Is the 116500 the perfect steel Daytona?

[Alex369]

Originally Posted by APPRF

For the new 126500 Daytona the sought after model will be the black in my opinion. The white Panda 116500 will always be the iconic face for the Daytona for years to come, they ruined the Panda look on the new white 126500.

Beautiful watch, but the upside down numbers on the bezel are not the best. I prefer other iterations...

[Hkspwrsche]

Originally Posted by Fserial

Now this is very subjective but every iconic product evolution arguably reaches its peak when every element is just right and after which further developments are actually deviation from the original formula.
For the Porsche 911 it was the 997 generation.
For the steel Submariner it was 16610.
For the steel GMT-Master it was 16710.

Will the 116500 be remembered as peak iteration for the steel Daytona?

On board with the watches. Prefer vintage in many cases but, I do like the new black Daytona.

993 was the pinnacle of the 911 for me. Equal to the 16610.

997 is not it for me. I’d take a mezger turbo or .2 but not a 997.1. Generally have never had much interest beyond air cooled except the GT4.

[BraveBold]

Agree the 991.1 is a bit of a mess - bloated, comparatively numb steering vs the stellar 997.2 and almost zero performance advantage (same motor!)

The secondary market speaks volumes where mileage to mileage a 997.2 is now trading above 991.1 prices. After the 997.2 it is definitely the 993. Only reason I prefer the 997.2 is you get a meaningful performance bump and in widebody the looks are almost as nice… pure looks 993 wins with 997.2 a close second.

I still don’t see the evidence for the Daytona - I love the 116500ln (and won’t sell mine) but happily will add the new release in white gold. Even the SS model is pretty nice - coin flip?

[BraveBold]

Originally Posted by Pablito

White: 116500
Black: 126500

And as a former Porsche owner, It might sound weird but the 500hp 997.2 GT3 4.0 Is my pinnacle ! :D

Re: Porsche…No doubt. Market agrees too!

You of course mean a 997.2 GT3RS 4.0

[Fserial]

Originally Posted by Fserial

991 is an objectively better car for sure but as far as the original 911 formula goes, one can argue that 997.2 was the last “analog sports car” 911 (size, handling, steering, look, 6-speed MT…) while the 991 is the first GT 911 - which is a deviation from the original formula.
Very similar to GMT-Master evolution to Pepsi 126710 from Pepsi 16710 - it’s an objectively better watch but the case, lugs, crown, bezel just feel too remote from the original…
Too early to tell but it seems like the 126500 (with its reshaped case) is taking the steel Daytona in a similar direction.

Plus, that asymmetric case creates a perfect balance.

[enjoythemusic]

When it is on my wrist, why yes it is 'perfect' :)

[nr1416]

Yes the 116500 is the perfect Daytona and the 993 is the perfect 911....

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[garyk]

Originally Posted by nr1416

Yes the 116500 is the perfect Daytona and the 993 is the perfect 911....

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Hard to argue. Really beautiful car….

[SS Oyster]

Yes




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[Solo118]

I would take any model on my wrist ANY!

However if I had to choose one, not looking at price I think it would be the 116500 in white.

Jury is still out until I see the 126500, and my gut is telling me I am going to love the updated case, and the "ring" will be just fine. I just do not think it can surpass the 116500 in my eyes.

[Driver8]

I think the fact is we can only judge if something has hit it's "peak" when we've actually passed it. Too few people have seen the 126500 in real life to make any valid judgement as to whether it's actually better or worse than the 116500.

Of course current 116500 owners are going to claim till the bitter end that their watch will go down as the greatest iteration ever, but it's really FAR too early to tell.

[Fserial]

Still can’t post a link but if you search YouTube for: In Conversation with Ben Clymer Part II; Going Deeper, Ben Clymer the Collector

Skip to 1:56 - “It’s the perfect Watch and I’m going to keep it for the rest of my life”

He called it!

[Cru Jones]

The 116500 is a beautiful watch and Daytona.

But to say it is the “pinnacle” of modern Daytonas ignores the history of the watch. At best, it is an outlier (but still nice). The 126500’s ring and more refined dial details tie better to the history of Daytonas while featuring all of the modern goodies. For me, it’s the best yet.

[Chadridv]

Originally Posted by padi56

Will the 116500 be remembered as peak iteration for the steel Daytona,well speaking for myself not a fan of the modern day Daytona.It must be the most hyped Rolex watch ever,yes it has a great movement.But if it was not the fact of hype and always been hard to get at retail I would doubt if it would have the status today.Today hype sells watches as many buy to wear the hype and today most of the sports line have become little more than ££$$€€ objects and little more.Take my Daytona 6263 when my father bought his way back in the 1980s ADs could not give them away.They even gave him a discount of £25, he went to buy a Sub but the Daytona was over a hundred pound cheaper. But today most everyone would like to own a Daytona 6263 but now bringing crazy money and no mine is not for sale at any price..

Here we go... You're blindly affected by hype just as much as anyone else, but for you it manifests negatively. Take the context out of it, forget about the history and give us a real opinion for once.

