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The 116506 is the first platinum Cosmograph Daytona. Rolex unveiled it at Baselworld 2013 to mark the Daytona's fiftieth anniversary, and it ran from that launch through to its discontinuation in March 2023, when the 126506 took over with caliber 4131 and a sapphire caseback. Case and bracelet are 950 platinum, the dial is the ice-blue lacquer Rolex reserves for its platinum references, and the bezel is a chestnut brown Cerachrom monobloc with its tachymeter scale deposited in platinum by PVD. Inside is caliber 4130, unchanged from the steel and gold references of the same generation. The Everose-gold 116515LN had already brought Cerachrom to the Cosmograph in 2011; the 116506 made the ceramic bezel part of the platinum anniversary configuration.
The 116506 is the platinum Cosmograph Daytona introduced at Baselworld 2013 for the model’s 50th anniversary. It uses a 950-platinum case and bracelet, an ice-blue dial, a chestnut-brown Cerachrom bezel with platinum-coated tachymeter graduations, and caliber 4130. Rolex replaced it in the 2023 generation with the 126506 and caliber 4131. The Everose 116515LN had already introduced a ceramic-bezel Daytona; the 116506 applied the ceramic and platinum combination to the anniversary model.


The watch press came to Baselworld expecting a redesigned anniversary Daytona and got a colour scheme instead. Richard Lee's launch coverage at SJX records the question circulating the halls that week — what was going on with the blue and brown. Robert-Jan Broer's Fratello piece from the same week reads the decision as Rolex leaving the 40mm Cosmograph alone and putting it in 950 platinum with a palette no Rolex chronograph had carried before. The combination has since become one of the most recognisable in the modern Daytona catalogue.
The blue-and-brown color scheme was the focus of contemporary launch coverage. It is a catalogue description, not a claim that every 116506 dial or bezel detail remained unchanged throughout the run.




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| dial sub-references || 116506-0001 (standard ice-blue), 116506-0002 / 0008 (baguette-diamond hour markers), 116506-0004 (Arabic-Indic numerals, Middle East)
| dial sub-references || 116506-0001 (standard ice-blue), 116506-0002 / 0008 (baguette-diamond hour markers), 116506-0004 (Arabic-Indic numerals, Middle East)
|-
|-
| launch retail || approx. USD 75,000 (per Logan Baker, Phillips); approx. GBP 50,000 (per Robert-Jan Broer, Fratello)
|-
|-
| caseback || solid 950 platinum (sapphire caseback first appears on the 126506 successor)
| caseback || solid 950 platinum (sapphire caseback first appears on the 126506 successor)
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==Where it sits in the line==
==Where it sits in the line==


The 116506 sits at the top of the cal-4130 generation. Its launch in 2013 came thirteen years into the cal-4130 production run that began with the steel 116520 in 2000, and it slots into the gold-and-platinum Daytona line that already included the steel-and-yellow-gold 116523, the yellow gold 116528, and the white gold 116519. Logan Baker's Phillips editorial frames the reference as the first time Rolex offered the Daytona case in solid platinum, and the move made platinum the top-of-the-line Cosmograph material in place of gold.
The 116506 belongs to the later 4130 Daytona generation alongside the steel 116520, yellow-gold 116528 and white-gold 116519. It was the first Daytona reference in a solid-platinum case. The 126506 replaced it in the 2023 generation with caliber 4131 and a display caseback.


The Daytona had been a precious-metal watch for decades by then. Yellow-gold manual-wind Daytonas appeared in the 1970s, the gem-set 6269 and 6270 pushed the line into jewellery-watch territory in the 1980s, and the modern Rainbow Daytona arrived before the 116506. What platinum added was an explicit hierarchy — steel for the waiting-list sports watch, gold for the precious-metal chronograph, platinum at the top of the catalogue.
The chestnut Cerachrom and ice-blue dial combination is the configuration documented for this reference. Other 4130 Daytonas used different bezel and dial treatments, so comparisons should be tied to the specific reference and catalogue year.
 
