Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ref. 116509

The Origins

Inarguably one of the most iconic watches in all of watchmaking, the Rolex Daytona needs no introduction. Offered as the Cosmograph since 1963 and officially christened the Daytona by Rolex in 1965, the Rolex Daytona underwent baptism by fire whereby its lack of commercial success in the 1960s later drove demand towards those earlier references amongst collectors in the 1980s who saw the value that they represented. Since then, the Daytona has consistently topped the ranks as one of Rolex’s most sought-after offerings across their entire catalogue, and today it remains as once of the hardest Rolexes to buy straight from an Authorised Dealer. Plenty of collectors will know the difficulties in getting a Daytona straight from an AD and how the Daytona was the earliest Rolex to have its own waiting list, and it was one of the first Rolexes to command a premium on the open market as a result of that waiting list.

Filled with an array of different construction materials, movements, dial colours, gem settings, case sizes and so on over the years, the Daytona has encompassed just about every design language possible since its inception, and the reference we are exploring is the 18k white gold ref. 116509. Offered across two dial variants that were launched in 2016 and then discontinued in 2023, this is perhaps one of the cleanest Daytona variants available. 

The Case and Dial

Made of 18k white gold and offered on a matching white gold Oyster bracelet with a white gold bezel, the ref. 116509 features a 40mm diameter, as Rolex claims, that wears surprisingly neat on the wrist. However, it actually measures in at 38.5mm, meaning that the ref. 116509, like every other Daytona variant from the same generation, is the most universally appealing size that Rolex could have made it. Why they claim it is 40mm is anyone’s guess.

As mentioned, the ref. 116509 was primarily offered across two dial variants, one being the silver with black subdials, and the other being a sunburst blue with some red accents adding a pop of colour to the reference. With luminous indices applied at each hour marker and the trio of chronograph subdials controlled via screw-down pushers at 2 and 4 o’clock on the case, the ref. 116509’s dial is purely function-orientated, yet sumptuous in just about every way. Whether it is the monochromatic option or has everyone in watchmaking’s favourite dial colour, the ref. 116509 is exceptionally clean on the wrist. 

The Movement

Powered by Rolex’s first in-house chronograph movement, with only 201 parts, the cal. 4130 is ruthlessly efficient as Rolex stripped back its movement so as to result in a 20% decrease in number of parts when compared to the Daytona’s previous movement, the cal. 4030. This makes for a movement with longer service intervals and fewer parts to break, meaning greater reliability across the board. 

Additionally, with more space freed up due to its relatively small number of parts, the cal. 4130 can accommodate a larger mainspring than typical chronographs, and so the cal. 4130 boasts a 72-hour power reserve, which is quite impressive given the cal. 4030 before it only had 50 hours, which was impressive too at the time. All in all, even for a 20+ year old movement, the cal. 4130 is incredible even by today’s standards and fitting for the Daytona’s legendary legacy. While the cal. 4130 is no longer in use in the newest Daytona references; you can rest assured that the ref. 116509’s movement is up to scratch.

Celeb Love

While the ref. 116509 was somewhat overshadowed by the exceptional popularity of its sibling, the ref. 116508 John Mayer, which it was launched alongside, the ref. 116509 has enjoyed some rather impressive plaudits from celebrities too. However, it is the blue dial ref. 116509 that reigns supreme with regards to just how much love celebrities have given the reference. For example, iconic actors Bruce Willis and Mark Wahlberg, Chelsea footballer Reece James, French footballing icon Paul Pogba and golfer Justin Thomas have all been spotted wearing their stunning blue dial ref. 116509s out in public since its launch. On the other hand, the silver dial ref. 116509 has not been spotted on as many celebs wrists, granted Daniel Craig was spotted wearing one, so if one of Omega’s biggest ambassadors has worn it, it can’t be too shabby. 

Market Performance

In keeping with the majority of Daytona variants, the ref. 116509 has enjoyed some rather favourable market performance over the years thanks to the intense desirability the collection commands. With long waiting lists and thus heavy premiums on the secondary market across the Daytona collection, it serves as no surprise that both ref. 116509 variants command a market value in excess of their MSRP of $41600. However, as with a lot of other Daytona references, the dial can have a larger impact on the market value, and the ref. 116509 is no different. 

Of the two dial variants, the silver dial is the least valuable, with a price premium of only 9% over its MSRP of $41600, which results in a market value of $45000. On the other hand, the blue dial variant boasts a price premium of 12% over its MSRP, which results in a market value of around $46600. While their performance today is somewhat similar, it should be noted that the blue dial variant once commanded a market value of $60000, while the silver dial variant could only go as high as around $53000 – both of which highs occurred during the end of Q1 in 2022. While this might suggest that the blue dial variant can reach a higher ceiling should the market remain bullish on the Daytona, the silver dial variant has gained 2.3% in value the last 90 days compared to just 1.1% in the last 90 days for the blue dial variant, so perhaps this once slept-on model is going to get its time in the sun. Time will tell. 

Check out the live performance of Rolex Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ref. 116509 on The Wristcheck Index