You're not a fan of the modern daytona? Why? Don't say cause it's over hyped, that's not an objective reason.

Your opinion weighs heavy around here and people would love to hear you answer the question. Which daytona IS the peak iteration?

[Mnk47]

Originally Posted by Smurf_75

The new Daytona wears incredibly well.... I fell in love with it at a recent event. As for 911's, the first gen 991 is the dogs danglies. Streets ahead of the 997 and a much nicer car all round.

Is that the 126500?

[Deppe]

I really appreciate symmetry in a chronograph, why I prefer the older style Daytonas where the subdials wasn’t raised, but was perfectly in line with 9 and 3. This is also why I prefer the older Patek chrono’s with the Lemania movements, and (one of the reasons) why I think the Corne de Vache from Vacheron is such a good looking watch.

But that may just be me.

[ol' Rex]

Perfection is different things to different people, but in my opinion, the "perfect steel Daytona" has yet to be released. Basically, it will be a white-faced version of the 126500, but it will be a "true panda" like the old 6263.

That to me would be absolute perfection, but I have the feeling Rolex will keep us waiting for a few years at the very least.

[inadeje]

Originally Posted by Cassidyanne

Aestheticcally speaking, nothing has ever matched these two beauties!!!!

And the 16520....still better looking than the 116500!!

Agree 100% ^^^^^

[rockysw]

For me it is 116500. I bought 116500 after 126500 was realeased after thinking if I should wait for 126500 to hit the market. But after thinking for a while, the choice was clear for me. I dont like the metal ring and I dont like the thinner subdials of 126500.

[zengineer]

I understand liking one thing more than another, but can't get on board with insisting it is the best ever. It's just the one you like.

That's really the most any of us can or should say. I think it got too busy and weird the day they stuck a big ceramic bezel on it.

[douglasf13]

Originally Posted by Fserial

Now this is very subjective but every iconic product evolution arguably reaches its peak when every element is just right and after which further developments are actually deviation from the original formula.
For the Porsche 911 it was the 997 generation.
For the steel Submariner it was 16610.
For the steel GMT-Master it was 16710.

Will the 116500 be remembered as peak iteration for the steel Daytona?

"For the Porsche 911 it was the 997 generation." The first gen 997 still has the IMS and bore scoring issues, and the 997.2 has the tail lights that look like bedazzled True Religion jeans pockets. I think the answer there is the last of the water-cooled 911 cars, the 993.

The 116500, while a great watch, is my least favorite Daytona, aesthetically, and I prefer the newer one quite a bit.

[Armis]

Originally Posted by SS Oyster

Yes



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This makes the point definitively
The 126500 strikes me more as a transitional version, especially given the ring-around-the-bezel. I won’t call it unsightly, but it can have some negative connotations as a design feature. In contrast, the 116500 looks like the more evolved and ‘polished’ final version. Ultimately, the newest version will be a joy for those seeking their first Daytona, but I expect the leaning will be to the black dial version which is more agreeable. For white dial, nothing yet beats 116500.
Again, just individual impressions and opinion in context of this interesting discussion.

[Driver8]

Originally Posted by zengineer

I understand liking one thing more than another, but can't get on board with insisting it is the best ever. It's just the one you like.

Exactly, it's all just personal preference and nothing more.

[Gazoak]

Originally Posted by nr1416

Yes the 116500 is the perfect Daytona and the 993 is the perfect 911....

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Your 993 is lovely but why did they insist on those horrible rubber inserts for the American market? It needs a European bumper.

[Tricolore66]

G-body was the definitive 911!

Originally Posted by Fserial

Now this is very subjective but every iconic product evolution arguably reaches its peak when every element is just right and after which further developments are actually deviation from the original formula.
For the Porsche 911 it was the 997 generation.
For the steel Submariner it was 16610.
For the steel GMT-Master it was 16710.

Will the 116500 be remembered as peak iteration for the steel Daytona?

[douglasf13]

Originally Posted by Hurricane

991 was definitely peak Porsche 911 - it was actually lighter in weight than the 997 and has the most perfect Porsche shape to date.

The weight is about the same. The 991 had electronic steering, a longer wheelbase and was more refined overall…all of which I generally wouldn’t want in a car like a 911, unless I was using it as a commuter or GT car. I do think the 991 is probably better looking.

Ultimately, I tend to prefer the older the better when it comes to Rolex, but I like the new Daytona much more than the previous one. The original ceramic bezel looked weird to me.

[Fserial]

Ablogtowatch dot com: “The asymmetrical design, the delicate shape of the lugs, case profile, and hour markers, the monoblock and unframed ceramic bezel, the perfect overall proportions of the steel Daytona — not one of these are watch design elements that happen by chance, not at this level, anyway. And yet, all of these deliberate and calculated elements of refinement have been undone without any historical or practical justification.”

[Andad]

I like this one:

[CarlOver]

For some, yes. For many, no.

[Recaro18]

16520 in my book…matte dial just hits differently!




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