The chestnut-on-ice-blue palette has no precedent inside the Daytona line. Earlier modern Daytonas had carried mother-of-pearl, meteorite, and lacquered colour dials in the precious-metal references, but the chestnut Cerachrom bezel is unique to the 116506 inside the Cosmograph family — the rest of the cal-4130 ceramic-bezel rollout that arrived from 2011 onward used black Cerachrom on the gold and platinum chronograph references. The aBlogtoWatch hands-on review by Ariel Adams reads the chestnut-and-ice-blue combination as a Newman-era exotic-dial echo translated into modern materials. That reading was contested at launch and has held up better since.
 
The 126506 replaced the 116506 in March 2023 at Watches & Wonders, with caliber 4131 in place of cal 4130 and a sapphire caseback in place of the closed platinum back, per Fratello's hands-on comparison of the two generations. That makes the 116506 the last platinum Daytona Rolex produced with a solid caseback.


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


Rolex produced the 116506 from the Baselworld 2013 launch through to a 2023 wind-down that aligns with the Watches & Wonders Geneva announcement of the 126506, a run of about ten years. RolexForums collector threads from 2023 track the run-out at dealer level, with allocations slowing through late 2022 and 2023 before the reference left the catalogue and its successor took the platinum Daytona slot.
The documented production window runs from the 2013 launch to the 2023 successor. Standard ice-blue, diamond-marker and regional Arabic-numeral dials appear in catalogue and auction records, but their availability and suffix numbering should be checked against the period catalogue. The public record does not prove that every case, bracelet or service component was unchanged for ten years; small differences need individual evidence.
 
Across the run Rolex thickened the dial line without touching the case, bracelet, or movement. The launch dial in 2013 was the standard ice-blue lacquer with applied 18k white-gold hour indices and Chromalight-filled luminous plots, sold as 116506-0001. The diamond-set dial, with baguette-diamond hour markers in white gold settings on the same ice-blue ground, entered the catalogue early in the run, sold as 116506-0002 in earlier production and 116506-0008 in later catalogue updates. An Arabic-Indic numeral dial appeared as a Middle East regional execution under sub-reference 116506-0004, with white-gold Eastern-Arabic numerals replacing the standard applied indices on the same ice-blue ground.
 
The case, bracelet, bezel, and movement held constant across the entire production run. No published collector taxonomy of dial generations exists for the 116506 — the run is too short and the volume too limited for the kind of Mark 1 through Mark 5 mapping collectors built for the steel 116520. Forum threads note minor printing differences between early and late examples, but nothing has settled into a documented generation set.


==Movement notes==
==Movement notes==
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==Dial map==
==Dial map==


The ice-blue lacquer is the unifying feature across every 116506 dial. Rolex reserves the ice-blue colour exclusively for its platinum references — the same dial colour appears on the platinum Day-Date and platinum GMT-Master II, and never on a steel, gold, or two-tone Rolex. On the 116506 the ice-blue ground is paired with chestnut-toned subdial rings that match the bezel, and applied indices in white gold rather than the yellow-gold or two-tone applied indices found on the cal-4130 gold references. Subdial graphics carry through the standard Daytona layout: running seconds at six, 30-minute counter at three, 12-hour counter at nine.
The cited 116506 dials use an ice-blue lacquer ground with chestnut-toned subdial rings, white-gold applied markers and the standard Daytona subdial arrangement. Rolex uses ice blue on its platinum models, but dial color and marker fitment should still be checked against the reference, suffix and period catalogue.


