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Reference:116505: Difference between revisions

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The 116505 is the first Daytona made entirely in Rolex's Everose gold. Launched at Baselworld 2008, it shares the cal 4130 architecture and 40mm Oyster case profile of the steel 116520 and full-yellow-gold 116528, finished in the warm pink alloy Rolex patented in 2005 to keep rose-gold colour stable across the life of the watch. Production ran fifteen years on a single reference number before the cal 4131 successor 126505 took over in early 2023.
The 116505 is an Everose-gold Daytona introduced in 2008. It uses caliber 4130 in the 40mm Oyster case shared by the 116520 and 116528, with an engraved Everose tachymeter bezel. Rolex replaced the reference in the 2023 generation with the 126505 and caliber 4131.


Dial breadth is what separates the 116505 from its yellow-gold and Rolesor siblings. The Everose case carries a wider catalogue of dial colours and stone treatments than any other cal 4130 generation Daytona, running chocolate, black, ivory, sundust pink, and, from 2021, meteorite, with diamond-marker and baguette variants layered onto each base. Within the modern line it is the engraved-Everose option, sitting between the engraved-bezel yellow-gold 116528 and the Cerachrom-bezel 116515LN.
Catalogue and auction records document chocolate, black, ivory, pink or “sundust,” diamond-marker and meteorite configurations. Availability varies by year and suffix, so a dial record should be tied to the individual watch rather than treated as a complete catalogue list.




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


The 116505 launched in 2008, eight years into the cal 4130 production run that started with the 116520. Yellow-gold and Rolesor versions on Oyster bracelets had carried the in-house movement since 2000; the 116505 added pink to the catalogue without changing the case profile or the movement.
The 116505 joins the 4130 Daytona generation launched in 2000. Its case, screw-down pushers and engraved-metal bezel are closely related to the 116528, while the metal is Everose. The Cerachrom-bezel 116515LN provided a parallel Everose option from the 2010s. Rolex introduced the 126505 and caliber 4131 in the 2023 generation, replacing the 116505 family.
 
Case, bracelet, and movement architecture are shared with the [[Reference:116528|116528]] yellow-gold Daytona: the same 40mm Oyster shell, the same screw-down pushers, the same engraved metal tachymeter bezel, the same 78509 / Everose-cast SEL Oyster bracelet, all finished in the 2005 Everose alloy. Rolex describes Everose as a copper-rich rose gold stabilised by a small platinum addition that prevents the copper-driven colour fade typical of conventional rose-gold alloys, cast in its own foundry rather than bought in.
 
The Cerachrom-bezel Everose Daytona [[Reference:116515LN|116515LN]] arrived in 2011, and the two ran in parallel for twelve years. The 116505 is the engraved-bezel route to the same case and movement without the ceramic insert. In 2023 the 126505 (cal 4131) replaced both it and the engraved-bezel 116528 with a single thinner-cased successor, which leaves the 116505 as the last engraved-Everose Daytona Rolex built.


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


Production runs 2008 to early 2023. The reference launched at Baselworld 2008 with chocolate, black, and ivory dials documented at introduction, and sundust, a soft pink lacquer, joined them early in the run. Meteorite, the slate-grey iron-nickel mineral dial Rolex had already used on Day-Date and earlier Daytona references, arrived only in 2021, alongside the parallel meteorite rollout on the 116515LN, 116518LN, and 116519LN.
The published production window is approximately 2008–2023. Early catalogue and auction records document chocolate, black and ivory dials; pink/sundust and meteorite variants appear in later material. Serial formats changed during the modern period, so a serial is a dating clue rather than proof of a precise production year. Rolex’s Chromalight system is documented for this generation, but dial and service-lume details should be checked on the individual watch.
 
Rolex moved the whole catalogue to eight-character random alphanumeric serials in mid-2010, so only the first two years of 116505 production (2008 to mid-2010) carry a conventional letter-prefix serial. See [[Reference:Serial-numbers]] for the full key.
 
