The $49.5 Million Rolex Four Seasons Daytonas, and How to Read Your Own Daytona
What sold at Phillips in September 2026, then a dealer's guide to rare Daytona dials, reference numbers, prices, redials and selling.
The Rolex Four Seasons Daytonas in brief:
- Four one-off gem-set Daytonas, one per season, sold by Phillips in London on 28 September 2026.
- Total £37.3 million, reported as $49.4 to $49.5 million, for the Federer Foundation and Re:wild.
- The dials are natural stone (chrysoprase, turquoise, mookaite, blue opal), not meteorite.
- For your own Daytona, value comes from the reference, the dial, the metal, condition and papers.
In this article
Latest, October 2026: the Four Seasons sale
On 28 September 2026, Phillips sold four one-off Rolex Cosmograph Daytonas in London for Rolex's first charity auction. Aurel Bacs took the bids.
The set was named the Four Seasons, one watch per season, and was developed with Rolex ambassadors Roger Federer and Leonardo DiCaprio, as JCK reported in September 2026.
Proceeds are split evenly between the Federer Foundation and Re:wild.
Source: Phillips sale announcement.
| Watch | Reference | Case | Dial and counters | Sold for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | 126595 SARO | 18ct Everose gold | Turquoise dial, heart of ruby counters | £10.3 million (about $13.65 million) |
| Autumn | 126598 TML | 18ct yellow gold | Mookaite dial, chrysoprase counters | £10.2 million (about $13.52 million) |
| Winter | 126596 SABV | 950 platinum | Blue opal dial, lapis lazuli counters | £10 million (about $13.25 million) |
| Spring | 126599 SAVL | 18ct white gold | Chrysoprase dial, lepidolite counters | £6.8 million (about $9.01 million) |
Total: £37.3 million, reported as $49.4 to $49.5 million. Results from SJX Watches and Man of Many (sterling) and Bob's Watches (dollars), 29 to 30 September 2026. The dollar total differs between outlets because of the exchange rate.
Stone dials, not meteorite
The dials are cut from natural stone, not meteorite: chrysoprase on Spring, turquoise on Summer, mookaite on Autumn and blue opal on Winter.
Each bezel carries 36 trapeze-cut stones: purple sapphires on Spring, pink sapphires on Summer, green tourmalines on Autumn and sapphires shading from blue to fuchsia on Winter. Another 54 brilliant-cut diamonds sit on the lugs and crown guards.
Inside is the current Daytona movement, calibre 4131, with about 72 hours of power reserve.
SJX Watches reported the £37.3 million total as the largest ever for a charity watch auction, above the US$31 million paid for the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime ref. 6300A in 2019. More than 40 telephone bidders registered.
Does it change what your Daytona is worth?
Not directly. These were four unique watches sold for charity, and the price reflects that.
A production Daytona is valued on its reference, dial, metal, condition and papers, and on what comparable watches have sold for recently. We do not publish predictions.
What the sale does is put rare dials in the news, and rare dials are where Daytona prices really separate.
Rare Daytona dials, explained
Each rare dial has one check worth knowing before you buy or sell. The most famous first:
The "exotic" dial of the 1960s and 70s, on manual-wind refs such as 6239, 6241, 6263 and 6265: Art Deco numerals on the counters, counters in a contrasting colour, and small squares at the ends of the counter markers. Paul Newman made it famous, and his own ref. 6239 sold for $17.8 million at Phillips in New York in October 2017. It is the most faked and redialled Daytona dial of all.
Meteorite
Slices of the Gibeon meteorite from Namibia, etched to show a crystal grid called the Widmanstätten pattern. No two are alike. Rolex uses it on gold and platinum Daytonas only, such as refs 116519, 116518, 116509 and 116515 (Bob's Watches).
Check: a steel Daytona with a meteorite dial did not leave Rolex that way.
Stone
Thin slices of hardstone, such as sodalite, chrysoprase and opal, on gold and platinum Daytonas, including the Four Seasons. A 116519 with a blue sodalite dial, made around 2003, sold for HK$441,000 at Phillips Hong Kong against an estimate of HK$160,000 to 250,000.