[[File:Ref 116506 dial.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=116506 ice-blue dial with chestnut Cerachrom monobloc bezel, straight-on view|Straight-on view of the ice-blue dial and chestnut Cerachrom bezel, showing the standard 116506-0001 configuration]]
[[File:Ref 116506 dial.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=116506 ice-blue dial with chestnut Cerachrom monobloc bezel, straight-on view|Straight-on view of the ice-blue dial and chestnut Cerachrom bezel, showing the standard 116506-0001 configuration]]
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! sub-reference !! variant !! distinguishing features !! notes
! sub-reference !! variant !! distinguishing features !! notes
|-
|-
| 116506-0001 || standard ice-blue || applied 18k white-gold indices, Chromalight luminous plots, no diamonds || Launch configuration. The dial that defined the reference at Baselworld 2013 and remained the volume-production option through to 2023.
| 116506-0001 || standard ice-blue || applied white-gold indices, no diamond markers || Launch configuration documented in period catalogues; availability through the run should be checked by year
|-
|-
| 116506-0002 || baguette-diamond hour markers (early) || baguette-cut diamond hour markers in white-gold settings, applied to the ice-blue ground || Diamond-marker variant introduced during the early production run. Sold under sub-reference 0002 in earlier 116506 catalogue listings.
| 116506-0002 || baguette-diamond hour markers || baguette-cut markers on the ice-blue ground || Listed in earlier catalogue and auction records; exact introduction date is not established here
|-
|-
| 116506-0008 || baguette-diamond hour markers (later) || same diamond-marker dial; later catalogue numbering || Documented sub-reference listings record the 0002-to-0008 renumbering across the run as a cataloguing change rather than a dial-construction change. Documented at auction in the Sotheby's 2022 Important Watches lot of a c.2019 diamond-set 116506 and the Sotheby's 2024 Fine Watches lot of a late-production diamond-marker example.
| 116506-0008 || baguette-diamond hour markers || diamond-marker dial in later listings || Auction listings identify this suffix; the relationship to 0002 should be read from the period catalogue and watch documentation
|-
|-
| 116506-0004 || Arabic-Indic numerals || white-gold Eastern-Arabic numerals replace the applied indices on the standard ice-blue ground || Middle East regional execution, sold through Rolex's Gulf-region distribution. Diamond markers absent on this variant; numerals are the only deviation from the launch dial.
| 116506-0004 || Arabic-Indic numerals || Eastern-Arabic numeral layout on the ice-blue ground || Regional listing reported in catalogue material; confirm fitment and market from the watch and papers
|}
|}


The diamond-set bezel and pavé-dial executions of the platinum Daytona sit on their own reference number, the 116576TBR. It carries the same 950 platinum case and ice-blue dial language but takes a baguette-diamond bezel in place of the chestnut Cerachrom and a fully diamond-paved or baguette-set dial in place of the standard or single-row diamond-marker dial. It is a separate production line.
The diamond-set 116576TBR is a separate platinum Daytona reference with a diamond bezel and more extensively gem-set dial. Its existence does not make those components standard 116506 fitments.


==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown==
==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown==
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The case is 950 platinum at 40mm, around 12.5mm thick, brushed across the top surfaces and polished on the flanks. SJX's launch piece records how the metal behaves — heavier than the steel and gold cases of the 116520 and 116528 generation, more malleable than steel, softer to surface marking than gold. Bexsonn's coverage from the same week notes that Rolex finished the platinum to the same brushed-and-polished tolerances as the steel 116520, so the case reads in proportion to its siblings instead of as a differentiated profile. Lug geometry and case dimensions match the 40mm Daytona case Rolex had been refining since 2000.
The case is 950 platinum at 40mm, around 12.5mm thick, brushed across the top surfaces and polished on the flanks. SJX's launch piece records how the metal behaves — heavier than the steel and gold cases of the 116520 and 116528 generation, more malleable than steel, softer to surface marking than gold. Bexsonn's coverage from the same week notes that Rolex finished the platinum to the same brushed-and-polished tolerances as the steel 116520, so the case reads in proportion to its siblings instead of as a differentiated profile. Lug geometry and case dimensions match the 40mm Daytona case Rolex had been refining since 2000.


The Cerachrom bezel is the headline material change. Rolex fires the chestnut ring as a monobloc, tachymeter graduations included, then deposits the numerals and graduations as a thin layer of platinum through PVD. The hue comes out of the firing process itself instead of a surface treatment, which is what holds the colour against UV and chemical exposure. The tachymeter scale runs around the upper case, framed by polished platinum casework at the bezel edge. Logan Baker's Phillips editorial places the 116506 third in the Cerachrom rollout, behind the GMT-Master II and the precious-metal Daytona references that took the material before it.
The Cerachrom bezel is the headline material change. Rolex fires the chestnut ring as a monobloc, tachymeter graduations included, then deposits the numerals and graduations as a thin layer of platinum through PVD. The ceramic color is produced during manufacture; Rolex describes Cerachrom as resistant to UV-related fading and corrosion. Condition still has to be checked on the individual bezel. The tachymeter scale runs around the upper case, framed by polished platinum casework at the bezel edge. Logan Baker's Phillips editorial places the 116506 third in the Cerachrom rollout, behind the GMT-Master II and the precious-metal Daytona references that took the material before it.


