Watch reference library
Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 116520
Produced 2000 to 2016. Discontinued.
Specifications
- Case size
- 40mm listed diameter
- Case material
- 904L stainless steel
- Bezel
- Steel bezel with a tachymeter scale
- Dial
- Chronograph with running seconds at 6 o'clock and the 12-hour counter at 9 o'clock
- Movement
- Rolex calibre 4130, automatic chronograph
- Power reserve
- About 72 hours
- Bracelet
- Oyster bracelet with a safety clasp and an Easylink extension of up to 5mm Part number, lug width and links
The story
The Daytona that most collectors call the Zenith Daytona, the 16520 of 1988 to 2000, was powered by Rolex's calibre 4030, a heavily modified Zenith El Primero. Monochrome Watches counts around 200 modifications and notes that Rolex lowered the beat from 36,000 to 28,800 vibrations an hour.
The 116520 replaced it around the turn of the millennium and was the first Daytona with a chronograph movement developed by Rolex itself, the calibre 4130. Monochrome dates the reference from 2000 to 2016. Because the movement was new, the sub-dials changed places: the small seconds moved from 9 o'clock to 6 o'clock and swapped with the 12-hour counter. At a glance the watch looked much like the 16520.
Fratello notes that steel 116520 dials made between 2011 and 2014 are known as APH dials, after a gap in the spelling of Cosmograph on the dial. In 2016 Rolex replaced the 116520 with the 116500LN, which swapped the steel tachymeter bezel for a black Cerachrom one and added contrasting rings around the sub-dials. The calibre 4130 stayed, with a Parachrom hairspring and tighter regulation.
What to check before you buy
The sub-dial layout separates the generations. On the Zenith-based 16520 the hour counter sits at 6 o'clock, while on the in-house 116520 it sits at 9 o'clock, as Fratello's 52Mondayz piece puts it. The bezel separates the 116520 from the 116500LN that replaced it: steel with a tachymeter scale on the older watch, black ceramic on the newer one.
The pushers screw down, and Fratello notes the lugs are slightly lopsided to make room for them, with the right-hand lugs thinner than the left. The same writer measured a 116520 case at about 38.5mm with calipers against the 40mm listed diameter, so do not be surprised if a case reads smaller than the spec sheet. The 52Mondayz piece describes a privately PVD-coated 116520 and warns that touching even one element of a Rolex can cost the warranty and make authorized servicing uncertain, so ask whether any part has been modified or refinished.
Buying or selling a 116520?
Moda is always buying. Text photos to (605) 521-2821 for a fast offer, or start on the Moda Watches page. For any deal with a stranger, Moda's middleman service inspects the watch before money changes hands. For live market pricing on this reference, Moda-lytics tracks real Rolex sales data.
Common questions
Was the 116520 the first Daytona with a Rolex-made movement?
Yes. Monochrome Watches says the 116520 was the first Daytona with a truly in-house Rolex calibre, the 4130. The 16520 before it used a modified Zenith El Primero.
How can I tell a 116520 from a 16520?
Look at the sub-dials. The in-house 116520 has its 12-hour counter at 9 o'clock and its small seconds at 6 o'clock, and the earlier Zenith-powered 16520 has the hour counter at 6 o'clock.
What is the difference between the 116520 and the 116500LN?
The bezel and dial. The 116500LN, introduced in 2016, has a black Cerachrom bezel and contrasting rings around the sub-dials. Both use the calibre 4130.
How long does the 116520's power reserve last?
Fratello puts the power reserve of the calibre 4130 at 72 hours.
What is an APH dial?
Fratello says it refers to the spacing between Cosmogr and aph on steel 116520 dials made between 2011 and 2014.
Related references
Sources
The facts on this page come from the brand and from established watch publications.