Few modern references carry the gravity of the white-dial Cosmograph Daytona 116500LN — the “Panda”, in the shorthand of collectors. Introduced in 2016 and retired in 2023 in favour of the 126500LN, it closed the chapter on the calibre 4130 era and promptly became one of the most requested watches on earth, with waiting lists at authorised dealers stretching beyond plausibility.

This 2022 example is exactly what we look for in the reference: crisp casework with its factory bevels intact, an unblemished black Cerachrom bezel, and the full set of box and guarantee card that a serious Daytona should never be separated from. The contrast of lacquered white dial against black counters remains, to our eye, the definitive expression of the model — the reason this configuration commands a premium over its black-dial sibling.

The Daytona needs no introduction and very little argument. It is the sports chronograph against which all others are measured, and the discontinued 116500LN in this condition is a watch to keep.

Worn sparingly and kept as part of a private Dubai collection. The case retains its factory proportions and finishing, with only the faintest signs of handling under a loupe. The bracelet is tight, with no discernible stretch. Never polished.