Watch reference library
Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 116500LN
Produced 2016 to 2023. Discontinued.
- Replaced the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 116520
- Replaced by the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 126500LN
The Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 116500LN is the 40mm steel Daytona with a black Cerachrom bezel and the calibre 4130, made from 2016 to 2023 with a black dial or the white Panda dial. It replaced the 116520 and was replaced by the 126500LN.
Photos from Moda's watch desk
A real 116500LN photographed by Moda's watch desk. Serial numbers are blurred. Tap a photo for the full size.
Specifications
- Case size
- 40mm
- Case material
- Oystersteel
- Bezel
- Fixed, black monobloc Cerachrom insert with tachymeter scale
- Dial
- Black, White (nicknamed Panda for its black subdials)
- Movement
- Rolex calibre 4130, automatic
- Power reserve
- About 72 hours (about 66 hours if the chronograph runs continuously)
- Water resistance
- 100 meters
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bracelet
- Oyster bracelet Part number, lug width and links
- Bracelet part
- 78590, from Rolex's 2020 to 2023 price lists
- Lug width
- 20mm
The story
The 116500LN, introduced in 2016, was the first Oystersteel Daytona fitted with a ceramic bezel, a monobloc Cerachrom insert with the tachymeter scale engraved directly into it rather than printed or engraved on steel. It replaced the 116520, which had run from 2000 to 2016 with the same 40mm case and the same calibre 4130 that Rolex introduced with that reference, so the headline change was really the bezel material rather than a wholesale redesign. That single swap, from an engraved steel bezel to scratch-resistant, fade-proof ceramic, was enough to make the 116500LN one of the most in-demand Rolex sports models of its era, sold in black-dial and white "Panda" dial versions with black subdials. Rolex kept the 116500LN in the catalog for seven years before retiring it at Watches & Wonders in 2023, succeeded by the 126500LN, which carries the newer calibre 4131, adds a sapphire exhibition caseback the 116500LN never had, and revises the subdial layout on both dial colors.
What to check before you buy
The 116500LN has been out of production since 2023, so every example changing hands now is a secondary-market watch rather than something you can special-order at retail. Confirm which dial you're looking at, black or white Panda, since they're visually distinct but share the same case, bezel, and movement. There's no exhibition caseback on this generation, the back is solid and engraved, so you can't check the movement through glass the way you can on the newer 126500LN. Watches from the earlier end of the production run, 2016 and 2017, are now old enough that Rolex's roughly 10-year service guidance is starting to apply, so it's worth asking directly when a piece was last serviced rather than assuming it's untouched. As with other current-era Rolex references, the serial is a random code on the rehaut and won't tell you a precise production date on its own.
Buying or selling a 116500LN?
Selling one? Text photos to (605) 521-2821 for an offer within hours, or ask for one below. Moda pays by wire or Zelle within 24 hours of receiving the watch, on its own insured label. Rather sell it yourself? Post it in the Moda watch groups and run the listing through the Post Checker first. Buying one from someone you don't know? Moda's middleman service inspects the watch at Moda HQ and the buyer pays the seller only after approving the condition report. When it ships, it goes fully insured through ShipIFS, the shipping vendor Moda uses for its own watches.
A Serial Check tells you whether this 116500LN has been reported stolen and whether its dial and bracelet are the factory originals.
Moda-lytics tracks the live market price of this reference from real wholesale listings.
Moda Watch Club is the Moda group for luxury watches, and Moda Watch Club: 10K & Under covers watches below that line. Both are free to join with a join code.
Common questions
What's the difference between the black dial and the white "Panda" dial?
Same reference, case, and bezel, the dial color is the only difference. The white dial pairs a lacquered white face with black subdial rings, nicknamed Panda, while the black dial keeps the whole face black.
How is this different from the current steel Daytona?
The 116500LN was replaced by the 126500LN in 2023. Both share a 40mm case, black ceramic bezel, and Oyster bracelet, but the newer watch uses the updated calibre 4131, adds a sapphire exhibition caseback, and revises the subdial layout.
What did the 116500LN replace, and what actually changed?
It replaced the 116520 (2000 to 2016). Both share the calibre 4130 and 40mm case; the real change was swapping the 116520's engraved steel tachymeter bezel for a scratch-resistant, fade-proof black Cerachrom ceramic bezel, the first time Rolex put ceramic on a steel Daytona.
Can you see the movement through the case back?
No. The 116500LN has a solid, engraved steel caseback with no display window. Rolex didn't add a sapphire exhibition back to the Daytona line until the 126500LN generation arrived in 2023.