Will Rolex Introduce a Rose Gold Le Mans Daytona?

The Rolex Le Mans Daytona is one of the most unusual modern Rolex releases—not just in its design, but in how Rolex has handled it. The white gold version debuted in June 2023 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It was an off-catalog model from the start, distributed only to Rolex’s most exclusive clients. Then, in early 2024, Rolex quietly discontinued the white gold Le Mans, replacing it with a yellow gold version—also off-catalog and just as difficult to obtain.

With such an unpredictable rollout, it’s impossible to say with certainty what Rolex’s plans for the Le Mans Daytona are. But if Rolex follows a familiar Daytona playbook, a rose gold Le Mans could be on the horizon.

A Modern Rolex Unlike Any Other

Image Source: Sharp Magazine

From the moment it was announced, the Le Mans Daytona stood apart from Rolex’s other offerings. It introduced the caliber 4132, a chronograph movement capable of timing up to 24 hours instead of 12. It featured a ceramic bezel with a red ‘100’ marker, directly referencing the Le Mans centennial. It even included a nod to the legendary Paul Newman Daytonas, with subtle square-tipped indices on the subdials. It’s incredibly rare for Rolex to reintroduce this sort of vintage flair.

This was a modern Daytona built with historical references, ultra-limited production, and a new movement—the perfect formula for an instant collector’s piece. When Rolex discontinued the white gold version less than a year after its debut, it cemented the watch’s status as one of the rarest modern Daytonas. The yellow gold version took its place, but that raises an interesting question: is Rolex done with the Le Mans Daytona, or is this simply the next phase in an ongoing rollout?

Looking to the Past: The Rainbow Daytona Case Study

Image Source: Wrist Aficionado

Rolex doesn’t treat its most exclusive models like standard production pieces. Some follow an unusual release trajectory, appearing and disappearing with little warning. A prime example of this is the Rainbow Daytona, which first launched in yellow and white gold in 2012. Those models were discontinued in 2016, only for Rolex to introduce a rose gold version in 2018. IN 2022, the white and yellow gold were brought back, and just last year in 2024, the rose gold version was updated.

Does this tell us what Rolex will do with the Le Mans Daytona? Not necessarily. The Rainbow followed its own schedule, one that’s spanned over a decade at this point. The Le Mans, on the other hand, saw two variations in under 12 months and has existed for less than two years. Still, the Rainbow Daytona shows that Rolex is willing to iterate on its most exclusive Daytona models, and if they choose to follow a similar path, a rose gold Le Mans Daytona is well within the realm of possibility.

Why Not Platinum?

Image Source: SwissWatchExpo

If Rolex expands the Le Mans lineup, platinum might seem like a natural choice—except for one problem. Rolex has an established tradition of pairing platinum watches with ice-blue dials. The Le Mans Daytona, with its black dial and red accents, doesn’t fit that mold. Rolex could break its own rule and keep the black dial, but that would be a significant departure from their design conventions.

Rose gold, on the other hand, requires no such adjustment. It keeps the Le Mans Daytona within Rolex’s typical framework while still introducing a new variation to the ultra-exclusive lineup.

Will We See a New Le Mans Daytona in 2025?

Image Source: Luxury Bazaar

There’s no set timeline for off-catalog Rolex releases. The original Le Mans Daytona didn’t arrive at Watches & Wonders—it launched in June 2023, months after the trade show. Rolex clearly isn’t tied to a predictable schedule with this model (or any other model, for that matter).

That said, if a rose gold Le Mans Daytona is coming, 2025 would be an exciting time to introduce it. The yellow gold version arrived just 10 months after the original. If Rolex continues rolling these out in phases, we could see the next version appear sooner than expected.

Either way, the Le Mans Daytona is already one of the most fascinating modern Rolex watches. Its future remains uncertain, but if history is any indication, there’s more to come.

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