Reference:116523 - Revision history

Admin: Resize hero: 340px -> 250px

2026-04-30T04:20:46Z

Resize hero: 340px -> 250px

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:20, 30 April 2026
Line 17:		Line 17:
	The 116523 is the Rolesor (steel-and-gold) Daytona of Rolex's first in-house chronograph generation. Steel case, 18k yellow gold bezel, steel-and-gold Oyster bracelet, caliber 4130 inside. It launched at Baselworld 2000 alongside the steel [[Reference:116520\|116520]] and the full yellow gold 116528, ran for sixteen years, and gave way to the Cerachrom-bezel 116503 in 2017. The 116523 is the steel-bracelet workhorse's dressier sibling: the same cal 4130 architecture in a finish meant for a different wrist.		The 116523 is the Rolesor (steel-and-gold) Daytona of Rolex's first in-house chronograph generation. Steel case, 18k yellow gold bezel, steel-and-gold Oyster bracelet, caliber 4130 inside. It launched at Baselworld 2000 alongside the steel [[Reference:116520\|116520]] and the full yellow gold 116528, ran for sixteen years, and gave way to the Cerachrom-bezel 116503 in 2017. The 116523 is the steel-bracelet workhorse's dressier sibling: the same cal 4130 architecture in a finish meant for a different wrist.

	[[File:Ref 116523 hero.webp\|thumb\|right\|~~340px~~\|alt=Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 116523 — two-tone Rolesor\|Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 116523 — two-tone Rolesor]]		[[File:Ref 116523 hero.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 116523 — two-tone Rolesor\|Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 116523 — two-tone Rolesor]]

	<span id="core-facts"></span>		<span id="core-facts"></span>

Admin: Category casing fix per audit. Normalize: working-draft → Working Draft; Explorer-Ii → Explorer II; Oyster-Perpetual → Oyster Perpetual; Daytona Manual-wind → Daytona Manual-Wind; Daytona In-house Gen 1 → Daytona In-House Gen 1. Drop redundant Category:References (not part of convention; family-and-status categories are sufficient).

2026-04-29T19:56:49Z

Category casing fix per audit. Normalize: working-draft → Working Draft; Explorer-Ii → Explorer II; Oyster-Perpetual → Oyster Perpetual; Daytona Manual-wind → Daytona Manual-Wind; Daytona In-house Gen 1 → Daytona In-House Gen 1. Drop redundant Category:References (not part of convention; family-and-status categories are sufficient).

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:56, 29 April 2026
Line 189:		Line 189:
	* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra		* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra

	[[Category:Daytona In-~~house~~ Gen 1]]		[[Category:Daytona In-House Gen 1]]
	[[Category:Daytona]]		[[Category:Daytona]]
	[[Category:Drafted]]		[[Category:Drafted]]

Admin: SEO: og:image + image_alt + og_type + timestamps

2026-04-29T03:18:34Z

SEO: og:image + image_alt + og_type + timestamps

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:18, 29 April 2026
Line 8:		Line 8:
	\|og_type=article		\|og_type=article
	\|published_time=2026-04-19T13:52:19Z		\|published_time=2026-04-19T13:52:19Z
	\|modified_time=2026-04-29T02:31:~~48Z~~		\|modified_time=2026-04-29T02:45:57Z
	\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large		\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
	}}		}}

Admin: SEO: og:image + image_alt + og_type + timestamps

2026-04-29T02:45:57Z

SEO: og:image + image_alt + og_type + timestamps

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:45, 29 April 2026
Line 8:		Line 8:
	\|og_type=article		\|og_type=article
	\|published_time=2026-04-19T13:52:19Z		\|published_time=2026-04-19T13:52:19Z
	\|modified_time=2026-04-~~27T04~~:32:~~52Z~~		\|modified_time=2026-04-29T02:31:48Z
	\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large		\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
	}}		}}

