Cazador

Rolex · Family: Daytona

Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 126503 Rolesor

The Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 126503 is the Rolesor execution — a combination of Oystersteel and 18ct yellow gold — of Rolex's benchmark chronograph, with a 40mm case, a yellow gold bezel with an engraved tachymetric scale, and a black dial with gold-ringed counters. It runs the in-house Caliber 4131, with roughly 72 hours of power reserve, the movement Rolex introduced in the Daytona family's full 2023 overhaul. Cazador has no verified price observations yet for this reference. Its differential: it's the fifth Daytona reference Cazador's catalog carries, and the first two-tone (yellow Rolesor) execution.

Specifications

Case diameter
40 mm
Case material
Oystersteel and 18ct yellow gold (yellow Rolesor)
Movement
Caliber 4131, manufacture, automatic, chronograph
Power reserve
~72 hours
Bezel
18ct yellow gold, engraved tachymetric scale
Dial
Black, gold-ringed counters
Crystal
Sapphire
Bracelet
Oyster in Rolesor, three-piece solid links, Oysterlock clasp
Water resistance
100 m / 330 ft
Certification
Superlative Chronometer
Caliber overhaul
2023 (Caliber 4131 replaces the 4130, in production since 1988)

Price & trend

Insufficient data

0 of 5 price observations needed to show a reliable range

Insufficient data: 0 price observations recorded as of today. Cazador does not estimate or infer a range without our own verified market data.

History

The Cosmograph Daytona was born in 1963 as a tool watch for racing drivers, taking its name from Daytona Beach, Florida, home of the 24 Hours of Daytona, a race Rolex has sponsored since 1962. The Rolesor execution — Rolex's term for its Oystersteel-and-18ct-gold combinations — has accompanied the Daytona family for decades as a middle ground between full steel and solid gold.

In 2023, Rolex overhauled the Daytona family: a new in-house Caliber 4131 replaced the 4130 (in production since 1988 and progressively refined through 2023), alongside a redesigned case with a slightly different lug profile and a reworked tachymetric bezel. Reference 126503 belongs to that generation, with a 40mm case in Oystersteel and 18ct yellow gold.

The bezel, in solid yellow gold with the tachymetric scale engraved directly into the metal — unlike the Cerachrom ceramic bezels Rolex reserves for other executions in the family — pairs with a black dial whose three chronograph counters are ringed in gold, a color contrast that has been a constant across the Daytona's Rolesor and gold executions for generations.

Caliber 4131 improves precision and time-setting mechanics over its predecessor, while keeping roughly 72 hours of power reserve and the Superlative Chronometer certification Rolex applies after the movement is cased, on top of COSC standards.

This is the fifth Daytona reference Cazador adds, after the Oystersteel, platinum, and solid yellow-gold versions already in the catalog, and the first in the two-tone Rolesor combination.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a used Rolex Daytona 126503 cost?

Cazador has no verified price observations for this reference (n=0 as of today). We do not publish estimates without our own sourced market data.

What does "Rolesor" mean on a Rolex?

It's Rolex's term for cases and bracelets that combine Oystersteel with 18ct gold. On the 126503, it's yellow Rolesor, with a matching yellow gold bezel.

What changed in the Daytona's caliber in 2023?

Rolex replaced Caliber 4130 (in production since 1988) with the new in-house Caliber 4131, improving precision and time-setting mechanics while keeping roughly 72 hours of power reserve.

How does the 126503 differ from the Oystersteel Daytona?

The 126503 combines Oystersteel with 18ct yellow gold on case, bezel, and bracelet (Rolesor), while the full-Oystersteel version (126500LN) uses a Cerachrom ceramic bezel instead of engraved gold.

What power reserve does Caliber 4131 offer?

Roughly 72 hours, in line with the previous Caliber 4130, but with refined time-setting mechanics and precision.

Is the Daytona 126503 suitable for diving?

It has 100 meters of water resistance, enough for swimming and everyday wear, but the Daytona is a motorsport chronograph, not a technical dive watch like the Submariner or Sea-Dweller.

What does Superlative Chronometer certification mean?

It's Rolex's own quality control, applied after the movement is cased, requiring precision beyond the COSC standard for Swiss watchmaking.

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