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Daytona · 2016 to 2023 (green dial) · Discontinued

Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Yellow Gold 116508

“John Mayer”

64SCORE / 100
C
Grade C: wear it, don't flip itToday's call · Watch
Short termunder 1 yearWeakMid term1 to 3 yearsFairLong term3+ yearsFair

Rank #88 of 113 rated pieces in the Rolex Vault

Retail (2023)$41,150
Typical sale today$64,600Typical range $58,800 to $70,400
Vs retail+57%
1-yearn/a

Market range centered on the median of 4 recorded eBay sales in the last 12 months (thin data, treat as a guide).

Open in the interactive VaultLive eBay listings ↗︎

Market price history

Retail $41,150 20182020202220242026 $65,500

Average market price for an example in excellent condition. Dashed line marks the 2023 retail price.

Investment scorecard

Momentum50Measured price direction: the median recorded sale of the last 4 months against the median of 8 to 12 months ago. 50 means flat; small samples are pulled toward 50.
Liquidity24How easily it sells: recorded sales in the last 12 months (300 or more scores 100) and eBay's 90-day sell-through rate.
Scarcity99Demand against supply. For modern pieces, how far the market sits above or below current retail, plus a lift if production has ended. For vintage, how rarely one comes up for sale.
Value entry50Where the latest quarter's median sale sits inside its own 3-year range. Buying near the low scores high; buying at the high scores low.
Condition safety65How safe a typical example is: the age of the design, plus how tightly sale prices cluster (a wide spread means condition and originality swing the price).

The story

A gold Daytona whose green dial took off after John Mayer championed it; it has since traded near six figures.

The green dial was quietly dropped in 2023, locking the supply forever. The ultimate case study in celebrity plus discontinuation.

Yellow gold Daytona with a green dial: a configuration popularized by John Mayer, who featured it on Hodinkee's Talking Watches. It became a thing; the green dial now carries a six-figure ask some weeks.

The lesson collectors took: in modern Rolex, dials make fortunes. The non-green dials of this same reference trade for a fraction, same case, same movement, different paint.

Our verdict: Already a legend, trading far above its retail. Liquid for a gold watch, and the green dial premium looks permanent.

Configurations

Sizes40mm
Case & bracelet18k yellow gold
Factory braceletOyster
Factory bezelsYellow gold engraved tachymeter
Notable dialsGreen (the 'John Mayer', discontinued); Champagne; Black
Caliber4130
Production2016 to 2023 (green dial) (discontinued)

Recent recorded sales

SoldExamplePrice
Sep 29, 2026Pre-owned · eBay sale ↗︎$60,000
Jun 9, 2026Pre-owned · eBay sale$65,505
Feb 7, 2026Pre-owned · eBay sale$64,600
Jan 2, 2026Pre-owned · eBay sale$80,997

Recorded eBay completed sales, logged at our last data refresh.

If you like this one

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Quick answers

How much is a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Yellow Gold 116508 worth?

Recorded eBay sales from the last 12 months put the typical Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Yellow Gold 116508 at $64,600, with the middle half selling between $58,800 and $70,400 (4 sales). Condition, box and papers move the price within that range.

Does the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Yellow Gold 116508 sell above retail?

Yes. The typical sale of $64,600 is about 57% above the $41,150 retail (2023).

Is the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Yellow Gold 116508 a good investment?

The Crown Index grades it C (64/100) from real resale data, and today's call is watch. Middle-of-the-pack resale; fine to own, not one to buy expecting it to rise. Past prices are not a forecast.