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Old 26 January 2025, 09:48 PM   #1
Giangos
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Daytona 116500 v 126500

What are your thoughts? I personally feel that the 126 is visually better in so many ways.

From the thinness of the bezel and subdials creating a cleaner brighter dial, to the excellent SS ring under the bezel creating an extra layer of depth to the whole watch, all I can see is improvement to an already beautiful watch.

What do you think?




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Old 26 January 2025, 09:51 PM   #2
Eric-London
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lol I was about to post a similar thread.

The 126500 all day every day.
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Old 26 January 2025, 10:31 PM   #3
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The 12 looks better to my eye for the reasons you stated
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Old 26 January 2025, 10:33 PM   #4
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126500 is the more refined of the two. I had the choice of either and chose the 126500LN
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Old 26 January 2025, 10:44 PM   #5
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Tricky question! Lucky enough to have both - I prefer black for the 12 and white for the 11 which is what I own but that was just timing - if I HAD to choose I’d say the 12 is just a bit more polished and cleaner…
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Old 26 January 2025, 10:46 PM   #6
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I love them both. I will be buying one in the next few months (grey) and I am planning on buying the 1265.
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Old 26 January 2025, 10:55 PM   #7
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Both are really good! If you asked me to pick… I would take the 12
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Old 26 January 2025, 10:57 PM   #8
Lambo The Jambo
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The 12 just has that extra refinement all over the watch.
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Old 26 January 2025, 11:29 PM   #9
worldofoyster
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There are many threads about this topic. The consensus is for the white dial, the 11 looks better and preferred by most people.
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Old 26 January 2025, 11:35 PM   #10
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Absolutely, the 126500 is more refined and looks better by a mile! If I were a 116500 owner, trading it for a 126500 would be priority one for all the reasons you have stated.
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Old 26 January 2025, 11:35 PM   #11
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Either/OR. Both look great.
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Old 26 January 2025, 11:45 PM   #12
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116500
The bezel looks stronger, the new bezel with the ring around it makes it look cheap.
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Old 26 January 2025, 11:47 PM   #13
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12 is nicer.
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Old 26 January 2025, 11:53 PM   #14
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Wow, yet another thread on this…

95%+ of people won’t be able to tell the difference on someone’s wrist 95% of the time.

Examined closely the 126500 is inferior in both black and white dials. But barely (because see above).

The dials are too thin, the beautiful shimmer of the sub dials in the black 116500 in particular is lost in the 126500. The case of the 126500 is more slab-like and the symmetry of the case ironically makes it less symmetrical (more material overall on the crown side on the 126500). The outer bezel ring is not an improvement but I understand it provides some contrast for lazy instagram photos.

But clearly people are now stuck with the 126500 at retail and, as above, in the vast majority of cases people cannot tell the difference.
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Old 26 January 2025, 11:53 PM   #15
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116500 is the legend
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Old 26 January 2025, 11:58 PM   #16
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12 looks better to me from that comparison.
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Old 27 January 2025, 12:25 AM   #17
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The 12 looks more classic to me
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Old 27 January 2025, 12:27 AM   #18
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From my point of view, 116500 by far, I do love it. When the 126500 was released, I put it on my wrist and I didn’t feel I could be for me.
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Old 27 January 2025, 01:22 AM   #19
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The 116 is a beautiful watch that I felt didn't need any improvement. Everyone wanted one of those including myself. Boy, was I wrong when the 126 came out! I feel that they made the perfect changes, and I like the new one so much more. The metal ring around the bezel, thinner indices which goes well with the thinner subdial rings, the symmetrical case, etc. The 116 is a beautiful watch, but the 126 is even more beautiful imo!
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Old 27 January 2025, 01:35 AM   #20
ltmgeller
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I prefer the 116 but do like the bezel ring addition on the 126
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Old 27 January 2025, 01:50 AM   #21
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Just picked up a 12, hasn’t had much wrist time yet, but is anyone else noting a difference in wrist feel/comfort with the thickness and case ends?
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Old 27 January 2025, 02:53 AM   #22
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20 pages on this at least, polls, argument's, views … hahahaha …
But for me, 126500 and in white … a panda bear …
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Old 27 January 2025, 03:04 AM   #23
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Some may think one is better than the other, but then is the other half truly wrong... or is it the other half that's wrong? Which is it? Does it really matter? Am watching the Rolex 24 At Daytona, let's see who wins and what they say ;-)

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Old 27 January 2025, 03:08 AM   #24
David5807
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Not being an owner of either anymore, I still think that I lean toward the 11 series.
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Old 27 January 2025, 03:12 AM   #25
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Case profile -11
Bezel - 12
Hour markers -12
Subdials - 11
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Old 27 January 2025, 03:15 AM   #26
majidessa
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The 126 is more refined, the indices are sharper / nicer, outside steel ring gives a nice luxurious touch with a nod to the vintage models, the new watch case is symmetrical which is welcome change for ocd owners.

The 116 has better contrast. The 126 wins
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Old 27 January 2025, 03:16 AM   #27
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I have both. 126 better !!
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Old 27 January 2025, 03:54 AM   #28
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Yes.
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Old 27 January 2025, 04:01 AM   #29
Cru Jones
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Thread number 56 on this same topic.

And as always, the answer = 126500.
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Old 27 January 2025, 04:19 AM   #30
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I have to admit, I do prefer the refined bezel and hour markers of the 12…
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