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Rolex Cosmograph Daytona
Ref. 116598SACO
Sits in Rolex’s upper tier here — more premium than three quarters of the Rolex watches we list, which start at £6,150.
Price range £6,150 to £125,000 across 41 Rolex watches in stock.The Leopard Daytona sits outside the standard catalogue — a commission-level piece that Rolex produces in very limited numbers for its most dedicated clients. Where the regular Daytona in yellow gold is already an exercise in restraint relative to the movement inside it, this reference abandons restraint entirely: 36 baguette-cut cognac sapphires ring the fixed bezel, 48 brilliant-cut diamonds fill the end links where case meets strap, and the lacquered dial carries a symmetrical leopard pattern punctuated by eight diamond hour markers. It is coherent rather than chaotic — the yellow gold, the cognac stone, the printed strap and the yellow dial are all pulling in the same direction. What anchors it is the calibre 4130 beneath. Launched in 2000 and built entirely in-house, it uses a vertical clutch that eliminates the hand-jump common in older column-wheel designs and makes the chronograph start feel immediate and clean. The 72-hour reserve means the watch can sit unworn over a long weekend without needing to be wound before it goes back on. The movement is as serious as the exterior is extravagant, which is what stops the whole thing from reading as costume.
- Reference
- 116598SACO
- Brand
- Rolex
- Collection
- Daytona
- Case size
- 40mm
- Case thickness
- 12.2mm
- Lug width
- 20mm
- Case material
- Gold
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Yellow
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bezel
- Fixed
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- 4130
- Functions
- Chronograph, Small seconds
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Yellow
- Clasp
- Deployant clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 50.6mm
- Power reserve
- 72 hours
- Gem set
- Yes
Learn more about Rolex
Hans Wilsdorf founded Wilsdorf & Davis in London in 1905 with his brother-in-law Alfred Davis, importing Swiss movements and casing them in England. He registered the name Rolex in 1908 — short, pronounceable in any language, and easy to fit on a dial.
Wilsdorf's conviction was that the wristwatch, then regarded as a woman's ornament and hopelessly fragile, could be made accurate and durable. He proved the first half in 1910 by obtaining the first chronometer certification for a wristwatch, and the second in 1926 with the Oyster case, sealed by a screw-down crown and caseback. Mercedes Gleitze swam the Channel wearing one in 1927, and Wilsdorf bought the front page of the Daily Mail to say so — arguably the first modern watch marketing campaign.
The Perpetual rotor followed in 1931, giving automatic winding in a form the whole industry eventually copied. The company relocated to Geneva during the First World War to escape British wartime duties.
The professional models arrived in a compressed burst in the 1950s: Submariner, Explorer, GMT-Master, Milgauss, and later the Daytona. Each was built for a specific job — diving, exploration, aviation, laboratory work, racing — and each became a design template.
Wilsdorf left his shares to a private foundation on his death, so Rolex answers to no shareholders. It remains the largest producer of certified chronometers in Switzerland by a wide margin.
- 1905
- Hans Wilsdorf founds Wilsdorf & Davis in London.
- 1908
- The Rolex name is registered.
- 1926
- The Oyster case introduces genuine water resistance.
- 1931
- The Perpetual rotor brings modern automatic winding.
- 1953
- The Submariner and Explorer launch.
- 1963
- The Cosmograph Daytona arrives.
Also in 4 collections
This watch appears in Automatic Watches (1,699), Chronograph Watches (1,374), Leather Strap Watches (1,083) and Solid Gold Watches (138).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 100m water resistance covers swimming and watersports
- 40mm suits most wrists
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- 72-hour reserve survives a weekend off the wrist
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Worth knowing
- Leather does not suit regular contact with water
Rolex Cosmograph Daytona alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 116598SACO | GC8.0-RG-06 | pfc912-1020001-100182 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £99,950 | £76,920 | £62,800 |
| Case size | 40mm | 39mm | 40mm |
| Water resistance | 100m | 100m | 100m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Leather strap | Rubber strap | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Power reserve | 72 hours | — | 60 hours |
| This watch |
|
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Yes. At 100m it is rated for swimming and snorkelling, though not for diving.
Will the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Does it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
How long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 72 hours fully wound — enough to sit off the wrist over a weekend and still be running.
What size strap does it take?
20mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 50.6mm, which suits wrists from roughly 17.5cm (7 inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as unisex, and at this size it suits any wrist that takes the dimensions.
Cheapest place to buy
Goldsmiths is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference new, at £99,950. There is nothing to compare it against today.
Who are Goldsmiths?
Goldsmiths has been selling watches in Britain since 1778 and is part of the Watches of Switzerland Group, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange. They are an authorised dealer, so a watch comes with the manufacturer’s own warranty.
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