The Rolex Daytona 116500LN is one of those watches that is well known amongst watch collectors and normal people alike. Mention the words Rolex Daytona and depending on who you talk to they will variously think of words like luxury, hard-to-get, Paul Newman, SS shortage, extreme grey market pricing and so on. Everyone seems to know this watch but not many people have the opportunity to see and feel it and fewer still to buy it either at RRP or “market” price.

The Rolex Daytona, in its current stainless steel iteration, is the 116500LN. Introduced in 2016, it is available with both a white and black face (both with a black ceramic bezel) in a SS case and bracelet with polished centre links.

I have always had mixed feelings about the Daytona. I loved the steel-bezel 16520/116520 model of the ‘90s/2000s. Alas was unable to afford it at the time. Time passed and for my 40th birthday I traded in my motorbike, added some cash and purchased the 116523 two-tone Daytona. That was that itch scratched, and I was happy.

In 2016, when the new Rolex Daytona 116500LN was released, my initial response was lukewarm. I wasn’t overwhelmed by the photos. Fast forward to 2021, lockdowns, boredom, needing to buy (another) watch. I asked my AD, then just before xmas the call came, and I picked it up.

First impression is WOW!!! This is a watch that you really do need to see and feel. Take the plastic off, grab your reading glasses (for us older folk) and check it out. The photos do not do it justice. The hype around this watch is not about the fact that it is hard to get at RRP or that its grey market value is 2-3 times the RRP. The Rolex Daytona is a stunning looking watch!

First thing that struck me was the bezel — polished black ceramic that shines bright. The tachymeter etched into the ceramic is sharp and very legible — great contrast and easy to read. The bracelet is, imho the most comfortable watch bracelet on the market. It comes with a two-position adjustment at the clasp for those hot humid days. The clasp is a double folding type which is a standard for all Rolex sports models. The centre links are polished, and the rest of the bracelet is matte. The matte finish is superb, and NO brush/polish marks are evident while the centre polished links are done to a mirror finish.

The Rolex Daytona case has always had a beautiful look and feel to it. Highly polished with lines that flow organically and, of course, are perfectly matched to the bracelet as if it were one piece. It’s not a particularly thin watch but wears thin on my 7.5” wrist. It is a standard chronograph with two pushers at 2 and 4 o’clock. The pushers are the screw-down type to stop you from accidentally pressing them!?!

The action of the pushers is once again first class. A positive click and instant start/stop/reset. You get spoiled with well-made mechanical chronograph movements like the Daytona’s that you sometimes forget how bad some quite expensive chronographs can be. The watch itself is 100m waterproof and like all of Rolex’s watches, they are made tough and are made to wear just about anywhere.

I purchased the white dial variant; it comes with three sub-dials in white with contrasting black outer rings. The white matte dial is a great contrast to the deep black bezel. I have always had a preference for black dials on a watch. The Daytona has changed my mind.

Wearing the Rolex Daytona is fun. It’s very comfortable to wear and not particularly top-heavy. It’s easy to read at a glance in most lighting conditions and can be a conversation starter when it gets noticed. This last part may or may not be something you want so, be aware — it will get noticed.

I would recommend the Rolex Daytona 116500LN to anyone that is after a modern Chronograph and can get their hands on one BUT only if you intend to wear it.