Check: natural stone varies; the printing should not.
Gem-set
Diamond or coloured stone hour markers, bezels and lugs, set by Rolex. The reference carries a letter suffix, such as SACO (cognac sapphires) or TBR (diamonds).
Check: the papers should show the suffix. Stones added later cut the value.
Rainbow
Rolex launched the Rainbow in 2012: 36 baguette-cut sapphires graded through the colours of the spectrum on the bezel, on gold references with the suffix RBOW. Sotheby's sold a yellow gold Rainbow, ref. 116598RBOW, for HK$2,432,000 in April 2026.
Check: even colour steps all the way round, and matched hour markers.
Racing
Our own 116519 has the Racing dial: Arabic numerals and red accents, a variant Rolex made for only part of the reference's run.
Check: as with every rare dial, the premium depends on the dial being original. A redial or service replacement removes most of it.
For the coloured stones themselves, see our sapphire guide and coloured gemstones at auction in 2026.
How to read a Daytona reference number
The reference is engraved between the lugs at 12 o'clock and printed on the papers. It tells you the generation, the metal and often the bezel or stones. Fix the generation first:
In production
Dates from Phillips: the Daytona arrived in 1963; the 16520 of 1988 to 2000 used calibre 4030, derived from the Zenith El Primero; Rolex's own calibre 4130 followed in 2000, and calibre 4131 in 2023.
Then read the last digit, which gives the metal:
| Last digit | Metal | Daytona example |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Stainless steel | 126500LN |
| 3 | Steel and yellow gold (Yellow Rolesor) | 116503 |
| 5 | 18ct Everose gold | 126595 SARO (Summer) |
| 6 | 950 platinum | 126596 SABV (Winter) |
| 8 | 18ct yellow gold | 126598 TML (Autumn) |
| 9 | 18ct white gold | 116519, our watch on this page |
Letters and suffixes
The same code runs across Rolex. This Submariner is ref. 16613: the final 3 means steel and yellow gold.
Letters after the number describe the bezel or stones: LN for a black bezel (lunette noire), RBOW for the Rainbow, SACO for cognac sapphires, TBR for diamonds.
A watch whose dial, stones or bezel do not match its reference has been changed after it left Rolex.
The gold marks
Gold Daytonas are marked on the clasp too. On our 116519: the Rolex cartouche, Geneva Swiss Made, 750 for 18ct gold and the Swiss hallmarks.
For more on gold marks, see how to tell if a watch is solid gold.
What drives Daytona prices
The watch in our photographs
Every photograph of a Daytona on this page is of one watch we have handled: a ref. 116519 in 18ct white gold from 2002 to 2003, with the black Racing dial, calibre 4130, a rubber strap with its white gold folding clasp, the box, manuals and a 2023 service card.
See what is in stock on our watches and luxury watches pages.
What decides the price of any Daytona, in order of weight:
- Reference and generation. Manual-wind, 16520, 1165xx and 1265xx Daytonas are different markets. Vintage exotic dials sit at the top.
- Dial. The biggest single factor. Rare, original dials carry the premium.
- Metal and stones. Steel, gold and platinum are priced differently; factory gem-setting has to be documented to count.
- Condition. Sharp, unpolished case edges and original hands, bezel and pushers.
- Box and papers. Matching papers, the original box and service records make a watch easier to sell and worth more.
- Provenance. A famous first owner can multiply the price, as Paul Newman's 6239 showed.
For current values across the range, see our Rolex value guide and the vintage Rolex market in 2026. For other Rolex, read the Rolex Padellone explained, vintage gold Rolex models and the discontinued Pepsi GMT; for another chronograph, our Omega Speedmaster value guide.
Own a Daytona? Get a free quote
Fakes and redials: what to check
A Daytona is the most copied Rolex chronograph, and rare dials are the most copied part of it. A redial is a genuine dial that has been repainted, or a dial from another watch. Work from the front to the back:
The dial and bezel
- 1. Printing. Sharp, even letters. Fuzzy or misaligned printing is the commonest sign of a redial.
- 2. Counters. From 2000 on: seconds at 6, 30 minutes at 3, 12 hours at 9. Start the chronograph and check each one.
