Redlining Retail Expectations: The Rolex Daytona 24 Hours of Le Mans
I vividly remember the last time I watched the 24 hours of Le Mans. It was in 2013; my daughter was just born a few weeks earlier and couldn’t sleep. So, I sat with her in the living room in the middle of the night, silently watching the 24 Hours of Le Mans. I am more of an F1 fan myself, but a few people here in the Fratello team are die-hard fans of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. As with any 24-hour event, following the race takes a special kind of dedication. But regardless, it never fails to draw a crowd.
Rolex Daytona ref. 126529LN
Last Saturday — together with my colleague Daan — I attended this locally organized watch get-together with approximately 50 other watch enthusiasts and collectors. While I was there, the news broke on the new Rolex Daytona, celebrating 24 Hours of Le Mans. And surprisingly, it seemed that no one really cared. Everyone was too busy enjoying the impressive amount of vintage and modern watches they could touch and try (and there was cold beer). But, apparently, the crowd on the ‘gram went nuts, and I kept seeing the new Rolex Daytona “24 Hours of Le Mans” on my feed.
Reverse panda and a red “100”
And truth be told, it’s a Daytona I don’t dislike. I am not much of a Daytona fan, for all the reasons mentioned in the past here on Fratello (the subdials at 3 and 9 o’clock being aligned above the center pinion is the most significant issue I have with the watch). But, objectively speaking, this is not a bad-looking timepiece. It actually gives me some Speedmaster Speedy Tuesday “Tribute to Alaska III” vibes. I love a nice reverse panda dial!
Rolex Caliber 4132 – counting the 24 Hours of Le Mans
The new Rolex Daytona ref. 126529LN is in 18ct white gold, and besides the new dial configuration and red ceramic “100” in the tachymeter scale, it also has a new movement. Inside this new 40mm diameter white gold Rolex Daytona is their caliber 4132. It’s a variation on the 4131 movement, where the 12-hour counter at 9 o’clock has been replaced with a 24-hour counter. It’s a nod to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, of course, and with this special Daytona, you’ll be able to time the entire race next year. Well, that is if you can purchase one before the next 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Just like the Daytona chronograph in platinum that was introduced earlier this year, the new white gold 24 Hours of Le Mans model has a see-through case back. Caliber 4132 is equipped with a yellow gold rotor and has Côtes de Genève decoration on the bridges. Aside from the 24-hour register, all specifications are equal to those of the caliber 4131.
Only for the (very) lucky few
The Rolex Daytona 126529LN was a sudden introduction during the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. In typical Rolex fashion, nothing was shared under embargo, and there were no leaks beforehand. It was a big surprise to everyone. However, very quickly, the realization came that this watch was probably only for the lucky few, just like most other Daytona watches. The regular stainless-steel Daytona currently retails for €15,100 but is virtually impossible to get. The previous steel model (116500LN) can be found in the pre-owned market for just below €30,000. I have no doubts that the production number on the new white gold Daytona 126529LN will be much lower. With the high demand, it will remain an unseen object in the coming months or even years. However, the price is not communicated on the Rolex website. Unofficially the communicated price is €42,000, excluding VAT.
Even though it’s a nice Daytona configuration, given the fact that it will be unobtanium makes me shrug my shoulders and just move on. I am still more excited about getting a new bi-color or gold Rolex GMT-Master II models with the Jubilee bracelet. But that’s just me. When a brand holds the carrot in your face for too long without giving you a real opportunity to grab it, I lose interest.
Winners of the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2023
Celebrating the 100th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans
I think it is interesting that Rolex does a bit more of these specials than they did before. Even though Rolex will not be able to meet the demand, it’s interesting that they seize these opportunities to develop something special. As said, I am not a big fan of the modern Daytona. That said, it’s a good chronograph that ticks a lot of boxes for other enthusiasts out there. To many, it’s even considered a grail watch. The new white gold Daytona celebrating the 24 Hours of Le Mans might have become their new grail watch.
The Rolex Daytona for the winners of the 2023 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans
The Daytona for the race winners
The 100th race was won by the No. 51 Ferrari AF Corse. More than 325.000 spectators witnessed the win for Ferrari. The winning drivers (Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, and Antonio Giovinazzi) were awarded a Rolex Daytona Cosmograph by previous 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen. The Daytona for the winning drivers is a reference 116500LN with a special engraving on its case back.
More information via Rolex online.
