Singer James Atlas spotted wearing a Rolex

Singer-songwriter James Atlas was recently caught on camera wearing a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona reference 116508 in 18k yellow gold with a green dial while filming a music video — a sighting that underscores how deeply the Daytona has embedded itself into creative culture well beyond its racing origins.

The reference 116508 sits at the top of the current-production Daytona family. Its 40mm yellow gold case houses the calibre 4130, Rolex's in-house chronograph movement featuring a column wheel and vertical clutch — a mechanism that delivers a smoother, more responsive start-stop action than the horizontal clutches found in earlier Valjoux-based Daytonas. The movement offers a 72-hour power reserve and is chronometer-certified to -2/+2 seconds per day. The green sunburst dial — applied with 18k gold hour markers and flanked by three subsidiary registers — catches light in a way that makes the watch read differently across changing conditions, which explains much of its persistent desirability.

The 116508 green dial debuted as part of Rolex's expanded Daytona precious metal lineup and quickly developed a reputation as one of the harder references to acquire through authorised dealers. The colour occupies a specific place in Rolex iconography: green is the brand's signature hue, and pairing it with yellow gold rather than white gold or steel gives this particular configuration a warmth and directness that collectors have consistently responded to. It is, by most accounts, not a watch that sits in display cases for long.

Atlas, known for his work as a singer-songwriter, is building a public profile in which personal style carries real weight. Choosing a Daytona 116508 for a music video shoot — rather than something more understated — signals a deliberate aesthetic statement. The Daytona's motorsport heritage and cultural crossover appeal make it a logical fit for a creative environment where image and authenticity are both under scrutiny.

At an official retail price of $85,000 USD, the 116508 green dial already occupies serious territory. On the grey market, demand consistently pushes the number higher, with examples trading at multiples of retail depending on condition and provenance. For collectors, this sighting confirms the reference's continued presence at the intersection of horology and popular culture.