While it spent a number of years being an unsung hero within the brand’s catalog, the Rolex Daytona has become one of the most famous and collectible watches in the entire world. For many people, the Daytona is emblematic of the high-end vintage Rolex market, and at a retail level, the Daytona is notoriously difficult to obtain, due to global demand for the model far exceeding the available supply of watches. Additionally, as one of Rolex’s most diverse collections of sports models, a surprising range of variety exists within the greater Daytona lineup, and when looking at the list of the most expensive Rolex watches ever sold, it's hardly a coincidence that the Daytona appears more than any other model. That said, some versions of the Daytona are inherently going to be more compelling acquisitions than others, and here are the top 10 Rolex Daytona watches for collectors in 2024.
1. Rolex Daytona 126529LN - 100th Anniversary of Le Mans
Announced in June 2023 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the historic 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race, the Rolex Daytona ref. 126529LN is arguably the single most unique offering within the entire standard-production Daytona collection. Aside from the fact that it was a surprise release and not presented along with the rest of Rolex’s novelties for 2023 at Watches & Wonders Geneva, the white gold Daytona 126529LN also features a reworked version of the Cal. 4132 movement, which converts the 12-hour totalizer to a 24-hour counter so that the watch can be used to track the total duration of the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. Furthermore, the “100” marking on the bezel is red to denote the race’s centennial, while the dial serves as a nod to Rolex’s past and features a “reverse panda” colorway with the same style of Art-Deco font that appears on the legendary vintage “Paul Newman” Daytona. As soon as it was announced, the reference 126529LN immediately claimed the top spot as the hottest current-production Rolex Daytona, and this very much continues to remain true as we enter 2024.
2. Vintage Rolex Daytona 6263
Produced from approximately 1971 through 1987, the reference 6263 represents the final evolution of the original first-generation Rolex Daytona, and it is often considered to be a benchmark model within the high-end vintage Rolex market. Unlike all subsequent versions of the Daytona that have featured automatic movements, sapphire crystals, and cases with crown guards, the vintage Rolex Daytona 6263 features a classic acrylic crystal paired with a manual-wind movement; however, unlike older versions of the Daytona, the ref. 6263 also features screw-down pushers, which help provide it with a slightly larger and more intentional overall appearance. Naturally, the examples fitted with “Paul Newman” dials will sit at the very top of the Daytona 6263 hierarchy, although a well-preserved “Big Red” reference 6263 is often considered to be a perennial blue-chip acquisition when it comes to long-term value retention and enduring collectibility.
3. Rolex “Rainbow” Daytona
The very first Rainbow Daytona watches appeared in 2012 and were crafted from yellow and white gold, although it wasn’t until the 2018 launch of the Rolex Daytona 116595RBOW in Everose gold that these multicolored gem-set watches became must-have items for everyone from serious collectors to A-list celebrities. Aside from being crafted from Rolex’s proprietary 18k rose gold alloy, the key detail that separated the ref. 116595RBOW from its white and yellow gold predecessors was that the Everose gold edition was available with either black or diamond-paved dials, and its hour markers were replaced by baguette-cut sapphires that mirrored the rainbow gradient of colors on the bezel. Additionally, Rolex quietly started offering the white gold Rainbow Daytona ref. 116599RBOW again for the final year that this generation of models was in production, although the updated version featured the new style of black dial with rainbow-colored sapphire hour markers, making both versions of these discontinued off-catalog watches major mainstream status symbols and grail pieces for collectors.
4. Rolex “Zenith” Daytona 16520
While it may not initially appear to be all that special, the Rolex “Zenith” Daytona ref. 16520 stands out for a number of reasons within the greater context of the Daytona’s history, and it continues to slowly rise in popularity as it increasingly moves into vintage territory. Produced between 1988 and 2000, this second generation of Rolex Daytona watches marked a major step forward for the collection, and it represents the point in the Daytona’s history when Rolex’s famous chronograph first started to take on its contemporary form with crown guards, a sapphire crystal, and a self-winding movement. Nicknamed the “Zenith” Daytona because it used a heavily modified version of the Zenith El Primero as the basis for its automatic caliber, this second generation of the Daytona has enjoyed a cult following for a number of years, although its popularity within the collecting community has expanded since Rolex stopped offering the stainless steel Daytona with a matching steel bezel, and instead exclusively fits the modern steel models with bezels that are made from black ceramic.
5. Rolex Daytona 116588SACO - Orange Sapphire Bezel
Set with diamonds and other precious gemstones, off-catalog Rolex models are inherently rather bold and flashy timepieces, although one of the more understated and in-demand options is the Rolex Daytona ref. 116588SACO, which skips the diamonds entirely and instead opts for a bezel and dial full of orange sapphires. Fitted with a black Oysterflex bracelet and a matching black dial, the ref. 116588SACO is significantly less blingy compared to other off-catalog Daytona models that have diamond-encrusted cases and bracelets. However, the hour markers on the Daytona 116588SACO have all been replaced by baguette-cut orange sapphires, while the tachymeter bezel has been swapped out for a matching ring of trapeze-cut orange sapphires. To call the reference 116588SACO understated would be inaccurate, although it is easily on the shortlist of off-catalog Daytona models that could integrate into everyday life, and this highly exclusive timepiece provides collectors with the opportunity to enjoy Rolex’s expert gem-setting in a slightly more relaxed and less jewelry-oriented overall package.
