Short on time? The 116500LN (2016–2023) was the first steel Daytona with a black Cerachrom bezel. The 126500LN replaced it in 2023, for the Daytona's 60th anniversary, with the new calibre 4131, a thin steel edge around the bezel, reshaped lugs and a refined dial. Both are 40mm Oystersteel with about 72 hours of power reserve. Side by side, the differences are small. We have both in the safe.
Backstory
The 116500LN is the watch that made the steel Daytona impossible to buy at retail. When Rolex put a black ceramic bezel on the steel Daytona in 2016, it gave the modern watch a bit of vintage attitude, and demand went through the roof. Seven years later, the 126500LN arrived to mark 60 years of the Daytona. Rolex didn't reinvent it. It refined it, which is the Rolex way. We've reviewed both properly: the 116500LN and the black 126500LN.
The Case and Bezel
Same 40mm Oystersteel, same screw-down pushers, same 100 metres of water resistance. The giveaway on the 126500LN is the bezel: a thin ring of polished steel now runs around the edge of the ceramic insert, a nod to the metal-edged bezels of 1960s Daytonas. The lugs were reshaped too. Put them on a table and you'll notice. Put them on a wrist and most people won't.
The Dial
This is where the 126500LN looks a touch more refined. The hour markers and hands are slimmer, and the rings around the counters are finer. On the black dial, it reads a little cleaner and more balanced. The 116500LN has slightly chunkier proportions, and plenty of people prefer that.
The Movement
The 4130 in the 116500LN is a column-wheel chronograph with a vertical clutch, and it's about as robust as chronographs get. The 4131 in the 126500LN keeps that architecture and adds the Chronergy escapement and a few other updates from Rolex's newer movements. Power reserve is about 72 hours on both. In daily use, you won't feel the difference.
Which One We'd Pick
If you want the newest version, with the finer details and the more modern dial, it's the 126500LN. If you like the slightly bolder look of the original ceramic Daytona, or you simply prefer the watch that started the run, it's the 116500LN. There's no wrong answer here, which is rare for a comparison.
Final Thoughts
This is Rolex evolution at its most subtle. The 126500LN is the better-finished watch on paper. The 116500LN is the one that made the steel Daytona famous again. Try both on and trust your eye.
We have both: a 2019 116500LN and a 2025 126500LN, each with the black dial and a full set.
