel bracelet model, replaced by the ceramic-bezel 116500LN
 |-
-| [[Reference:116523|116523]] || 2000–2016 || 4130 || Steel + 18k yellow gold (Rolesor) || Gold tachymetre || Two-tone Rolesor variant; Rolex 24 At Daytona GT Champion presentation watches
+| [[Reference:116523|116523]] || c.2000–2016 || 4130 || Steel and 18k yellow gold || Engraved yellow gold || Rolesor model preceding the 116503
 |-
-| [[Reference:116528|116528]] || 2000–2016 || 4130 || 18k yellow gold || Gold tachymetre || Full yellow gold bracelet variant; Eric Clapton's example sold 2017
+| [[Reference:116528|116528]] || c.2000–2016 || 4130 || 18k yellow gold || Engraved yellow gold || Yellow gold Oyster bracelet; replaced by the 116508
 |-
-| [[Reference:116518|116518]] || 2000–c.2015 || 4130 || 18k yellow gold || Gold tachymetre || Yellow gold leather-strap counterpart to the 116528; alligator on yellow gold deployant; broad cal 4130 dial catalogue
+| [[Reference:116518|116518]] || 2000s–2010s || 4130 || 18k yellow gold || Engraved yellow gold || Leather-strap version preceding the 116518LN
 |-
-| [[Reference:116519|116519]] || c.2000–c.2016 || 4130 || 18k white gold || Engraved white gold tachymetre || White gold leather-strap counterpart to the 116509; carried the four pastel "Beach" dials with matching lizard straps; Paul Newman owned one
+| [[Reference:116519|116519]] || 2000s–2010s || 4130 || 18k white gold || Engraved white gold || Leather-strap version; includes the coloured-dial Beach series
 |-
-| [[Reference:116509|116509]] || 2004–c.2023 || 4130 || 18k white gold || Engraved white gold tachymetre || Only cal 4130 Daytona on a white gold Oyster bracelet; broadest stone-dial catalogue — meteorite, chrysoprase, turquoise, sodalite
+| [[Reference:116509|116509]] || 2004–2023 || 4130 || 18k white gold || Engraved white gold || White gold Oyster bracelet
 |-
-| [[Reference:116505|116505]] || 2008–2023 || 4130 || 18k Everose gold || Engraved Everose tachymetre || First Everose Daytona; Baselworld 2008 launch; chocolate, black, ivory, sundust, and 2021 meteorite dial branches
+| [[Reference:116505|116505]] || 2008–2023 || 4130 || 18k Everose gold || Engraved Everose gold || Rolex's rose-gold alloy, with matching Oyster bracelet
 |-
-| [[Reference:116515LN|116515LN]] || 2011–2023 || 4130 || 18k Everose gold || Black Cerachrom monobloc || First Cerachrom Daytona; Baselworld 2011 launch; leather strap to 2017, Oysterflex after
+| [[Reference:116515LN|116515LN]] || 2011–2023 || 4130 || 18k Everose gold || Black Cerachrom || Leather strap initially; Oysterflex from 2017
 |-
-| [[Reference:116508|116508]] || 2016–2023 || 4130 || 18k yellow gold || Gold tachymetre || Bracelet-mounted yellow gold successor to the 116528; introduced the green sundust dial
+| [[Reference:116508|116508]] || 2016–2023 || 4130 || 18k yellow gold || Engraved yellow gold || Successor to the 116528; includes the green-dial version
 |-
-| [[Reference:116503|116503]] || 2016–2023 || 4130 || Steel + 18k yellow gold (Yellow Rolesor) || Engraved gold tachymetre || Rolesor successor to the 116523; 2016 bezel redraw with triangular markers; last engraved-gold-bezel Daytona on a steel case
+| [[Reference:116503|116503]] || 2016–2023 || 4130 || Steel and 18k yellow gold || Engraved yellow gold || Rolesor successor to the 116523
 |-
-| [[Reference:116500LN|116500LN]] || 2016–2023 || 4130 || Stainless steel || Black Cerachrom monobloc || First steel Cerachrom Daytona; Baselworld 2016; "Panda" white-dial and black-dial versions; one of the highest-traffic references in the family
+| [[Reference:116500LN|116500LN]] || 2016–2023 || 4130 || Steel || Black Cerachrom || Steel Oyster bracelet; black or white dial
 |-
-| [[Reference:116506|116506]] || 2013–2023 || 4130 || 950 platinum || Chestnut Cerachrom monobloc || First platinum Daytona; Baselworld 2013 for the 50th anniversary; ice-blue dial; standard / baguette-diamond / Arabic-Indic sub-references
+| [[Reference:116506|116506]] || 2013–2023 || 4130 || 950 platinum || Brown Cerachrom || Ice-blue dial and platinum Oyster bracelet
 |-
-| [[Reference:116519LN|116519LN]] || 2017–2023 || 4130 || 18k white gold || Black Cerachrom monobloc || White gold half of the 2017 Cerachrom-on-precious-metal launch; Oysterflex from inception
+| [[Reference:116519LN|116519LN]] || 2017–2023 || 4130 || 18k white gold || Black Cerachrom || White gold on Oysterflex
 |-
-| [[Reference:116518LN|116518LN]] || 2017–2023 || 4130 || 18k yellow gold || Black Cerachrom monobloc || Yellow gold half of the 2017 Oysterflex launch; the champagne-and-black "Pikachu"; meteorite dial added 2021
+| [[Reference:116518LN|116518LN]] || 2017–2023 || 4130 || 18k yellow gold || Black Cerachrom || Yellow gold on Oysterflex
 |}
+Production and retail sales can overlap a successor's introduction; the dates above are approximate.
