The group of people that take on the annual duty of trying to come up with a nickname for the newest Rolex Daytona releases is, in my opinion, one of the funniest things to watch when Watches & Wonders rolls around, not the guessing games or the leak vetting. Some of the nicknames that have been tried are very ridiculous. People seem to be making these up so they may boast to their buddies, “Hey, hey, hey! Even though they will never believe you, I came up with that.
Rolex Daytona references have been extremely popular this year. Apart from the six timepieces displayed below, there have been several stylish off-catalog pieces in recent years, such as the “Barbie” Daytona, which is another ridiculous but fitting moniker, and a sapphire-dialed beauty. I won’t go into too much detail about the specifications or historical precedence because this is our third Rolex Daytona hands-on in as many months. Rather, I want to take a moment to consider what constitutes a good moniker.
I don’t feel pressured to have a catchy nickname. Not because they are the alter ego of a fictional superhero that already has a moniker on another watch, or because someone is seeking a reference to a fizzy drink to pair with the others, Paul Newman, John Mayer, and Jean-Claude Killy have all become popular nicknames for Rolex watches. A good nickname ought to be as clear as it is sincere.
I noticed the colorful dial of the new Rolex Daytona ref. 126518LN on Carlos Alcaraz’s wrist as soon as I watched him win Roland Garros (the French Open, for those who don’t follow official naming traditions). Bold, bright, and summery, it seemed like the ideal watch to go with the carefree demeanor of a young Spaniard who chose to celebrate his victory with the ball kids. In my opinion, the “Turquoise” or “Tiffany” Daytona had already been tried by others, but by the time he reached the Wimbledon finals two weeks ago, it was already “the Alcaraz.”
This new variation’s framework is nearly identical to that of the prior Oysterflex Daytonas made of precious metals. The new “Alcaraz” model has a metal ring around the Cerachrom bezel, just like all Daytonas with the latest Rolex caliber 4131 automatic movement. In this instance, the bezel’s numerals, which were created using particle vapor deposition, are the same color as the yellow gold ring. The ring isn’t just for show, though. Rather, it is a component of the Cerachrom bezel’s monobloc structure, which also holds the sapphire crystal in place for watertightness.
Design Highlights of the Rolex Daytona Ref. 126518LN
The lacquered turquoise blue dial with black subdials that have sunburst inner parts and outer snailing (where the subdial markers are printed) clearly distinguishes the two. Both these and the new, somewhat bigger, Chromalight-filled hour markers have yellow gold rims. I wonder if this is a new design language for the group because the black subdials and vibrant color remind me a little of Tudor’s Pink Chrono.
There are precedents for the watch. The “Daytona Beach” collection of vivid hues was first offered by Rolex in 2002. For me, it’s been a guilty pleasure series; it’s so different from what I would wear, but it’s entertaining to picture myself as a “Daytona Beach” guy. The ref. 116519, which has a turquoise-colored chrysoprase dial set with applied white gold numerals, in a white gold case, does not use actual turquoise like the new 126518LN does.
Carlos Alcaraz can tell you that having the classic solid caseback that you could almost always get on a Rolex until recently has advantages. Alcaraz told GQ Sports in a clip that was uploaded to Instagram approximately three weeks ago that he was given the watch as a present in recognition of his victory at Roland Garros in 2024, complete with a caseback etching that said the same. He claimed to have received it last year, which is surprising considering how infrequently Rolex has given public early access to watches. Only just before the new “Land-Dweller” was released, Roger Federer was recently spotted sporting it.
I believe that a display caseback has its place and time. It appears to function well at both ends of the complexity and price bell curves. Although they don’t highlight the finest workmanship or complexity, display cases on inexpensive watches (such as “open heart” displays) are excellent at igniting early collectors’ interest in mechanical watchmaking. Expensive timepieces with elaborate or hand-finished details. With the unusual exception of the Land-Dweller, a Rolex is one of the best industrially built watches in the world, but it doesn’t need to prove anything with an open caseback. We may continue after you give me something to engrave.
With a 40mm diameter, 11.4mm thickness, and a 47.5mm lug-to-lug distance, the proportions are nevertheless well-balanced. The watch has an accuracy of ±2 seconds per day and a 72-hour power reserve. The inner metal construction of the bracelet prevents it from being cut. Rather, it has a 5mm Glidelock adjustment and six lengths on each side. Fins on the inside of the rubber bracelet promote airflow and prevent the watch from becoming overly sticky on a perspiring wrist. Not surprisingly, it’s the ideal option for Alcaraz (as well as Jannik Sinner) to wear following their games.
The subdials in black have an odd design. They’re bold and striking, and I suppose that’s the idea. I was also reminded that the “Rolex Daytona” logo is always in red, which blends in more (for better or worse) with most other dials, thanks to the “turquoise” colored dial.
When taken as a whole, this may be the brand’s most striking in-catalog Rolex Daytona in a long time. Although I appreciate that Rolex doesn’t shy away from such “loud for the sake of loud” treatments, you typically don’t find something so striking in-catalog or without gemsetting. Customers will probably be more than willing to pay the bold price of $37,400 for such an out-of-the-ordinary in-catalog release. It’s also important to note that, at $1,900 less than the white gold or Everose models, yellow gold is the least expensive material that Rolex provides for Oysterflex Daytonas.
The obvious question is why Rolex wouldn’t go all the way and create a turquoise stone dial, as Audemars Piguet offers a Royal Oak with a natural turquoise dial. Ultimately, there were several completely insane Daytonas with gems and, yes, stone dials like sodalite or the stunning grossular garnet rubellite dial below in the mid-2010s. Fortunately for you, Rolex has that covered as well.
The off-catalog watch is not for me if I’m not confident I can pull off the in-catalog 126518LN. But perhaps that’s why I enjoy looking at and writing about these kinds of timepieces. Beyond the black subdials and the subtle nod to those Daytona Beach models that I now, not-so-secretly, like, it kind of makes me think of the pink Tudor Chrono. They’re not watches I would ever really consider adding to my collection, which is part of the reason I enjoy them. Alternatively, I can only savor them from a distance, in short bursts, or on the wrist of a young tennis legend.
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