Rolex Quietly Dropped 8 New Daytonas — Here’s Every One

Rolex released eight new Daytona references this year. You probably saw the new turquoise dial, but unless you’ve been combing the catalog, you might have missed a few of the others — including some low-key returns of collector favorites.

Let’s break them all down.

Turquoise Lacquer Dial Yellow Gold Daytona

The most popular Daytona release this year is the yellow gold reference 126518LN: a lacquered turquoise dial on an Oysterflex rubber strap, with a black ceramic bezel. The combo is bold, flashy, and unapologetically fun — I heard someone in Geneva call it “a Miami watch,” and I haven’t stopped thinking about that description since. Yellow gold and turquoise is already a lot of look, but the Oysterflex strap keeps it wearable. It’s not for everyone, but for the right collector, it’s a dream Daytona.

This watch reminds us of the “Beach” Daytonas from the early 2000s — the brightly colored stone dial models in pastel shades. 

The Return of the John Mayer Daytonas

In 2019, John Mayer appeared on Talking Watches and called two modern Daytonas future classics: the yellow gold green-dial 116508, and the white gold blue-dial 116509. The collector world took notice. Secondary prices soared. These watches, particularly the yellow gold version, became known as the “John Mayer Daytonas.”

This year, Rolex brought both configurations back — now in updated form with the new-gen 4131 movement and refreshed dial layout. That means thinner subdial rings, metal bezels surrounding the Cerachrom, and other proportional tweaks. While the white gold/blue dial version (126509-0005) is visually almost identical to the original, the yellow gold/green dial version (126508-0008) features gold-toned subdials rather than green. It’s a small change, but one that will only enhance the collectibility of the original.

Three Meteorite Daytonas, One for Each Metal

Three new meteorite-dial Daytonas were released this year, each on an Oysterflex strap: yellow gold (126518LN-0016), Everose (126515LN-0008), and white gold (126519LN-0007). These, too, are built on the updated Daytona platform introduced in 2023, meaning they use the caliber 4131 and carry over all the latest refinements.

The Chocolate Brown Everose Daytonas

Lastly, Rolex added two new chocolate dial Daytonas in Everose gold: one on an Oyster bracelet (126505-0005) and one on Oysterflex (126515LN-0010). This colorway has appeared in past generations, but this is its first time in the latest-gen Daytona format.

Final Thoughts

Eight Daytonas in one year is a lot. If you count the trio of new off-catalog Daytonas, including the new Everose ‘Le Mans’ we covered earlier this week, it’s actually eleven. Rolex’s eagerness to expand the new-generation line of Daytonas makes sense; this chronograph is one of the most popular and sought-after watches on the market.

If you’re holding on to an original John Mayer Daytona, congrats — you’re now holding a first edition.