Writer Giorgia Mondani spotted wearing a Rolex

Giorgia Mondani, author of some of the most authoritative reference books ever published on Rolex, was spotted wearing a stainless steel Rolex Daytona ref. 116520 with a black dial — a pairing that reads less like a fashion choice and more like a scholar quoting their own thesis.

Introduced at Baselworld 2000, the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona reference 116520 represented a landmark shift for the manufacture. It was the first Daytona to abandon the modified Zenith El Primero calibre — used in the ref. 16520 — in favour of Rolex's fully in-house calibre 4130. That movement, a column-wheel chronograph with a vertical clutch, offered improved precision, a 72-hour power reserve, and greater long-term reliability. The case measured 40mm in stainless steel, fitted with a black ceramic-free bezel in black aluminium — later models would adopt Cerachrom — and the black dial version offered crisp white subdial registers at 3, 6, and 9 o'clock.

The ref. 116520 remained in production until approximately 2016, when Rolex replaced it with the ref. 116500LN, distinguished by its Cerachrom ceramic bezel. That transition instantly elevated the 116520's status among collectors as the last steel Daytona with a traditional aluminium bezel — a detail purists have long appreciated for its more restrained, classical appearance.

For Mondani, the choice is fitting. Her publishing house, Mondani Editore, has produced definitive catalogues on Rolex sports references, and her expertise is recognised across auction houses, dealerships, and collector communities globally. Wearing a ref. 116520 is less a statement of wealth than a statement of knowledge — this is someone who understands precisely what sits on her wrist and why it matters.

On the grey market, the stainless steel Rolex Daytona ref. 116520 with black dial commands strong premiums over its original retail price, typically trading between $18,000 and $24,000 depending on condition, box and papers, and dial variant. The last official Rolex list price in the UK stood at £8,450 — a figure that now seems almost quaint given secondary market realities.