Admin: SEO: og:image + image_alt + og_type + timestamps

2026-04-29T02:31:48Z

SEO: og:image + image_alt + og_type + timestamps

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:31, 29 April 2026
Line 1:		Line 1:
	{{#seo:		{{#seo:
	\|title=Rolex 116523 — BezelBase		\|title=Rolex 116523 Daytona — Production, Dial Variants, Serial Ranges \| BezelBase
	\|description=The 116523 is the two-tone Rolesor expression of the in-house Daytona generation. Steel case, 18k yellow gold bezel, steel-and-gold Oyster bracelet, cal…		\|description=The 116523 is the two-tone Rolesor expression of the in-house Daytona generation. Steel case, 18k yellow gold bezel, steel-and-gold Oyster bracelet, cal…
	\|keywords=Rolex, 116523, Daytona, specifications, reference guide		\|keywords=Rolex, 116523, Daytona, specifications, reference guide
Line 8:		Line 8:
	\|og_type=article		\|og_type=article
	\|published_time=2026-04-19T13:52:19Z		\|published_time=2026-04-19T13:52:19Z
	\|modified_time=2026-04-~~24T19~~:41:~~22Z~~		\|modified_time=2026-04-27T04:32:52Z
	\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large		\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
	}}		}}

Admin: Strip Chevalier (Colin A. White is not a pseudonym; remove confusing label)

2026-04-27T04:32:52Z

Strip Chevalier (Colin A. White is not a pseudonym; remove confusing label)

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:32, 27 April 2026
Line 187:		Line 187:
	* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/vintage-rolex-daytona-the-gold-standard Vintage Rolex Daytona: The Gold Standard] — Karyn Orrico, Sotheby's		* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/vintage-rolex-daytona-the-gold-standard Vintage Rolex Daytona: The Gold Standard] — Karyn Orrico, Sotheby's
	* [https://www.vintagewatchstraps.com/ Vintage Watch Straps — Rolex bracelet and clasp reference] — David Boettcher, vintagewatchstraps.com		* [https://www.vintagewatchstraps.com/ Vintage Watch Straps — Rolex bracelet and clasp reference] — David Boettcher, vintagewatchstraps.com
	* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White ~~(pseudonym: Chevalier)~~, Morning Tundra		* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra

	[[Category:Daytona In-house Gen 1]]		[[Category:Daytona In-house Gen 1]]
	[[Category:Daytona]]		[[Category:Daytona]]
	[[Category:Drafted]]		[[Category:Drafted]]

Admin: SEO: og:image + image_alt + og_type + timestamps

2026-04-27T04:01:52Z

SEO: og:image + image_alt + og_type + timestamps

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:01, 27 April 2026
Line 3:		Line 3:
	\|description=The 116523 is the two-tone Rolesor expression of the in-house Daytona generation. Steel case, 18k yellow gold bezel, steel-and-gold Oyster bracelet, cal…		\|description=The 116523 is the two-tone Rolesor expression of the in-house Daytona generation. Steel case, 18k yellow gold bezel, steel-and-gold Oyster bracelet, cal…
	\|keywords=Rolex, 116523, Daytona, specifications, reference guide		\|keywords=Rolex, 116523, Daytona, specifications, reference guide
			\|image=Ref 116523 hero.webp
			\|image_alt=Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 116523 — two-tone Rolesor
	\|type=article		\|type=article
			\|og_type=article
			\|published_time=2026-04-19T13:52:19Z
			\|modified_time=2026-04-24T19:41:22Z
			\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
	}}		}}

Admin: Trim another tier of dense reference prose

2026-04-24T19:41:22Z

Trim another tier of dense reference prose

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:41, 24 April 2026
Line 68:		Line 68:
	Production runs from 2000 to 2016: sixteen continuous years on a single reference number. The watch tracks the same revisions as the steel 116520 across that span. There is no distinct 116523 generation chronology, only the shared cal 4130 platform with Rolesor finishing.		Production runs from 2000 to 2016: sixteen continuous years on a single reference number. The watch tracks the same revisions as the steel 116520 across that span. There is no distinct 116523 generation chronology, only the shared cal 4130 platform with Rolesor finishing.

