Quick answer
The Cosmograph Daytona ref. 116508 is a 40 mm Rolex in 18k yellow gold. Rolex made it from 2016 to 2023. It runs the calibre 4130 chronograph movement. Replica versions copy the case, dial and bracelet on the outside. They differ in metal, movement and weight. A plated steel copy weighs less than the gold watch. U.S. law bars the import and sale of copies that carry the Rolex mark.
What the real 116508 has
- Case: 40 mm, 18k yellow gold, screw-down crown and pushers
- Bezel: fixed gold with an engraved tachymeter scale
- Dial: no date, three counters at 3, 6 and 9 o'clock
- Movement: Rolex calibre 4130, automatic, 72-hour power reserve, 28,800 vibrations per hour
- Water resistance: 100 m
- Bracelet: Oyster, three-piece links, Oysterlock clasp
Rolex list price sat near $38,000 USD at the end of the run. Green-dial examples sold above list on the secondary market. Prices move, so check current listings.
What replicas copy
Sellers photograph the same reference. A copy aims at the case profile, the tachymeter print, the pusher spacing and the dial font. Most use one of two movement families.
- Asia 7750. A modified Valjoux 7750 design. Cost is low. The subdial layout does not match the 4130, so the position of the running seconds hand can differ.
- Clone 4130. A Chinese-made copy of the Rolex design. Column wheel and vertical clutch parts. Subdials sit at the correct 3, 6 and 9 positions.
Where the copies differ
- Metal. Plated steel, or gold wrap, instead of solid 18k. Plating wears at the clasp, lugs and caseback edges. Steel shows through.
- Weight. Solid gold is dense. A steel copy feels light in the hand, 130 g to 160 g against about 190 g for the gold watch.
- Movement finish. Gold bridges do not appear. Rotor engraving is shallow. Rate stability drifts after service intervals.
- Crystal. Anti-reflective coating is thinner. The laser-etched coronet at 6 o'clock may be missing or larger than on the real watch.
- Engraving. Reference number and serial between the lugs sit deeper and sharper on the Rolex case.
Prices
Copies sell from about $200 to $900. Sellers use labels like AAA, 1:1 and super clone. The labels are marketing, not a grading system. Parts and labor for a clone movement cost less than a Rolex service, and Rolex will not service a copy.
Legal position in the U.S.
18 U.S.C. § 2320 covers trafficking in counterfeit goods. 19 U.S.C. § 1526 lets U.S. Customs and Border Protection seize goods that bear a counterfeit mark. Buying a copy for personal use does not make the import legal. Resale adds exposure to civil claims from the trademark owner.
How to tell a copy from a real 116508
Ask for a clear photo of the movement with the caseback off. Ask for the serial between the lugs at 12 o'clock and the reference between the lugs at 6 o'clock. Weigh the watch. Send the serial to an authorized dealer or a Rolex service center for a check. A card and box do not prove origin. Boxes and cards are copied.