Lume is Chromalight blue for the whole run. Chromalight had reached the modern Rolex catalogue by 2008, so the Everose reference never saw the cream-to-white Super-LumiNova that bracketed 116520 production.


==Movement notes==
==Movement notes==
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Caliber 4130 sits inside every 116505, the same first in-house Rolex chronograph that launched on the 116520 in 2000. It couples the chronograph through a vertical clutch and handles start, stop, and reset on a column wheel, running at 28,800 vph on 44 jewels with a 72-hour reserve and COSC certification. The blue Parachrom hairspring is standard on production from around 2005 onward. Hour and minute counters share a single side of the movement, and mainspring replacement does not require uncasing.
Caliber 4130 sits inside every 116505, the same first in-house Rolex chronograph that launched on the 116520 in 2000. It couples the chronograph through a vertical clutch and handles start, stop, and reset on a column wheel, running at 28,800 vph on 44 jewels with a 72-hour reserve and COSC certification. The blue Parachrom hairspring is standard on production from around 2005 onward. Hour and minute counters share a single side of the movement, and mainspring replacement does not require uncasing.


By the Everose launch the 4130 was a mature movement, with the Parachrom hairspring already standard and the architecture familiar to Rolex service departments. Ross Povey, writing in Revolution, notes the 201-part layout, well below the El Primero-based 4030, and the vertical clutch that lets the chronograph run without the amplitude penalty a lateral clutch imposes. That matters on a gold Daytona, where plenty of examples get worn as everyday watches rather than stored as fragile variants.
By the Everose launch the 4130 was an established Rolex movement. Published technical descriptions identify its column wheel, vertical clutch, 44 jewels, 28,800 vph frequency and approximately 72-hour reserve. Service history and any replaced movement parts should be recorded separately from the factory specification.


The 116505 carries Superlative Chronometer certification across its whole production span. Rolex redefined that certification in 2015 around a −2/+2 seconds-per-day casing standard and a five-year guarantee, and late production, including the 2021 meteorite executions, falls under the modern language.
The 116505 is described as COSC-certified, and later Rolex documentation uses the post-2015 Superlative Chronometer standard. The certification language and warranty documentation should be read from the period of the individual watch.


For the full caliber lineage and the architecture comparison with the predecessor cal 4030, see [[Reference:Movements#cal-4130]].
For the full caliber lineage and the architecture comparison with the predecessor cal 4030, see [[Reference:Movements#cal-4130]].
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==Dial map==
==Dial map==


The Everose case invited colour and stone variations that the steel 116520 never received and that the yellow-gold 116528 only partially shares. Rolex catalogue editorial across the production run documents the configurations below.
The cited catalogue and auction records document the following 116505 dial families. Availability and suffixes vary by year and market; the table is a working record, not a complete factory census.