- 3. Lume and hands. They should have aged together. Fresh lume on an old dial means changed parts.
- 4. Inner ring. Modern Rolex engrave the rehaut with the name and, at 6, the serial.
- 5. Bezel. Deep, evenly spaced numbers in the right typeface. Replacements are common.
Crown and pushers
6. Screw-down pushers and crown guards should fit snugly and match the case metal. Then open it: the movement is the final word.
The caseback
It should be plain and smooth. The platinum ref. 126506 of 2023 is the first Daytona with a glass display back, so a see-through back on any other Daytona is a warning.
Serial, papers and service parts
The serial number on the case should match the papers. Rolex service centres fit replacement dials and hands; these are genuine but worth less to collectors, so keep any parts you are given back.
Selling a Daytona: how we can help
- Send photos
The dial straight on, the case at an angle, the caseback, the clasp and any box and papers. Use the form below or our free valuation form.
- Get an offer
We check the reference, the dial, the movement and the case, and reply with a figure, usually within 24 hours. No obligation.
- Send or bring it
Fully insured postage or collection, or an appointment at our Mayfair showroom, 47 Maddox Street, or in Braintree, Essex.
- Get paid
Bank transfer the same day we receive and check the watch.
Before you sell
Do not polish a Daytona or have the dial refinished before you sell it. Original dials and sharp case edges are what buyers pay for.
Call 01376 334482 or message us on WhatsApp.
More: sell your Rolex, sell a vintage watch, sell a gold watch, sell any watch and where to sell a watch.
Request your Daytona valuation
- The Four Seasons were four unique Daytonas with stone dials, sold for £37.3 million for charity.
- Rare dials (exotic, meteorite, stone, gem-set, Rainbow) are what separate Daytona prices.
- The reference tells you the generation, the metal and the stones; the dial must match it.
- Never polish or refinish a Daytona before selling; originality is the value.
Questions we are asked
What are the Rolex Four Seasons Daytonas?
Four one-off gem-set Cosmograph Daytonas, one per season, with natural stone dials: Spring in white gold, Summer in Everose gold, Autumn in yellow gold and Winter in platinum. Phillips sold them in London on 28 September 2026 for Rolex's first charity auction.
How much did the Four Seasons Daytonas sell for?
£37.3 million in total, reported as $49.4 to $49.5 million. Summer made £10.3 million, Autumn £10.2 million, Winter £10 million and Spring £6.8 million. Proceeds went to the Federer Foundation and Re:wild.
Do the Four Seasons Daytonas have meteorite dials?
No. Their dials are natural stone: chrysoprase, turquoise, mookaite and blue opal. Rolex uses Gibeon meteorite on some gold and platinum Daytonas, such as refs 116519, 116518, 116509 and 116515.
What is a Paul Newman Daytona?
A vintage manual-wind Daytona with the "exotic" dial: Art Deco numerals on contrasting counters with small square markers. Paul Newman's own ref. 6239 sold for $17.8 million at Phillips in New York in October 2017.
How do I read a Daytona reference number?
The first digits give the generation (1165xx for 2000 to 2023, 1265xx from 2023), the last digit gives the metal (0 steel, 5 Everose, 6 platinum, 8 yellow gold, 9 white gold) and any letters describe the bezel or stones.
How can I tell if a Daytona dial has been redialled?
Look for soft or uneven printing, lume that does not match the hands, and a dial that does not suit the reference. A specialist will confirm it with the movement and papers.
Does the $49.5 million sale make my Daytona worth more?
Not directly. Unique charity pieces are a separate market. Your watch is valued on its reference, dial, metal, condition, papers and recent comparable sales.
Do you buy Rolex Daytonas?
Yes, modern and vintage, with or without box and papers. Send photos for a free valuation, or book an appointment in Mayfair or Braintree.
Selling a Rolex Daytona?
Send photos of the dial, case, caseback and any papers. We buy modern and vintage Rolex directly, and the valuation is free.
- We buy directly
- Free valuation from photos
- Appointments in Mayfair and Braintree
- Insured postage or collection
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