Watch Paparazzi

Writer Giorgia Mondani spotted wearing Rolex

Giorgia Mondani, author of the definitive Rolex encyclopedias published by Mondani Editore and the mind behind the Mondani Web reference database, was spotted on the wrist with a Rolex Daytona reference 116518LN — a choice that carries considerably more weight coming from her than it would from almost anyone else in the watch world.

The Rolex Daytona 116518LN sits in the yellow gold tier of the current Daytona family. Its 40mm 18K yellow gold case houses the calibre 4130, Rolex's in-house chronograph movement introduced in 2000 and still regarded as one of the most robust and serviceable column-wheel, vertical-clutch chronograph ebauches in production. The movement offers approximately 72 hours of power reserve and beats at 28,800 vph. What distinguishes the 116518LN specifically is the black Cerachrom bezel insert — a ceramic tachymetre scale that resists scratching and UV fading — paired with a black dial. The contrast between the warm yellow gold case and the blacked-out dial and bezel gives the watch a singular visual tension that the all-steel or white gold references simply do not replicate.

The Oysterflex bracelet, which Rolex introduced in 2015, replaces the traditional Oyster or leather strap with a high-performance elastomer over a longitudinal blade of titanium-nickel alloy. It provides the structural rigidity of a metal bracelet with the comfort and flexibility of rubber, and it integrates a Rolex Glidelock extension system. On a precious-metal Daytona, it reads as a deliberate sporty counterpoint to the gold case.

From a collector standpoint, the 116518LN occupies a particular niche: it is the yellow gold Daytona for buyers who want the warmth of gold without the formality of a champagne dial or a jubilee bracelet. It tends to attract serious collectors rather than status buyers, partly because its aesthetic demands some conviction to wear. Mondani, whose scholarship on Rolex is published in multiple languages and referenced by auction houses, is precisely that kind of wearer.

At retail, the Daytona 116518LN carries a list price in the region of $31,370. On the secondary market, grey-market pricing has settled around $44,600, reflecting a premium consistent with precious-metal Daytonas that benefit from Rolex's continued production constraints and sustained global demand.