The “John Mayer” is the yellow-gold Rolex Daytona reference 116508 with the green sunray dial, produced from 2016 until 2023 and succeeded that year by the 126508, which keeps the same dial. It is a 40mm chronograph in 18ct yellow gold on an Oyster bracelet, with a polished gold tachymetric bezel rather than the black ceramic insert worn by most modern Daytonas.
Why is it called the John Mayer?
The name is unofficial, and unusually easy to date. In March 2019 the musician John Mayer appeared on Hodinkee’s Talking Watches and singled out the green-dial 116508 as the overlooked watch of the current Daytona range — the one he expected collectors to chase later. They did not wait long. Dealers repriced green-dial examples within weeks of the episode airing, and at the 2022 market peak they were changing hands for roughly three times Rolex’s list price — a premium no other dial variant of the reference came close to matching. Rolex has never used the nickname and Mayer had no involvement in the design; the association rests entirely on one well-timed interview, still cited as the clearest modern example of a single tastemaker moving the market for one specific dial.
References
Only the green-dial variants carry the nickname; both references were also offered with champagne, black and diamond-set dials. The 116508 generation launched at Baselworld 2016 with the calibre 4130, and the 126508 of 2023 introduced the updated calibre 4131.
| Reference | Years | Key spec | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 116508 (green dial) | 2016–2023 | 40mm yellow gold, calibre 4130, gold bezel | Discontinued |
| 126508 (green dial) | 2023–present | 40mm yellow gold, calibre 4131, gold bezel | In production |
Super clone availability
GrandWatchClub stocks 4 John Mayer Daytona super clones covering both generations, the original 116508 and the current 126508, priced between £434 and £1,125. The entry tier is built on a Japanese automatic chronograph movement, while the Swiss SuperClone versions at the top of the range pair a Swiss movement with tighter dial and bezel finishing. Given that genuine green-dial examples still trade well above list price on the secondary market, the clone route is the only realistic way to wear this dial for under four figures.
- Super Clone Rolex Daytona “John Mayer” Green Dial 116508 — £434
- Super Clone Rolex Daytona 126508 “John Mayer” — £434
- Super Clone Rolex Daytona “John Mayer” Green Dial 116508 – Swiss SuperClone — Swiss movement — £1,125
- Super Clone Rolex Daytona 126508 “John Mayer” – Swiss SuperClone — Swiss movement — £1,125