Short answer
No Rolex Daytona with reference 116516 exists. The number is absent from Rolex catalogs, from service records, and from auction archives. Replica sellers use 116516 as a product code. In most listings the code points to a steel Daytona copy with a 40 mm case, a chronograph, and either a steel bezel or a black ceramic bezel.
Real references that sit next to it
- 116520: steel case, steel bezel, white or black dial. Sold 2000 to 2016.
- 116500LN: steel case, black ceramic bezel. Sold from 2016.
- 116523: steel and yellow gold, two tone.
- 116518: yellow gold case, leather strap or Oysterflex.
- 116506: platinum case, ice blue dial.
Six-digit Daytona numbers follow a pattern. The last digits shift with metal and bezel. 116516 fits no published slot. Treat any listing that uses it as a seller label, not a factory reference.
Case and dial specs on the copies
Most replica 116516 listings describe a 40 mm case, 12.4 mm thick, with a 20 mm lug width. Those numbers match the real 116520. Weight lands between 130 g and 150 g on a full steel bracelet. Gold plated versions run 10 g to 20 g lighter because the case uses brass or a lower grade of 316L steel under the plating.
Movement tiers
Three movement classes appear in these listings.
- Asian 7750: 28,800 vph, running seconds at 9 o'clock, subdial layout that differs from the real watch. Price band $150 to $280.
- Clone 4130: 28,800 vph, column wheel, 72-hour power reserve claim, subdials at 3, 6, and 9. Price band $400 to $800.
- ETA 7750 or Sellita SW500: 28,800 vph, 42 to 48 hour reserve. Price band $600 to $1,100.
Ask for a photo of the movement and a video that shows chronograph start, stop, and reset. A clone 4130 resets to zero in one push. A 7750 based movement needs the pusher sequence done in order.
Price bands and what drives them
Case material, movement, and bracelet finish set the price. A $180 watch uses a stamped clasp and a mineral crystal. A $700 watch uses a solid link bracelet, a sapphire crystal with AR coating, and a clone 4130. Above $1,000 the seller claims Swiss parts. Ask which parts. The answer is often limited to the balance wheel or the mainspring.
How to read a listing
- Check the subdial positions in the photos. Real Daytona subdials sit at 3, 6, and 9.
- Check the bezel font. Ceramic copies show thick numerals and uneven spacing.
- Check the clasp code stamp. Many sellers show a photo without the stamp.
- Ask for the caseback serial. Copies use repeating numbers across batches.
Water resistance
Sellers list 100 m. Factory testing on these watches is rare. Gaskets on budget models are thin. Do not swim with a replica Daytona unless a watchmaker has pressure tested it. The real 116520 is rated to 100 m and uses a screw-down crown and caseback.
Facts that stay unknown
No public record shows which factory first used the 116516 code. No public record shows a production count. Sellers change codes between batches, so two watches with the same listing number can carry different cases and movements.