SJX Watches
Rolex Introduces the Cosmograph Daytona “Le Mans” Ref. 126529LN
Having surprised everyone with the Perpetual 1908, “Bubbles”, and “Puzzles”, Rolex continues to do the unexpected. Launched to mark the 100th year of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Cosmograph Daytona ref. 126529 LN is a new model based on the latest-generation Daytona launched earlier this year. But the Daytona “Le Mans” is not merely a facelifted chronograph but contains the cal. 4132. The new movement swaps out the conventional 12-hour counter at nine for a 24-hour register in a nod to the famous endurance race that Rolex has sponsored for over two decades. But perhaps most pertinent for enthusiasts are sub-dials, which are modelled on the vintage Daytona “Paul Newman”. And while availability for the Daytona “Le Mans” will be limited, at least initially, it is a regular-production model that will be available at retailers and boutiques. Initial thoughts A new Daytona with a new movement is big news not because it’s majorly different – this is still very much a Daytona – but because Rolex rarely introduces new models outside of the annual watch fair in Switzerland. And when it does, the watch tends to be a surprise in more ways than one. The new Daytona is actually new, largely because contains a new calibre, a simple variation of the current Daytona movement, but one that is mechanically different nonetheless. The movement reflects the Rolex approach to engineering that does nothing in half measures. Even though the cal. 4132 inside the Daytona ...