	The serial ~~format transitions from~~ letter-prefix ~~to random alphanumeric in~~ mid-2010, ~~the cutover~~ that ~~affected the entire Rolex catalogue~~. Pre-2010 examples carry the conventional letter prefix; from mid-2010 onward, the serial is an eight-character random alphanumeric string with no public year mapping. See [[Reference:Serial-numbers]] for the full key. Documented examples span the run: a P-~~serial from 2000 (Sotheby's records the yellow gold 116528 sibling at case P421022 in the same year)~~, ~~a circa-2001 example in the 2019 Sotheby's Capsule Collection, a~~ V-~~serial from circa 2011 in the April 2020 Sotheby's Watches Weekly Hong Kong catalogue~~, and a G-serial ~~from circa 2010 documented as~~ the ~~2011 GT Champion presentation watch~~.		The serial story is simple: letter-prefix through mid-2010, random after that. The documented P-, V-, and G-serial examples are enough to anchor the reference across the run.

	The lume changes mid-life along with the rest of the cal 4130 family. Early 116523 production carries Luminova; Super-Luminova replaces it within the first few years; Chromalight arrives later in the run. The exact cutover years are debated and published sources do not converge on specific dates. Every 116523 sits on the post-tritium side of the 1998–2000 cutover that ended radioactive lume on Rolex Sport models.		The lume changes mid-life along with the rest of the cal 4130 family. Early 116523 production carries Luminova; Super-Luminova replaces it within the first few years; Chromalight arrives later in the run. The exact cutover years are debated and published sources do not converge on specific dates. Every 116523 sits on the post-tritium side of the 1998–2000 cutover that ended radioactive lume on Rolex Sport models.
Line 138:		Line 138:
	The bracelet reference is 78493, the steel-and-yellow-gold Oyster Rolesor SEL (solid end links) bracelet that ran the full 2000–2016 production span. The 78493 is the Rolesor sibling of the steel 116520's 78490: the same SEL Oyster construction, the same Easylink-equipped Oysterlock clasp, but with the centre links machined in 18k yellow gold rather than steel. End links are integral to the bracelet, not a separable stamped piece, which is why the 116523 sits flat against the lugs in a way the older 16523 with separable end-pieces does not.		The bracelet reference is 78493, the steel-and-yellow-gold Oyster Rolesor SEL (solid end links) bracelet that ran the full 2000–2016 production span. The 78493 is the Rolesor sibling of the steel 116520's 78490: the same SEL Oyster construction, the same Easylink-equipped Oysterlock clasp, but with the centre links machined in 18k yellow gold rather than steel. End links are integral to the bracelet, not a separable stamped piece, which is why the 116523 sits flat against the lugs in a way the older 16523 with separable end-pieces does not.

	The 78490 / 78690 ~~attribution~~ dispute ~~that runs across~~ the ~~steel 116520 literature applies~~ in parallel form ~~to the Rolesor reference~~. ~~Aggregator listings have at various points cross-referenced both 78493 and other Rolesor SEL part numbers to~~ the ~~116523. The canonical correction belongs to~~ the 116520 ~~article; see [[Reference~~:~~116520]] for~~ the ~~full treatment of the steel sibling's bracelet identification dispute. The Rolesor 78493 reading~~ is the ~~working consensus across specialist listings and reference compendia rather than~~ a primary-source ~~confirmation. A Rolex catalogue entry or a boxed-set caseback paper would put the question to bed~~.		The 78490 / 78690 bracelet dispute carries into the Rolesor reference in parallel form. The practical reading remains the same as on the 116520: the consensus number is the one to follow unless a stronger primary-source piece appears.

