Rolex · Cosmograph Daytona and Submariner Date
Rolex 126500LN vs Rolex 126610LN
11 published specifications differ between these two, and 4 are identical. Every figure below is what the manufacturer states for that reference; nothing is inferred from the other watch.
What differs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Case | Oyster, 40 mm, Oystersteel. Monobloc middle case, screw-down case back and winding crown | Oyster, 41 mm, Oystersteel. Monobloc middle case, screw-down case back and winding crown |
| Diameter | 40 mm | 41 mm |
| Water resistance | Waterproof to 100 metres / 330 feet | Waterproof to 300 metres / 1,000 feet |
| Crystal | Scratch-resistant sapphire | Scratch-resistant sapphire, Cyclops lens over the date |
| Bezel | Black monobloc Cerachrom bezel in ceramic with moulded tachymetric scale | Unidirectional rotatable 60-minute graduated, scratch-resistant Cerachrom insert in black ceramic, numerals and graduations coated in platinum |
| Dial | White, black counter rings, with highly legible Chromalight display with long-lasting blue luminescence | Black, with highly legible Chromalight display with long-lasting blue luminescence |
| Clasp | Folding Oysterlock safety clasp with Easylink 5 mm comfort extension link | Folding Oysterlock safety clasp with Rolex Glidelock extension system |
| Calibre | Calibre 4131, manufacture Rolex | Calibre 3235, Manufacture Rolex |
| Movement | Perpetual, mechanical chronograph, self-winding; bidirectional self-winding via Perpetual rotor | Perpetual, mechanical, self-winding; bidirectional self-winding via Perpetual rotor |
| Power reserve | Approximately 72 hours | Approximately 70 hours |
| Movement notes | Precision −2/+2 sec/day after casing. Small seconds at 6 o'clock, 30-minute counter at 3, 12-hour counter at 9. Paramagnetic blue Parachrom hairspring with Paraflex shock absorbers. | Precision −2/+2 sec/day after casing. Paramagnetic blue Parachrom hairspring with high-performance Paraflex shock absorbers. Instantaneous date with rapid setting and stop-seconds. |
What is identical
Worth knowing as much as the differences: these are the specifications you cannot use to tell the two apart.
- Case back
- Screw-down
- Crown
- Screw-down, Triplock triple waterproofness system
- Bracelet
- Oyster, three-piece solid links, Oystersteel
- Certification
- Superlative Chronometer (official chronometer certification + Rolex certification after casing)
What the differences cost you
Each note below follows from the published figures in the tables above — what they mean for intake, for a listing, and for the handover. Nothing here estimates a price or a margin.
Do not describe these the same way
300 metres on the 126610LN against 100 on the 126500LN — not a variation on the same watch but a different class of one, built around a case and crystal designed for depth. Expect different buyers, different questions, and a different service conversation. Never carry the 126610LN's rating into the 126500LN's listing.
Different movements to verify and to service
The 126500LN runs the Calibre 4131, manufacture Rolex and the 126610LN the Calibre 3235, Manufacture Rolex. Two consequences at intake: the service history that is normal for one calibre is not evidence about the other, and the calibre is the check that catches a movement swapped into the wrong case. Confirm the movement matches the reference rather than assuming it from the dial.
What to check on each
126500LN
- Examine the tachymetric scale closely. Rolex moulds it into the ceramic rather than printing it, so the markings are part of the bezel — anything that looks applied, painted or shallow is not right.
- Run the chronograph through start, stop and reset several times and confirm all three counters return precisely to zero. A hand that stops short or overshoots is a service item, not a setting quirk.
- Unscrew and re-seat both pushers as well as the crown. On a screw-down chronograph the pushers are part of the seal, and cross-threaded pushers are common on watches used by people in a hurry.
126610LN
- Check the platinum coating in the bezel numerals under magnification. Rolex coats the graduations in platinum, and wear or inconsistency there is a strong signal the insert is not original.
- Work the Glidelock extension through its full range of settings and confirm each position locks positively. It is a mechanism, it is used constantly, and a worn one is immediately obvious to a buyer.
- Verify the crown screws down cleanly onto the Triplock system. A crown that binds or will not seat is the single most consequential fault on a 300-metre case.
Sources
- Rolex official product page for reference 126500LN (Cosmograph Daytona; Oyster 40 mm; Oystersteel) - Model case: Oyster; 40 mm; Oystersteel; Oyster architecture: monobloc middle case; screw-down case back and winding crown; Diameter: 40 mm; Material: Oystersteel; Bezel: black monobloc Cerachrom bezel in ceramic with moulded tachymetric scale; Winding crown: screw-down with Triplock triple waterproofness system; Crystal: scratch-resistant sapphire; Water resistance: waterproof to 100 metres / 330 feet; Movement: perpetual; mechanical chronograph; self-winding; Calibre: 4131; manufacture Rolex; Precision: -2/+2 sec/day after casing; Functions: centre hour and minute hands; small seconds hand at 6 o'clock; chronograph via centre seconds hand; 30-minute counter at 3 o'clock and 12-hour counter at 9 o'clock; stop seconds for exact time setting; Oscillator: paramagnetic blue Parachrom hairspring with high-performance Paraflex shock absorbers; Winding: bidirectional self-winding via Perpetual rotor; Power reserve: approximately 72 hours; Bracelet: Oyster; three-piece solid links; Oystersteel; Clasp: folding Oysterlock safety clasp with Easylink 5 mm comfort extension link; Dial: white with black counter rings and highly legible Chromalight display with long-lasting blue luminescence; Certification: Superlative Chronometer (official chronometer certification plus Rolex certification after casing) — retrieved 2026-09-22
- Rolex official product page for reference 126610LN (Submariner Date; Oyster 41 mm; Oystersteel) - Model case: Oyster; 41 mm; Oystersteel; Oyster architecture: monobloc middle case; screw-down case back and winding crown; Diameter: 41 mm; Material: Oystersteel; Bezel: unidirectional rotatable 60-minute graduated; scratch-resistant Cerachrom insert in black ceramic with numerals and graduations coated in platinum; Winding crown: screw-down with Triplock triple waterproofness system; Crystal: scratch-resistant sapphire with Cyclops lens over the date; Water resistance: waterproof to 300 metres / 1000 feet; Movement: perpetual; mechanical; self-winding; Calibre: 3235; Manufacture Rolex; Precision: -2/+2 sec/day after casing; Functions: centre hour; minute and seconds hands; instantaneous date with rapid setting; stop-seconds for precise time setting; Oscillator: paramagnetic blue Parachrom hairspring with high-performance Paraflex shock absorbers; Winding: bidirectional self-winding via Perpetual rotor; Power reserve: approximately 70 hours; Bracelet: Oyster; three-piece solid links; Oystersteel; Clasp: folding Oysterlock safety clasp with Rolex Glidelock extension system; Dial: black with highly legible Chromalight display with long-lasting blue luminescence; Certification: Superlative Chronometer (official chronometer certification plus Rolex certification after casing) — retrieved 2026-09-22
Not affiliated with Rolex. Specifications are read from each manufacturer's own published documentation on the dates shown and may change; the manufacturer's current documentation governs.