6. Rolex Daytona 116508 - Green Dial
Although Rolex produced the yellow gold Daytona reference 116508 with a fairly wide variety of different dials during the years that it was part of the brand’s catalog from 2016 to 2023, it is the green sunburst dial with bright red accents (nicknamed the “John Mayer”) that stands out as one of the most collectible variations of this particular model. Green is Rolex’s company color, yet it has historically been rather absent from many of the brand’s watches, and the green dial Daytona 116508 truly doesn’t look like any other timepiece that Rolex has put forward. When Rolex discontinued this generation of Daytona watches in 2023, the unusual green dial was not carried over as an option for the current generation, and given that it was already one of the most popular versions of the Rolex Daytona while it was still available from retailers, the green dial ref. 116508 will likely continue to remain a top target for Rolex collectors in 2024.
7. Rolex Daytona 116509 - Blue Dial
Launched in 2016 alongside its yellow gold sibling with a green dial, the Rolex Daytona ref. 116509 is the 18k white gold version that features a striking blue sunburst dial with bright red accents. Although most of the collecting world has been fixated upon its yellow gold counterpart, the white gold Daytona 116509 is arguably the more aesthetically versatile option between the two models. Additionally, given that you can now find the blue dial Rolex Daytona 116509 at a five-figure savings compared to its green dial sibling in yellow gold, this white gold model undeniably seems rather undervalued by comparison, especially when you consider that Rolex actually charges more at retail for its white gold watches compared to their otherwise identical yellow gold equivalents. While the white gold Daytona ref. 116509 with a blue dial was largely overlooked during most of the years that it was in production, Rolex discontinued this unusual blue dial when the brand updated the Daytona collection in 2023, and the blue dial Daytona 116509 has already started to receive more attention from collectors now that you can no longer get a blue dial within the white gold Daytona lineup.
8. Rolex Daytona 126506 - Platinum
Released in 2023 as the flagship model from the latest generation of Rolex Daytona watches, the reference 126506 is the platinum version of the Daytona that features an ice blue dial paired with a chestnut brown Cerachrom bezel. At a quick glance, the Rolex Daytona 126506 looks incredibly similar to its platinum sibling from the previous generation, although the key detail that truly makes the reference 126506 special is that it features a display-style caseback, which represents the first time that a Rolex sports watch has ever visibly showcased its internal movement. Regardless of whether Rolex ultimately ends up switching to display casebacks for all of its watches or only ever features them on select models with precious metal cases, the Daytona ref. 126506 will always be the first to include this detail, and in addition to being the most exclusive version of Rolex’s iconic chronograph, the platinum Daytona 126506 also represents an important point in the history and evolution of Rolex’s legendary Oyster case.
9. Rolex Daytona 116518LN - Meteorite Dial
Introduced in 2021 and only produced for a couple of short years before being discontinued with the major generational update to the Daytona collection in 2023, meteorite dials were briefly offered for the 18k gold versions of the Rolex Daytona, and they represent some of the most rare and exclusive configurations of their respective references. Although Rolex offered meteorite dials for Daytona watches in all three different shades of gold, along with for both the Oyster bracelet and Oysterflex bracelet models, one of consistent fan-favorite meteorite dial references is the yellow gold Daytona 116518LN. Rolex previously offered white gold Daytona watches with meteorite dials during the mid-2000s, although the yellow gold case of the ref. 116518LN combined with its black Cerachrom bezel and matching black Oysterflex bracelet make it an entirely different offering. Since they were only available for a short period of time and produced in small quantities, all of the various meteorite dial Daytona models are highly coveted items for collectors, although the yellow gold model fitted with an Oysterflex bracelet stands out as one of the most desirable meteorite dial Daytona watches.
10. Rolex Daytona 116523 - Two-Tone
Due to its widespread popularity, the Rolex Daytona is notoriously difficult to obtain at a retail level, and nearly all examples of the Daytona trade hands on the open market for values that are higher than what Rolex charges for their brand-new modern counterparts. With that in mind, despite costing noticeably more at a retail level, two-tone Daytona watches are typically less expensive than their stainless steel siblings on the secondary market, and the two-tone ref. 116523 is often the absolute least expensive Rolex Daytona available (unless you are lucky enough to purchase a stainless steel model directly from one of Rolex’s authorized retailers). Not only can you often find a Daytona 116523 for less than what Rolex charges for its modern counterpart, but you can also find examples with dials that aren’t available within the current-production lineup, such as the blue dial and panda dial variants that have Arabic numeral hour markers and bright red accents. Realistically speaking, the two-tone reference 116523 is hardly a hype model or poised to quickly become a six-figure piece, although it does represent a rather compelling value among the sea of Daytona references, and it can also be found with a surprising variety of different dial options.