	The clasp is the modern Oysterlock with Easylink 5mm comfort extension, a lever-and-keeper inside the clasp body that gives a five-millimetre micro-adjustment without tools. Easylink arrived on the cal 4130 generation around 2002 to 2003; the earliest 116523 production carried the Oysterlock without it. The clasp blade carries a year code — single letter through 2010, then a random three-character alphanumeric from 2011 — and on SEL bracelets the date code, part number, and Rolex crown are stamped into the underside of the end link itself rather than the clasp blade alone. See [[Reference:Bracelets]] for the full date-code key.		The clasp is the modern Oysterlock with Easylink 5mm comfort extension, a lever-and-keeper inside the clasp body that gives a five-millimetre micro-adjustment without tools. Easylink arrived on the cal 4130 generation around 2002 to 2003; the earliest 116523 production carried the Oysterlock without it. The clasp blade carries a year code — single letter through 2010, then a random three-character alphanumeric from 2011 — and on SEL bracelets the date code, part number, and Rolex crown are stamped into the underside of the end link itself rather than the clasp blade alone. See [[Reference:Bracelets]] for the full date-code key.

Admin: Trim another small batch of dense reference prose

2026-04-24T16:38:33Z

Trim another small batch of dense reference prose

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:38, 24 April 2026
Line 129:		Line 129:
	The 116523 case is steel — the same forging as the 116520 — with an 18k yellow gold engraved tachymetre bezel screwed to it and a gold-plated Triplock crown. The bezel is the visible Rolesor mark on this reference: the steel 116520 carries a steel tachymetre bezel; the 116523 carries the same bezel topography in solid 18k yellow gold. No aluminium insert, no ceramic. Cerachrom did not arrive on the Daytona until the 2016 116500LN line, so every 116523 wears the engraved gold bezel through its full run.		The 116523 case is steel — the same forging as the 116520 — with an 18k yellow gold engraved tachymetre bezel screwed to it and a gold-plated Triplock crown. The bezel is the visible Rolesor mark on this reference: the steel 116520 carries a steel tachymetre bezel; the 116523 carries the same bezel topography in solid 18k yellow gold. No aluminium insert, no ceramic. Cerachrom did not arrive on the Daytona until the 2016 116500LN line, so every 116523 wears the engraved gold bezel through its full run.

	Case dimensions follow the 116520 closely. The practical point is ~~not the catalog number versus caliper measurement, but~~ that this is the same in-house-era Daytona case in a ~~two-tone~~ finish.		Case dimensions follow the 116520 closely. The practical point is simply that this is the same in-house-era Daytona case in a Rolesor finish.

	<span id="bracelets-end-links-and-clasps"></span>		<span id="bracelets-end-links-and-clasps"></span>
Line 164:		Line 164:
	== Historical market and auction record ==		== Historical market and auction record ==

	Sotheby's has catalogued the 116523 across the run, which is enough to anchor the ~~watch~~ from launch to late production. The GT Champion watch ~~remains~~ the ~~branch example~~ that gives the ~~reference~~ more than just ~~catalog depth~~.		Sotheby's has catalogued the 116523 across the run, which is enough to anchor the reference from launch to late production. The GT Champion watch is the piece that gives the branch more than just routine auction coverage.

	The Rolesor 116523 trades at a meaningful discount to its yellow gold sibling. Revolution's 2017 coverage of the Eric Clapton 116528 sale at Bishop & Miller and Bonhams documented the yellow gold reference at a GBP 15,000 secondhand market floor at that time; the Rolesor 116523, with steel rather than solid-gold mass, has historically traded below that figure on the secondary market. Lot results vary year to year and are best read in current auction catalogues rather than fixed in a static article.		The Rolesor 116523 trades at a meaningful discount to its yellow gold sibling. Revolution's 2017 coverage of the Eric Clapton 116528 sale at Bishop & Miller and Bonhams documented the yellow gold reference at a GBP 15,000 secondhand market floor at that time; the Rolesor 116523, with steel rather than solid-gold mass, has historically traded below that figure on the secondary market. Lot results vary year to year and are best read in current auction catalogues rather than fixed in a static article.

