Our remarks

Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 116506, 950 Platinum, Ice Blue Diamond Dial, 2014

In 2013 Rolex celebrated 50 years of the Daytona, and it did so with a watch that immediately became a legend. The 116506 was the first Daytona in platinum, and it brought together two features that have defined it ever since: the ice blue dial and the chestnut brown ceramic bezel. Ice blue is a color Rolex reserves for its platinum watches, so anyone who knows Rolex recognizes this watch at first glance.

The 40 mm Oyster case is made of 950 platinum. It is much heavier than gold or steel and has a cool, subtle shine that feels very understated for such a precious watch. The Cerachrom bezel in chestnut brown carries the engraved tachymeter scale. That warm brown next to the pale blue dial is one of the most beautiful color combinations Rolex has ever used. The screw-down pushers and the Triplock crown make the watch water resistant to 100 meters.

The ice blue dial on this example is set with diamond hour markers, which gives the watch an even more elegant look. The diamonds pick up the light, while the three counters stay clearly readable. It is a very refined version of the platinum Daytona, and one that is noticeably rarer than the version with baton markers.

Inside works the caliber 4130, the chronograph movement Rolex developed entirely in house. It uses a column wheel and vertical clutch, needs fewer parts than a conventional chronograph and offers around 72 hours of power reserve.

The solid platinum Oyster bracelet closes with the Oysterlock safety clasp and the Easylink extension, which gives you about 5 mm of extra length.

The watch dates from 2014, one of the first years of this reference, and is in excellent condition. It comes with box and papers, COSC hang tag, all links, describtion booklet - from first ownership - Vienna, Austria, May, 2014.

„This platinum Daytona is a marvelous and much loved example and collectors now clearly prefered it to the successor the 126506 with the two tone dial!"