Rolex just released a new Cosmograph Daytona on the centenary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans race

Rolex has been the Official Partner and Timepiece of 24 Hours of Le Mans for over two decades. Thus, it comes as no surprise that the brand would release a commemoratory timepiece to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the prestigious endurance motor race. Given that this is Rolex, it is even less surprising that said watch is no cursory tribute: The new Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona “Le Mans” bears aesthetic details and a new movement that embraces the spirit and heritage of the race.

Making up for the lack of a white gold model in the 2023 Cosmograph Daytona lineup unveiled earlier in March, this new 40cm timepiece features a black Cerachrom bezel with a red 100 numeral on its tachymetric scale to mark Le Mans’ milestone year. It also comes with a “reverse panda” dial (black with white subdials) and other details (like the indices of the subdial counters) that Rolex fans have lost no time associating with the Daytonas of the 1960s. The vintage watches were affectionately nicknamed the Paul Newman Daytonas, for the late actor-turned-racer was often photographed with the timepiece on his wrist. It’s a fitting tie-back to the history of Le Mans: Newman participated in the 1979 race with a Porsche 935 that saw him finish second overall and first in his class.

Yet, as pleasing as the watch’s sleek, monotone looks are, it is perhaps the watch’s interior that will get the adrenaline pumping. The Cosmograph Daytona “Le Mans” is equipped with the new self-winding calibre 4132, an adaptation of calibre 4131 that was introduced earlier this year, but with one significant difference: The ability to count the hours of the chronograph over 24 hours, instead of the usual 12.

This is thanks to a chronograph function with an integrated gear reduction system (or epicyclic reducer). This patented mechanism, comprising just seven components, halves the rotational speed of the gear train that turns the chronograph’s hour hand, allowing it to make one rotation over 24 hours. With no other changes to the movement’s architecture (the epicyclic reducer merely replaces the transmission wheel), calibre 4132 delivers the same performance as promised by its precursor and comes complete with several Rolex-patented technologies. The movement’s nickel-phosphorus Chronergy escapement is resistant to strong magnetic fields. Its blue Parachrom hairspring in a paramagnetic alloy offers considerable stability even with temperature variations, while a Rolex overcoil ensures regularity in any position. The oscillating weight is fitted with an optimised ball-bearing for maximum efficiency, and the oscillator is mounted on Rolex’s Paraflex shock absorbers for heightened shock resistance.

To top it all off, calibre 4132 also features the new finishes and decorations that embellish calibre 4131, not least in the form of the Rolex Côtes de Genève — the brand’s reinterpretation of the lauded watchmaking decoration that sees a polished groove appearing between each band. All of this can be admired through the sapphire caseback, which was only introduced into the collection earlier this year on the platinum model (ref. 126506) to celebrate the Cosmograph Daytona’s 60th anniversary.

Offering the same guarantee of 100m waterproofness and an approximate 72-hour power reserve, this “Le Mans” edition takes its place in the Cosmograph Daytona pantheon with the confidence that it gets hearts racing — in all the right ways.