Admin: Trim another tier of dense reference prose

2026-04-24T16:34:07Z

Trim another tier of dense reference prose

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:34, 24 April 2026
Line 129:		Line 129:
	The 116523 case is steel — the same forging as the 116520 — with an 18k yellow gold engraved tachymetre bezel screwed to it and a gold-plated Triplock crown. The bezel is the visible Rolesor mark on this reference: the steel 116520 carries a steel tachymetre bezel; the 116523 carries the same bezel topography in solid 18k yellow gold. No aluminium insert, no ceramic. Cerachrom did not arrive on the Daytona until the 2016 116500LN line, so every 116523 wears the engraved gold bezel through its full run.		The 116523 case is steel — the same forging as the 116520 — with an 18k yellow gold engraved tachymetre bezel screwed to it and a gold-plated Triplock crown. The bezel is the visible Rolesor mark on this reference: the steel 116520 carries a steel tachymetre bezel; the 116523 carries the same bezel topography in solid 18k yellow gold. No aluminium insert, no ceramic. Cerachrom did not arrive on the Daytona until the 2016 116500LN line, so every 116523 wears the engraved gold bezel through its full run.

	Case dimensions ~~are 40mm marketed, with the same caveat as~~ the 116520~~: Fratello's Ben Hodges measured a steel 116520 case at 38~~.~~5mm with calipers and published~~ the ~~figure in 2021~~, ~~attributing the discrepancy to Rolex case-machining tolerances. The 116523 shares~~ that ~~steel forging and inherits~~ the same ~~nameplate~~-~~versus~~-~~measured gap. Lug-to-lug is documented at 46mm~~ in the Wind Vintage 2011 GT Champion 116523 listing. The crystal is flat sapphire with no Cyclops; the running-seconds sub-dial sits at six o'clock. The Triplock crown handles 100m water resistance. Screw-~~down pushers sit on either side of the crown and must be unscrewed before the chronograph can be started, the same trade-off the rest of the 116520-generation carries for the case's water rating~~.		Case dimensions follow the 116520 closely. The practical point is not the catalog number versus caliper measurement, but that this is the same in-house-era Daytona case in a two-tone finish.

	<span id="bracelets-end-links-and-clasps"></span>		<span id="bracelets-end-links-and-clasps"></span>
Line 164:		Line 164:
	== Historical market and auction record ==		== Historical market and auction record ==

	Sotheby's has catalogued the 116523 ~~with auction-grade text on at least three lots~~ across the ~~production~~ run. The 2019 Sotheby's Daytona Capsule Collection — a curated thirteen-watch retrospective in New York — included a circa-2001 white-dial 116523 with yellow gold luminous-marker surrounds and champagne sub-registers, estimated USD 12,000–18,000. The April 2020 Sotheby's Watches Weekly Rolex / AP sale in Hong Kong catalogued a circa-2011 116523, case V282357, with an anthracite sunburst dial, estimated HKD 90,000–130,000. Together the ~~two lots bracket the production run~~ from launch to ~~near-end with auction-house catalogue text~~. The ~~2011~~ GT Champion ~~116523 sits as~~ the ~~documented prize-watch~~ example~~, sold NOS by Wind Vintage with full box, papers, and engraved caseback~~.		Sotheby's has catalogued the 116523 across the run, which is enough to anchor the watch from launch to late production. The GT Champion watch remains the branch example that gives the reference more than just catalog depth.

	The Rolesor 116523 trades at a meaningful discount to its yellow gold sibling. Revolution's 2017 coverage of the Eric Clapton 116528 sale at Bishop & Miller and Bonhams documented the yellow gold reference at a GBP 15,000 secondhand market floor at that time; the Rolesor 116523, with steel rather than solid-gold mass, has historically traded below that figure on the secondary market. Lot results vary year to year and are best read in current auction catalogues rather than fixed in a static article.		The Rolesor 116523 trades at a meaningful discount to its yellow gold sibling. Revolution's 2017 coverage of the Eric Clapton 116528 sale at Bishop & Miller and Bonhams documented the yellow gold reference at a GBP 15,000 secondhand market floor at that time; the Rolesor 116523, with steel rather than solid-gold mass, has historically traded below that figure on the secondary market. Lot results vary year to year and are best read in current auction catalogues rather than fixed in a static article.