Rolex Daytona Yellow Gold · Reference 116508
Rolex Daytona Yellow Gold 116508
Known as Yellow Gold Daytona; the green-dial version is the "John Mayer" Daytona
The reference 116508 is the solid 18k yellow gold Cosmograph Daytona, 40mm, introduced by Rolex in 2016 and produced through 2023. It is the last yellow gold Daytona built on the classic 40mm case profile with the caliber 4130, before Rolex replaced it in 2023 with the 126508 running the caliber 4131. The 116508 shipped on a solid yellow gold Oyster bracelet and was offered across a wide dial menu over its run: gloss black, gloss white, champagne, champagne with black registers, and, from 2020, the metallic green sunburst dial that collectors know as the "John Mayer" after the musician talked it up in a widely watched interview. That green dial is the one everyone chases now, and it is the reference that moves the market. We see all of these across the counter on 47th Street, and the green is the one that turns heads on the sell side.
Produced: 2016 to 2023. The green sunburst "John Mayer" dial (116508-0013) arrived in 2020. Discontinued in 2023 and succeeded by the 126508 on the caliber 4131.
In stock at Ultimate Diamond
3 pieces on the counter right now.
Specifications
- Case Material
- 18k yellow gold, monobloc middle case with screw-down case back
- Case Diameter
- 40mm
- Bezel
- Fixed 18k yellow gold bezel with engraved tachymetric scale
- Crystal
- Flat scratch-resistant sapphire
- Dial
- Multiple factory variants: gloss black, gloss white, champagne, champagne with black sub-dials, and the metallic green sunburst "John Mayer" (116508-0013); diamond, mother-of-pearl, and meteorite dial versions also exist
- Movement
- Rolex caliber 4130, self-winding mechanical chronograph, manufactured in-house
- Movement Architecture
- Column wheel and vertical clutch; 201 components, fewer than a conventional automatic chronograph
- Frequency
- 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
- Power Reserve
- Approximately 72 hours
- Hairspring
- Blue Parachrom hairspring, resistant to shock and temperature variation
- Chronograph
- Center chronograph seconds; 30-minute and 12-hour counters at 3 and 9; running seconds at 6
- Crown And Pushers
- Screw-down Triplock winding crown; screw-down chronograph pushers
- Water Resistance
- 100 meters (330 feet)
- Bracelet
- Solid 18k yellow gold Oyster bracelet with Oysterlock folding safety clasp and Easylink 5mm comfort extension
- Certification
- Superlative Chronometer, officially certified
Market & Value
Original Rolex retail on the 116508 was around $37,700 at launch. The secondary market has run well past that. Standard dials, black, white, and champagne, generally trade in the $50,000 to $60,000 range depending on year, condition, and whether the full set is intact. The green "John Mayer" dial is the outlier: unworn and complete examples commonly change hands from roughly $70,000 into the six figures, with the strongest full-set pieces pushing $90,000 to $100,000 and above. Two things drive that spread. First, this is solid yellow gold, so there is real intrinsic metal value under the premium. Second, the green dial has become a modern icon with a celebrity story behind it, and it is now discontinued, so supply only tightens from here. Prices came off the 2022 peak like most of the market, but the green has held its status better than most gold sport Rolex. When we write a check on one of these, we are pricing the exact dial, the year, box and papers, and the condition of the gold, not a chart average.
What to Know Before You Buy
Buy the dial, not just the reference. A black or champagne 116508 and a green 116508 are the same case, same caliber, same bracelet, but they are two different markets with a wide gap between them, so confirm the dial code before you talk price. The green dial is 116508-0013. Watch for polished-away hallmarks and thinned lugs; solid gold is soft and over-polishing kills value fast, so lug thickness and crisp bevels matter more here than on a steel Daytona. Full set counts: original box, warranty card, and hang tags meaningfully move the number on the green in particular. The caliber 4130 is a genuinely reliable movement with a 72-hour reserve and a Parachrom hairspring, and it is well supported, so a serviced example with clean records is worth paying up for. Finally, know that the 116508 is now one generation back: the current 126508 uses the caliber 4131 and carries the newer Rolex crown clasp. That does not hurt the 116508's collectibility, and for the green dial it arguably helps, since the original-run 116508-0013 is the one with the story.
Buying or selling a 116508?
Ultimate Watch buys and sells the reference 116508 every week on 47th Street. We are a family-owned house that has been at 19 W 47th St since 1959, and we write checks on solid gold Daytonas as buyers, not just quote them as onlookers. If you have a 116508, especially the green "John Mayer" dial, bring it in and we will inspect the gold, verify the dial code, weigh the metal, and make you a real cash offer on the spot. If you are looking to buy one, tell us the exact dial you want and we will source it. Bring it in, call us, or request an offer.