+== The 2023 generation ==
+Rolex introduced caliber 4131 with a revised case and dial in 2023. The platinum version gained a transparent caseback. A separate Le Mans centenary version uses caliber 4132, with a chronograph hour counter that records 24 hours instead of 12. Rolex's [https://www.rolex.com/watches/cosmograph-daytona current Daytona catalogue] covers the later range.
 <span id="Variant_spotlights"></span>
 == Auction record and disputed examples ==
-The linked articles document the provenance and competing attributions behind these examples:
+Paul Newman's two watches below have separate provenance records. The auction results apply to those watches; the dial nicknames also describe examples he never owned.
-* [[Reference:paul-newman-daytona|Paul Newman Daytona]]: the exotic dial family across six manual-wind host references (6239 / 6241 / 6262 / 6263 / 6264 / 6265). Mk1–Mk4 progression, five color types, RCO / Oyster Sotto, JPS, Lemon. Newman's own 6239 at USD 17,752,500 (Phillips Winning Icons, October 2017) and Big Red 6263 at USD 5,475,000 (Phillips NY, December 2020).
+{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
-* [[Reference:albino-daytona|Albino 6263]]: the white-on-white monochromatic dial; three documented examples; three-way authenticity dispute between Hodinkee, Jose Pereztroika of Perezcope, and Sotheby's; Clapton provenance arc from USD 50,190 (Christie's 2003) to USD 952,500 (Sotheby's Abu Dhabi 2025).
+|-
-* [[Reference:unicorn-daytona|Unicorn 6265]]: the only known 18k white gold manual-wind Daytona; Phillips Daytona Ultimatum 2018 headline at CHF 5,937,500; Pereztroika's 2022 Frankenstein dossier disputing authenticity with 2010 Newoldschlock Instagram photographs and millerighe pusher forensics.
+! Watch !! Case number !! Sale !! Published result
-* [[Reference:big-red-daytona|Big Red 6263]]: standard / Floating Big Red / Small Red variants; Paul Newman's own Big Red, its caseback engraved "DRIVE SLOWLY JOANNE" by Joanne Woodward, who bought the watch for him in 1983. Newman gave it to his daughter Clea Newman Soderlund in 2008, and it sold at Phillips NY in December 2020 for USD 5,475,000.
+|-
-* [[Reference:neanderthal-daytona|Neanderthal 6240]]: Phillips Daytona Ultimatum 2018 presented this as the earliest Paul Newman prototype, sold CHF 3,012,500. Pereztroika's November 2022 dossier disputes the prototype framing using the April 1998 ''Orologi & Market'' page 44 as contemporaneous evidence of a post-production construction.
+| Newman's [[Reference:6239|6239]] with an exotic dial || 2,005,325 || [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/NY080117/8 Phillips Winning Icons, lot 8, 26 October 2017] || USD 17,752,500
-* [[Reference:oyster-sotto-daytona|Oyster Sotto / RCO 6263]]: the rarest standard-production Paul Newman layout, with ROLEX COSMOGRAPH OYSTER text stack (OYSTER below Cosmograph rather than above). First Paul Newman to breach seven figures at Christie's Lesson One in 2013; hammered CHF 1,662,500 at Phillips Daytona Ultimatum 2018.
+|-
+| Newman's [[Reference:6263|6263]] with a Big Red dial || 6,392,137 || [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/NY080120/38 Phillips New York, lot 38, 12 December 2020] || USD 5,475,000
+|}
+* [[Reference:paul-newman-daytona|Paul Newman Daytona]]: the collector name for the exotic dial family, with distinctive subdial numerals and square-ended markers.
+* [[Reference:big-red-daytona|Big Red]]: the large red Daytona signature above the hour counter. Newman's 6263 is one documented example.
+* [[Reference:albino-daytona|Albino 6263]]: a pale dial with matching subdials. Eric Clapton's former watch and the example offered by Sotheby's in 2025 are different watches. Jose Pereztroika, writing at Perezcope, disputes the factory assembly of these dial and case combinations.
+* [[Reference:unicorn-daytona|Unicorn 6265]]: the white gold watch presented by Phillips in 2018. Pereztroika challenges the components used in its restoration.
+* [[Reference:neanderthal-daytona|Neanderthal 6240]]: presented by Phillips as an early exotic-dial prototype. Pereztroika argues that the dial appeared in a different watch in a 1998 magazine photograph.
