The Rolex Daytona 116520 is the watch that brought the Cosmograph Daytona into the modern era — the model that finally gave Rolex full control over its own chronograph destiny. Introduced in 2000, it replaced the outgoing Zenith-powered 16520 and became the definitive stainless steel Daytona for an entire generation of collectors. Its clean, symmetrical dial layout, screw-down chronograph pushers, and engraved steel tachymeter bezel carry forward the tool-watch DNA of the original 1960s Daytona, while the in-house Caliber 4130 inside represents one of the most significant engineering achievements in Rolex's modern history.
This example, fitted with the later revised rehaut (engraved with the serial number, introduced from 2008 onward) and blue Chromalight luminescence (introduced around 2013), places it among the final and most refined iterations of the reference before its 2016 discontinuation. The 40mm Oystersteel case, with its crisp lug geometry and Triplock screw-down crown, gives the watch a wearable, everyday presence that remains one of its most-praised traits among long-term owners — a serious chronograph that never feels overbuilt.
Despite being out of production since 2016, the 116520 remains a fully capable, daily-wearable chronograph, with the Caliber 4130 delivering 72 hours of power reserve and chronometer-certified precision — the same accuracy standard that made it a benchmark for the modern Daytona line and its eventual successor, the ceramic-bezeled 116500LN.
Specifications:
Brand: Rolex
Model: Cosmograph Daytona
Reference: 116520
Dial: Black, with silver-ringed sub-dials
Case Size: 40mm
Material: 904L Stainless Steel (Oystersteel)
Bezel: Stainless Steel with Engraved Tachymeter Scale
Rehaut: Engraved with serial number (2008+ revision)
Lume: Chromalight (blue), introduced c. 2013
Movement: Rolex Caliber 4130 (Automatic Chronograph, In-House)
Functions: Hours, Minutes, Running Seconds, Chronograph (30-min & 12-hr counters)
Power Reserve: 72 hours
Water Resistance: 100m
Production Year: 2016
Bracelet: Oyster, solid center/end links, Oysterlock clasp with Easylink 5mm extension
The Rolex Daytona 116520 is the watch that brought the Cosmograph Daytona into the modern era — the model that finally gave Rolex full control over its own chronograph destiny. Introduced in 2000, it replaced the outgoing Zenith-powered 16520 and became the definitive stainless steel Daytona for an entire generation of collectors. Its clean, symmetrical dial layout, screw-down chronograph pushers, and engraved steel tachymeter bezel carry forward the tool-watch DNA of the original 1960s Daytona, while the in-house Caliber 4130 inside represents one of the most significant engineering achievements in Rolex's modern history.
This example, fitted with the later revised rehaut (engraved with the serial number, introduced from 2008 onward) and blue Chromalight luminescence (introduced around 2013), places it among the final and most refined iterations of the reference before its 2016 discontinuation. The 40mm Oystersteel case, with its crisp lug geometry and Triplock screw-down crown, gives the watch a wearable, everyday presence that remains one of its most-praised traits among long-term owners — a serious chronograph that never feels overbuilt.
Despite being out of production since 2016, the 116520 remains a fully capable, daily-wearable chronograph, with the Caliber 4130 delivering 72 hours of power reserve and chronometer-certified precision — the same accuracy standard that made it a benchmark for the modern Daytona line and its eventual successor, the ceramic-bezeled 116500LN.
Specifications:
Brand: Rolex
Model: Cosmograph Daytona
Reference: 116520
Dial: Black, with silver-ringed sub-dials
Case Size: 40mm
Material: 904L Stainless Steel (Oystersteel)
Bezel: Stainless Steel with Engraved Tachymeter Scale
Rehaut: Engraved with serial number (2008+ revision)
Lume: Chromalight (blue), introduced c. 2013
Movement: Rolex Caliber 4130 (Automatic Chronograph, In-House)
Functions: Hours, Minutes, Running Seconds, Chronograph (30-min & 12-hr counters)
Power Reserve: 72 hours
Water Resistance: 100m
Production Year: 2016
Bracelet: Oyster, solid center/end links, Oysterlock clasp with Easylink 5mm extension