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
! Variant !! Period !! Distinguishing features
! Variant !! Period !! Distinguishing features
|-
|-
| Chocolate || 2008–2023 || Warm dark-brown lacquer base; black sub-dial rings on the most common -0013 / -CHOCBKI variant; applied gold five-minute markers; reads as the signature 116505 dial colour and the most-photographed configuration in the auction record
| Chocolate || documented in early and later catalogues || Warm dark-brown lacquer base; sub-dial-ring color and suffix vary by configuration; applied gold markers
|-
|-
| Black || 2008–2023 || Black lacquer base with pink (Everose-tone) sub-dial rings; applied gold markers; carries the red Daytona script above the six o'clock sub-register on most production
| Black || documented across the generation || Black lacquer base with Everose-tone sub-dial rings in some configurations; marker and script details vary by dial
|-
|-
| Ivory || 2008–2023 || Off-white cream lacquer base with three sub-dials in the same ivory tone; applied gold markers; runs the entire production span
| Ivory || documented across the generation || Off-white lacquer base with applied gold markers; exact sub-dial treatment varies by suffix
|-
|-
| Sundust (pink) || ~2009–2023 || Soft pink-rose lacquer base; black or matching-tone sub-dials depending on suffix code; reads as the "rose on rose" configuration that defines a portion of the late-production market
| Sundust / pink || documented in later catalogues || Soft pink lacquer base; sub-dial and marker treatments vary by suffix
|-
|-
| Meteorite || 2021–2023 || Slate-grey Gibeon-meteorite mineral base showing the natural Widmanstätten crystal pattern; applied gold markers; introduced 2021 alongside the parallel meteorite rollout on 116508 / 116509 / 116515LN / 116518LN / 116519LN
| Meteorite || documented in late-generation catalogues || Iron-nickel meteorite dial with a natural Widmanstätten pattern; the exact meteorite source and introduction year should be tied to the catalogue or watch in hand
|-
|-
| Diamond-marker variants || 2008–2023 || Applied diamond hour markers on chocolate, black, ivory, sundust, or meteorite base; documented across the production run rather than on a single sub-period
| Diamond-marker variants || 2008–2023 || Applied diamond hour markers on chocolate, black, ivory, sundust, or meteorite base; documented across the production run rather than on a single sub-period
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|}
|}


The white mother-of-pearl dial documented on the 116509 white-gold Daytona never formally entered the 116505 catalogue. Overlap between the gold Daytonas of the 4130 generation is broad but not total.
A white mother-of-pearl dial is documented on the 116509 white-gold Daytona; the cited sources do not establish it as a regular 116505 catalogue option. Dial fitment should be checked against the reference, suffix and papers.


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


The case is 40mm in 18k Everose gold, the same nameplate dimension as the steel 116520 and the yellow-gold 116528, with lug-to-lug and thickness tracking the rest of the cal 4130 generation. Whether the gold case actually runs to the marketed 40mm is not separately documented. The steel 116520 measures 38.5mm against the same nameplate figure, and gold and platinum cases in Rolex's modern catalogue generally sit closer to the marketed number than the steel forgings do.
The case is described as 40mm in 18k Everose gold, with dimensions otherwise shared broadly with the 4130 Daytona family. Published catalogue measurements can differ from measured examples, so case diameter and thickness should be recorded from the watch rather than inferred from the nameplate.


The bezel is engraved 18k Everose gold, with the tachymeter numerals and graduations cut directly into the metal rather than printed onto an insert. It is the same engraved-bezel architecture the 116520 and 116528 carry. Cerachrom reached the Everose Daytona only with the parallel 116515LN in 2011, so anyone who wanted ceramic on an Everose case had to cross to the LN reference. The 116505 stays engraved across its full run.
The bezel is engraved 18k Everose gold, with the tachymeter numerals and graduations cut directly into the metal rather than printed onto an insert. It is the same engraved-bezel architecture the 116520 and 116528 carry. Cerachrom reached the Everose Daytona only with the parallel 116515LN in 2011, so anyone who wanted ceramic on an Everose case had to cross to the LN reference. The 116505 stays engraved across its full run.
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The 116505 has no single-artifact provenance lot of the kind that anchors the 16520 (Newman), the 6263 (RCO / Big Red), or the 116528 (Clapton). What it has instead is a documented dial-variant programme, chocolate through black, ivory, sundust and meteorite, each available with diamond or baguette markers, and that programme is how Rolex used the Everose case to separate the reference from the engraved yellow-gold 116528.
The 116505 has no single-artifact provenance lot of the kind that anchors the 16520 (Newman), the 6263 (RCO / Big Red), or the 116528 (Clapton). What it has instead is a documented dial-variant programme, chocolate through black, ivory, sundust and meteorite, each available with diamond or baguette markers, and that programme is how Rolex used the Everose case to separate the reference from the engraved yellow-gold 116528.