The crystal is flat sapphire, no Cyclops, in the same proportions used across the cal-4130 Daytona line. The crown is the Triplock screw-down with three-gasket sealing, at the standard Rolex 700-series geometry. The chronograph pushers are screw-down 950 platinum and follow the same operating routine as the rest of the modern Daytona line: unscrew the pusher, operate the chronograph, screw it back down to seal the case. Water resistance is rated to 100m, consistent with every cal-4130 Daytona reference.
The crystal is flat sapphire, no Cyclops, in the same proportions used across the cal-4130 Daytona line. The crown is the Triplock screw-down with three-gasket sealing, at the standard Rolex 700-series geometry. The chronograph pushers are screw-down 950 platinum and follow the same operating routine as the rest of the modern Daytona line: unscrew the pusher, operate the chronograph, screw it back down to seal the case. Water resistance is rated to 100m, consistent with every cal-4130 Daytona reference.
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The 116506 has not produced an auction headline at the scale of the manual-wind exotic-dial 6263 results or the Albino, Unicorn, and JPS singletons that anchor the vintage Daytona record. It has produced a steady mid-six-figure to high-six-figure auction line through the 2013-2024 window, with diamond-marker examples lifting toward USD 200,000-plus on full-set provenance.
The auction table documents a small number of full-set and diamond-marker examples. Results depend on condition, completeness, provenance and venue; the cited records do not support a reference-wide price range or a universal premium for one dial suffix. The 126506 comparison is technical, chiefly the 4131 movement and display caseback.
 
Phillips' retrospective records that the Lesson One result did not reset the model's market the way a hype auction usually does. Interest ran slow in the first years after launch, then strengthened as Rolex added the diamond-marker executions and the platinum Daytona read as its own line instead of a one-off anniversary gesture. Buyers in the secondary market price the 116506 against the 126506's retail, not against the manual-wind vintage line.




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


* [[Reference:3525|Daytona 3525]] — "Monoblocco", WWII Chronograph (1939–1945)
* [[Reference:3525|Daytona 3525]] ("Monoblocco", WWII chronograph, 1939–1945)
* [[Reference:6234|Daytona 6234]] — Pre-Daytona (1955–1961)
* [[Reference:6234|Daytona 6234]] (Pre-Daytona, 1955–1961)
* [[Reference:6238|Daytona 6238]] — the 'Pre-Daytona' Chronograph
* [[Reference:6238|Daytona 6238]] (collector “Pre-Daytona” chronograph)
* [[Reference:6239|Daytona 6239]] — First Cosmograph, Paul Newman Dials
* [[Reference:6239|Daytona 6239]] (first Cosmograph; Paul Newman dials)
* [[Reference:6240|Daytona 6240]] — First Screw-Down-Pusher Daytona (1965–1969)
* [[Reference:6240|Daytona 6240]] (first screw-down-pusher Daytona, 1965–1969)
* [[Reference:6241|Daytona 6241]] — "John Player Special", 14k Gold (1966–1969)
* [[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 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 116506 hero.webp|Platinum 116506 with ice-blue dial and chestnut bezel
Ref 116506 dial.webp|Standard ice-blue dial
Ref 116506 historical-example.webp|Auction example with provenance
</gallery>


== Sources ==
== Sources ==


* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolex Wikipedia, "Rolex" — general company history]
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* [https://www.phillips.com/article/117303084/the-rolex-cosmograph-daytona-ref-116506-the-anniversary-watch-that-was-so-much-more Logan Baker, "The Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 116506: The Anniversary Watch That Was So Much More", Phillips]
* [https://www.phillips.com/article/117303084/the-rolex-cosmograph-daytona-ref-116506-the-anniversary-watch-that-was-so-much-more Logan Baker, "The Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 116506: The Anniversary Watch That Was So Much More", Phillips]
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