Collectors have debated the white-dial 116500 versus the black-dial version since Rolex launched both in 2016, and this replica Daytona 116500 white represents the side that keeps winning the argument in resale markets. The white dial paired with the black ceramic bezel creates maximum contrast: the Cerachrom tachymeter ring frames a bright, open face that makes the three subdials pop with definition. Every detail reads clearly because of that black-on-white layering.

Build Details

• Case diameter: 40mm
• Case material: Oystersteel
• Bezel: black Cerachrom ceramic with platinum-coated numerals
• Crystal: sapphire, flat (no Cyclops)
• Bracelet: Oyster, brushed center links with polished edges
• Movement: automatic chronograph
• Water resistance: 100m
• Dial: white lacquer with black subdial rings

The white lacquer surface has a slight warmth to it rather than clinical sterility. Applied hour markers sit on top of the dial, catching light at angles that add dimension.

What Collectors Notice

The “Panda” nickname comes from the white face with black subdial registers, a combination that echoes vintage Daytona references from the 1960s and 1970s. Rolex brought this aesthetic into the modern era with the ceramic bezel, creating a watch that nods to history while using current materials. The subdial at 6 o’clock sits just above the “Cosmograph” text, maintaining vertical symmetry. For a two-tone alternative on the same platform, the 116509 in white gold shares the same spirit in a different metal. Both live within the Daytona catalog, but the steel Panda remains the volume favorite.

This vs Other Versions

Against the black-dial 116500, the white version tends to look slightly larger on the wrist because bright surfaces reflect more light and draw the eye outward. Against the silver dial, it reads as crisper and more graphic. The Panda configuration has appeared in nearly every era of the Cosmograph, and each generation reinterprets it with the materials of its time. This replica Daytona 116500 white continues that tradition with ceramic and Oystersteel.