The meteorite dial is the headline late-run variant. Rolex introduced it across the cal 4130 generation gold Daytonas in 2021, which gave the 116505 two production years with the option before the 2023 cal 4131 transition. The Gibeon-meteorite mineral base shows the natural Widmanstätten crystal pattern, so no two dials are identical, and the variant carries a documented secondary-market premium over the lacquer-dial 116505.
The meteorite dial is the headline late-run variant. Rolex introduced it across the cal 4130 generation gold Daytonas in 2021, which gave the 116505 two production years with the option before the 2023 cal 4131 transition. The meteorite base shows a natural Widmanstätten pattern, so individual dials differ. A price premium is reported in dealer and market commentary, but the article does not treat it as a reference-wide rule.


The 2021 release split bezel and bracelet across the metals. The white-gold 116519LN paired a black Cerachrom bezel with Oysterflex, while the yellow-gold 116508 and Everose 116505 kept engraved metal bezels and Oyster bracelets. The 116505 meteorite is the full-metal Everose execution of that programme.
The 2021 release split bezel and bracelet across the metals. The white-gold 116519LN paired a black Cerachrom bezel with Oysterflex, while the yellow-gold 116508 and Everose 116505 kept engraved metal bezels and Oyster bracelets. The 116505 meteorite is the full-metal Everose execution of that programme.
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==Historical market and auction record==
==Historical market and auction record==


The 116505 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, with chocolate-dial and meteorite-dial examples drawing the strongest bids. Buyers here are paying for the material and the movement, not for a headline provenance record.
Auction and dealer records cover multiple 116505 dial and metal configurations. Results depend on condition, dial, completeness, venue and provenance; the cited sources do not establish a reference-wide price hierarchy.


[[File:Ref 116505 historical-example.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=116505 formerly in the collection of Eric Clapton CBE, Sotheby's Important Watches October 2021, lot 2068|A brushed Everose 116505 formerly in the collection of Eric Clapton CBE, sold at Sotheby's Important Watches, Hong Kong, October 2021, lot 2068 — one exception to the otherwise headline-light auction record above.]]
[[File:Ref 116505 historical-example.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=116505 formerly in the collection of Eric Clapton CBE, Sotheby's Important Watches October 2021, lot 2068|A brushed Everose 116505 formerly in the collection of Eric Clapton CBE, sold at Sotheby's Important Watches, Hong Kong, October 2021, lot 2068 — one exception to the otherwise headline-light auction record above.]]
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== Related references ==
== Related references ==


* [[Reference:116500LN|Daytona 116500LN]] — Ceramic Bezel (2016–2023)
* [[Reference:116500LN|Daytona 116500LN]] (ceramic bezel, 2016–2023)
* [[Reference:116508|Daytona 116508]] — Yellow Gold, Cal 4130 (2016–2023)
* [[Reference:116508|Daytona 116508]] (yellow gold, caliber 4130, 2016–2023)
* [[Reference:116520|Daytona 116520]] — Steel, Cal 4130 (2000–2016)
* [[Reference:116520|Daytona 116520]] (steel, caliber 4130, 2000–2016)
* [[Reference:116528|Daytona 116528]] — 2000–2016
* [[Reference:116528|Daytona 116528]] (2000–2016)
* [[Reference:116518|Daytona 116518]] — 2000–2015
* [[Reference:116518|Daytona 116518]] (2000–2015)
* [[Reference:16519|Daytona 16519]] — White Gold Zenith (1989–2000)
* [[Reference:16519|Daytona 16519]] (white-gold Zenith, 1989–2000)


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 the [[Reference:daytona|Daytona family index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].
== Gallery ==
<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
Ref 116505 hero.webp|Everose-gold 116505 with black dial
Ref 116505 historical-example.webp|Everose 116505 auction example
</gallery>


== Sources ==
== Sources ==


* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolex Wikipedia, "Rolex" — general company history]
* [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/what-is-rolex-everose-gold-a-complete-guide/ "What is Rolex Everose Gold? A Complete Guide", Millenary Watches]
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