A short run, a long queue
By Julien Moreau, Geneva ยท
Rolex discontinuing a watch after so short a run is rare enough that the announcement read to me like a dare.
The Le Mans was made in 2023 to mark the centenary of the 24 Hours race, which first ran in 1923, and the sixtieth anniversary of the Daytona. It is a white gold Daytona with a white dial and black counters in the manner of the 1960s exotic dials, a black ceramic bezel with the 100 printed in red, and an Oysterflex strap. The real interest is the movement: the 4132, a variant of the 4131 with a 24-hour totaliser, so the chronograph can time the full length of the race. It sits behind an open caseback, unusual for a Daytona. The case is 40 mm by 12.4 mm, with 72 hours of reserve and 100 m of water resistance.
The criticism is the obvious one. At fifty-one to fifty-three thousand dollars the list price was always more theoretical than real, and the watch now trades at a figure I will not repeat. It will be a collector's piece of some importance. Whether that makes it a watch you should wear is another matter, though I would, if I had one, and probably to the races.
If you are a Rolex collector who already has the steel Daytona, it is an interesting addition. If you are not, the yellow gold Daytona on rubber is the more practical choice.