+* [[Reference:oyster-sotto-daytona|Oyster Sotto / RCO]]: dial text arranged ROLEX, COSMOGRAPH, OYSTER, with OYSTER below COSMOGRAPH. The names describe the text order.
 == Related families ==
-* [[Reference:submariner|Submariner]] — dive watches with an elapsed-time bezel.
+* [[Reference:submariner|Submariner]]: dive watches with an elapsed-time bezel.
-* [[Reference:gmt-master|GMT-Master]] — travel watches with a 24-hour hand and bezel.
+* [[Reference:gmt-master|GMT-Master]]: travel watches with a 24-hour hand and bezel.
-* [[Reference:sea-dweller|Sea-Dweller]] — saturation-diving watches with a helium escape valve.
+* [[Reference:sea-dweller|Sea-Dweller]]: saturation-diving watches with a helium escape valve.
 == Shared references ==
-* [[Reference:Bracelets|Bracelets]] — the 7205, 7836, 78350, 78360, 78390, 78490, 8385, 93150 fitments and clasp date-code key (A=1976 to CP=2011, with the 1995–98 overlap).
+* [[Reference:Bracelets|Bracelets]]: bracelet construction, end links and clasp codes. A clasp code dates the clasp, not the watch head.
-* [[Reference:Movements|Movements]] — the Valjoux 72 manual-wind family (722 / 722-1 / 727), the Zenith-derived cal 4030, and the in-house cal 4130.
+* [[Reference:Movements|Movements]]: the Valjoux-based manual-wind calibers, Zenith-derived 4030 and Rolex 4130.
-* [[Reference:Serial-numbers|Serial numbers]] — the three Rolex serial systems (numeric pre-1987, letter 1987–2010, random alphanumeric 2010+) with year-decoder tables.
+* [[Reference:Serial-numbers|Serial numbers]]: case-number systems and the limits of serial-based dating.
-* [[Reference:daytona-glossary|Glossary]] — definitions of dial nicknames, movement terms and bracelet references, with links to the relevant articles.
+* [[Reference:daytona-glossary|Glossary]]: dial nicknames and component terms.
 == Sources ==
+* [https://www.rolex.com/watches/cosmograph-daytona/beyond-the-racetrack Rolex, Born to race: Daytona chronology]
+* [https://newsroom.rolex.com/watches/oyster-collection/cosmograph-daytona Rolex, Cosmograph Daytona technical description]
+* [https://content.rolex.com/dam/media/brochures/cosmograph-daytona/m116503-0004.pdf Rolex, Cosmograph Daytona 116503 brochure]
+* [https://www.christies.com/PDF/catalog/2026/NYC23587_SaleCat.pdf Christie’s, Important Watches, New York, 12 June 2026, lot 130]
+* [https://www.phillips.com/article/150046101/manual-wind-rolex-daytonas-phillips-november-2024 Phillips, Manual-wind Daytonas in Geneva Watch Auction XX]
+* [https://www.monacolegendauctions.com/auction/exclusive-timepieces-35/lot-42 Monaco Legend, Exclusive Timepieces, October 2024, lot 42, reference 16518]
+* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/170881 Phillips, Hong Kong Watch Auction XV, lot 882, reference 16519]
+* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/a-vintage-watch-nerds-critical-dissection-of-the-rolex-daytona-past-to-present-pt-23 Paul Boutros, Daytona dissection, part 2, Hodinkee]
+* [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6407894 Christie’s, reference 116509, lot 6407894]
+* [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6367443 Christie’s, reference 116505, lot 6367443]
+* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/217135 Phillips, reference 116508, lot 217135]
+* [https://www.phillips.com/article/30067876/only-known-white-gold-rolex-daytona-reference-6265 Phillips, The Only Known Vintage White Gold Rolex Daytona]
 * [https://www.phillips.com/auctions/auction/CH080318 Daytona Ultimatum, Geneva, 12 May 2018] — Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo, curated by Pucci Papaleo (auction catalogue)
 * [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/NY080117/8 Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6239, Lot 8, Winning Icons] — Phillips, New York, 26 October 2017
-* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/NY080120/38 Rolex Ref. 6263 Cosmograph Daytona "Big Red", Lot 38] — Phillips, New York, 12 December 2020 (case 6'392'137, sold USD 5,475,000)
+* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/NY080120/38 Rolex Ref. 6263 Cosmograph Daytona "Big Red", Lot 38] — Phillips, New York, 12 December 2020
 * [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/a-vintage-watch-nerds-critical-dissection-of-the-rolex-daytona-past-to-present-part-1-3 A Vintage Watch Nerd's Critical Dissection of the Rolex Daytona, Past to Present] — Paul Boutros, Hodinkee (2012–2013, three parts)
 * [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-first-rolex-daytona-by-benjamin-clymer The Very First Rolex Daytona, Explained] — Benjamin Clymer, Hodinkee (2013)