On 10 June 2023, at the Circuit de la Sarthe, Rolex unveiled a Cosmograph Daytona made for the 100th anniversary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Collectors also know this Rolex Daytona Le Mans simply as the Le Mans Daytona. At first, the original was 18 ct white gold, reference 126529LN. Then a yellow gold version, the 126528LN, followed in 2024, and finally an Everose gold version, the 126525LN, in 2025.
All three also share the details that make this Daytona unlike any other: a chronograph that counts to 24 hours, a red 100 on the bezel and a black dial with white counters. First, here is what makes the Le Mans special, and then how the three versions compare.
What makes the Le Mans Daytona different
First, start with the counter at 9 o’clock. While on a regular Daytona it totals the chronograph’s elapsed hours up to 12, on the Rolex Daytona Le Mans it runs to 24, marked 6, 12, 18 and 24, so the chronograph can time the full length of the race it celebrates.
Then comes the bezel. It is black Cerachrom, Rolex’s ceramic, carrying a tachymetric scale, and Rolex also fills the number 100 on that scale with red ceramic in homage to the race’s centenary. Also, a slim band of gold that matches the case frames it.
Finally, the dial is what Rolex calls bright black and intense white. For example, the glossy black dial has recessed white counters without the contrasting rings found on other Daytonas, and DAYTONA arcs in red above the counter at 6 o’clock. However, Rolex says only that one of its earlier dials inspired the design. Collectors, by contrast, see the vintage “exotic” Daytona dials in it.
Calibre 4132: a chronograph built for a 24-hour race
Next, the 24-hour counter of the Rolex Daytona Le Mans comes from calibre 4132, which Rolex reserves for this model. It is also based on calibre 4131, the movement in the current Daytona. Instead of one wheel, Rolex fitted a patented reducer of seven parts that works like a differential and halves the speed of the gears driving the hour counter’s hand. Meanwhile, the rest of the movement’s layout is unchanged, and Rolex says performance is unaffected.
In addition, the rest is what you would expect of a modern Rolex chronograph. First, it is self-winding, with a power reserve of about 72 hours. Inside, you also find the Chronergy escapement, a blue Parachrom hairspring and Paraflex shock absorbers, and Rolex certifies the watch as a Superlative Chronometer, accurate to within two seconds a day after casing.
Unlike most Daytonas, the Le Mans has a sapphire case back, so the movement is on show. For example, on the white gold 126529LN it reveals a cut-out rotor in 18 ct yellow gold and bridges decorated with Côtes de Genève.
The three golds compared
| 126529LN | 126528LN | 126525LN | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | 18 ct white gold | 18 ct yellow gold | 18 ct Everose gold |
| First seen | June 2023, at Le Mans | April 2024 | 2025 |
| Status | Discontinued in April 2024 | Discontinued in 2025 | In production in 2026 |
| Case | 40 mm, sapphire case back | 40 mm, sapphire case back | 40 mm, sapphire case back |
| Bezel | Black Cerachrom, red 100, white gold band | Black Cerachrom, red 100, yellow gold band | Black Cerachrom, red 100, Everose gold band |
Rolex Daytona Le Mans: dial, movement and bracelet
| 126529LN | 126528LN | 126525LN | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hands and hour markers | White gold | Yellow gold | Everose gold |
| Dial | Black, white counters, red DAYTONA | Black, white counters, red DAYTONA | Black, white counters, red DAYTONA |
| Movement | Calibre 4132 | Calibre 4132 | Calibre 4132 |
| Bracelet | Oyster, white gold | Oyster, yellow gold | Oyster, Everose gold |
| Water resistance | 100 m | 100 m | 100 m |
In other words, everything that defines the Rolex Daytona Le Mans is shared. What changes, however, is the gold, which runs from the case and bracelet to the band around the bezel and the hands and hour markers. For instance, white gold is the quietest of the three, almost steel-like against the black dial. Yellow gold, meanwhile, is the most traditional, while Everose, Rolex’s own pink gold alloy, is the warmest.
Three versions, one after another
First, Rolex showed the original Rolex Daytona Le Mans, the white gold 126529LN, at the race in June 2023 and listed it in its catalogue until April 2024, when it discontinued the reference. Then the yellow gold 126528LN appeared that same month without an announcement, and Rolex discontinued it in 2025. Finally, the Everose 126525LN followed in 2025, also without an announcement, and it remains in production in 2026. However, neither of these two has ever appeared in Rolex’s online catalogue. Also, none of the three is a limited edition, and Rolex has not published production numbers.
Rolex, the Daytona and Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans was first run on 26 and 27 May 1923, so the 2023 race marked 100 years. It was only the 91st running, because some years had no race. Rolex has been the race’s Official Timepiece since 2001, the year the Daytona became its official watch. Moreover, each year the overall winners receive an engraved Cosmograph Daytona.
However, the connection between Rolex and Le Mans goes back further than the Rolex Daytona Le Mans itself. For instance, in 1979 Paul Newman, whose name collectors later gave to the vintage Daytona’s exotic dials, shared a Porsche 935 with Dick Barbour and Rolf Stommelen at Le Mans. They finished second overall and first in their class, in his only start there.
How to spot a Le Mans Daytona
First, check the counter at 9 o’clock: if it reads to 24, it is a Rolex Daytona Le Mans. Next, the red 100 on the bezel and the red DAYTONA above the 6 o’clock counter confirm it. Finally, Rolex’s other gold Daytonas with a black ceramic bezel come on an Oysterflex bracelet, while the Le Mans pairs that bezel with a full gold Oyster bracelet.
Rolex Daytona Le Mans: frequently asked questions
It is a Cosmograph Daytona that Rolex unveiled on 10 June 2023 for the 100th anniversary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It also has a chronograph that counts to 24 hours, a red 100 on the bezel and a black dial with white counters.
There are three: the white gold 126529LN from 2023, the yellow gold 126528LN from 2024 and the Everose gold 126525LN from 2025. The Everose version, however, remains in production in 2026.
It uses calibre 4132, which is based on calibre 4131 and adds a patented reducer of seven parts so the hour counter runs to 24. It is also self-winding, with a power reserve of about 72 hours.
First, check the counter at 9 o’clock: if it reads to 24, it is a Le Mans. Then look for the red 100 on the bezel and the red DAYTONA above the 6 o’clock counter.
Also, for the steel Daytona, see what changed between the 116500LN and 126500LN.
Interested in a Le Mans Daytona?
Each version also has its own page on our site: the white gold 126529LN, the yellow gold 126528LN and the Everose 126525LN. To ask about any of them, call us at 1-800-654-7184 or send an inquiry. You can also see every Daytona we offer on our Rolex Daytona page.
