I have a soft spot for pink gold chronograph watches. The marriage of a masculine chronograph silhouette with a feminine pink gold shade is incredibly appealing to me. And in terms of luxury pink gold chronographs, it doesn’t get much better than an Everose gold Rolex Daytona. As you may already know, Everose is Rolex’s proprietary rose gold alloy that promises to never fade. It’s made from a secret blend (forged at Rolex’s in-house foundry, no less) of gold, copper, and platinum to achieve its signature luster and everlasting color.
Rolex does not just offer one Everose gold Daytona reference, but in fact, two of them: Daytona ref. 116505 and Daytona ref. 116515. (Side note: there’s also the highly collectible Rainbow Daytona ref. 116595RBOW. However, this spectacular bejeweled chronograph isn’t part of the regular Rolex catalog but rather a special gem-set model produced in very small quantities.) Between the two of them, I have my favorite pick but let’s review the Everose gold Rolex Daytona 116505 vs. 116515 models to see which one will be at the top of your watch wish list.
Click here for our Ultimate Buying Guide on the Rolex Daytona.
Everose Gold Rolex Daytona Quick Specs
Daytona 116505
- Production Years: 2008 – Present
- Case: 40mm, 18k Everose gold; Screw-down chronograph pushers; screw-down Triplock winding crown
- Bezel: 18k Everose gold; Tachymeter engraved; Fixed
- Dial: Pink gold (a.k.a. sundust), chocolate brown, ivory, meteorite; with or without diamond indexes
- Crystal: Sapphire
- Lume: Chromalight
- Bracelet: 18k Everose gold Oyster bracelet
- Caliber: 4130 automatic movement with 70-hour power reserve
- Water-Resistance: 100 meters (330 feet)
Daytona 116515 (a.k.a. 116515LN)
- Production Years: 2011 – Present
- Case: 40mm, 18k Everose gold; Screw-down chronograph pushers; screw-down Triplock winding crown
- Bezel: Black Cerachrom ceramic; Tachymeter engraved; Fixed
- Dial: Pink gold (a.k.a. sundust), chocolate brown, ivory, meteorite; with or without diamond indexes
- Crystal: Sapphire
- Lume: Chromalight
- Bracelet/Strap: Black leather strap (discontinued) or black rubber Oysterflex bracelet
- Caliber: 4130 automatic movement with 70-hour power reserve
- Water-Resistance: 100 meters (330 feet)
Everose Gold Rolex Daytona Timeline
- 2005: Rolex introduces Everose, a proprietary rose gold alloy
- 2008: Rolex introduces the first Everose gold Daytona with reference 116505
- 2011: Rolex introduces the Everose gold Daytona ref. 116515 with a black Cerachrom bezel and leather strap
- 2015: Rolex redefined the Superlative Chronometer certification to −2/+2 seconds per day
- 2017: Rolex replaces the leather strap of the Daytona ref. 116515 with a rubber Oysterflex bracelet
- 2018: Rolex introduces the Rainbow Daytona ref. 116595RBOW with multicolored sapphire-set bezel
- 2021: Rolex rolls out meteorite dials for the Daytona ref. 116505 and ref. 116515
Rolex Daytona 116505 vs. 116515
Rolex Daytona 116505 vs. 116515 Similarities
- 18k Everose gold 40mm case with screw-down pushers and crown
- Sapphire crystal
- Chromalight lume
- Dial colors
- Caliber 4130
Rolex Daytona 116505 vs. 116515 Differences
- Everose gold bezel vs. Cerachrom bezel
- Gold Oyster bracelet vs. Oysterflex rubber bracelet or leather strap
About The Everose Gold Rolex Daytona Models
In 2005, Rolex presented a patented rose gold alloy called Everose gold. With a mix of gold, copper, and platinum, Rolex claims that Everose will outlast standard rose gold in terms of color and luster. Since then, the Swiss watchmaking giant has dished out plenty of Everose gold models and in 2008, the very first Everose gold Daytona joined the collection – the ref. 116505.
Like other modern Daytona watches, the Everose gold Daytona ref. 116505 sports a 40mm case fitted with screw-down chronograph pushers and a screw-down winding crown. On top of the 18k Everose gold case of the Daytona 116505 is a matching Everose gold bezel, engraved with the handy tachymeter scale. There are a few dial colors to choose from including black, ivory, rose gold, and chocolate brown; some even boast baguette diamond hour markers. The dial layout retains the familiar Daytona face with the trio of registers at 3, 6, and 9. Finishing off the look of the ultra-lavish Everose Daytona ref. 116505 is a full Everose gold Oyster bracelet, complete with solid center links.
2005 was a big year for Rolex material innovation, as that was the same year that the brand unveiled Cerachrom – a proprietary ceramic alloy that is both scratch and fade resistant. In 2011, Rolex paired Everose and Cerachrom on its flagship chronograph watch to give us the Daytona ref. 116515.
Everose Gold Daytona Cerachrom Bezel
Instead of an engraved pink gold bezel, the Everose Daytona ref. 116515 features a black Cerachrom ceramic bezel with Everose gold markings. Dial shade choices are similar to the Daytona 116505 but bracelet options are vastly different. Rather than a gold Oyster bracelet, the Daytona 116515 was first fitted with a leather strap equipped with a solid Everose gold deployant clasp. However, in 2017, Rolex replaced the leather strap with yet another invention, the Oysterflex bracelet (also with a solid Everose gold deployant clasp). The Oysterflex bracelet may look like a rubber strap but it is actually a metal blade covered in black elastomer.
In 2021, Rolex announced new dial meteorite dials for both the 116505 and 116515 Daytona models. In my opinion, the textured space rock surface contrasts beautifully with the warm rose color of the Everose case.
Of course, like all contemporary versions of Rolex’s iconic chronograph, both versions of the Everose Daytona run on Rolex’s famous in-house Caliber 4130 automatic chronograph movement with 72 hours of power reserve. Furthermore, both references are water-resistant to 100 meters (330 feet) thanks in part to the Triplock screw-down winding crown and chronograph pushers.
Everose Gold Daytona 116505 Or Everose Gold Daytona 116515?
For me, the more pink gold the better, so my vote is for the Everose gold Daytona 116505 with a full 18k gold case, bezel, and bracelet.
Although the Daytona 116515 is certainly a good-looking chronograph (and I would never turn one down!), I find that the black strap (whether Oysterflex or leather) and black Cerachrom bezel takes too much attention away from the rosy-hued precious metal.
In short, the Daytona 116505 looks like a predominately black watch with some pink gold accents while the Daytona 116505 is proudly pink gold from top to bottom. Go full gold or go home, I say!
How about you? What would be your top pick in a Daytona 116505 vs. 116515 matchup? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.
