John Mayer is a guitar player, of course, busy on the road with his own 2023 solo tour as well as dates with Dead & Company, the current incarnation of the Grateful Dead.
Yet you might not realize that he’s also a superstar in the realm of horology, the study and, ahem, obsession with the making of clocks and watches. A prominent watch collector, Mayer has established himself over the past decade as a tastemaker, discerning expert and ambassador for the elite community of high-end watch collectors, according to media reports.
In that world, it’s his wrist that’s a wonderland, to paraphrase one of his signature hits.
Google “John Mayer Daytona” nowadays and the search also yields an array of hits, none related to upcoming concerts or even anything tied to one of the famed NASCAR races at Daytona International Speedway.
Here’s what it’s about:
What is the John Mayer Daytona?
It’s a highly prized Rolex watch, model 116508, that became identified with the pop star, at least informally, when he sang its praises in a 2019 interview with Hodinkee, a New York City-based watch website known as an influential hub for collectors of new and vintage watches.
In the interview, Mayer showed off his yellow gold Rolex Daytona with a green dial, adding his opinion that it was a great value. That was enough to inspire the watch’s nickname as the “John Mayer Daytona” although it has never officially been marketed that way by Rolex.
Actor Jonah Hill (‘Superbad”) also has been spotted wearing the green-dial Mayer Daytona model, but so far, his name hasn’t been connected with buzz about the timepiece.
Have John Mayer Daytona Rolex watches been discontinued?
Although Rolex hasn’t made an official announcement, multiple high-end horology websites have reported that the so-called “John Mayer” model with the green face is no longer available.
“After a 7-year production run and 3 years of speculation, the Rolex “John Mayer” Daytona has officially discontinued with no upgraded model,” according to Singapore Watch Insider, among the sites reporting that the model no longer will be made.
“The ‘John Mayer’ Daytona especially in the green dial has been at the forefront of watch speculation and is often dubbed the bitcoin of Rolex,” the site states.
The discontinuation of the green dial “John Mayer” Daytona models also was confirmed by Jim Faralli, sales associate at Tom Cook Jeweler, a family-owned business for more than 130 years on Beach Street in Daytona Beach. The shop has been an authorized Rolex dealer for 54 years.
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“When Rolex discontinues a model there’s an instant fervor at fever pitch to get the ones still out there,” Faralli said. “When they make that decision, no amount of public outcry will change their minds.”
The shop doesn’t have any Rolexes — John Mayer or otherwise — in stock at the moment, as they await new inventory following a rush of high-end watch purchases during the pandemic years, Faralli said.
“If that were to come in,” he said of the Mayer Daytona, “it would be here less than 24 hours.”
How expensive are John Mayer Daytona watches?
A Rolex Daytona 116508 can be purchased new at an authorized dealer for $37,550 MSRP or for around $70,000 on the pre-owned market, according to the website wristadvisor.com.
“If you have the opportunity to buy the 116508 new, it would be unwise to pass it up considering its investment value,” the website states. “Most buyers’ only chance to own this watch will be paying the premium on the secondary marketplace.”
The price is estimated to be much steeper on other high-end watch websites.
The market price of the John Mayer Daytona hovered around $520,000 in the summer of 2022, according to the IFLWatches.com, a Swedish watchmaker and market source for high-end horologists.
A Google search also uncovered Daytona Rolexes for sale at prices ranging from $89,948 to $120,000.
History of the Rolex Daytona
There’s no indication that Rolex has stopped production of other models of the Daytona, a watch first produced in 1963, a year after Rolex became the official timekeeper at Daytona International Speedway that landmark track that inspired the “Daytona” name.
The watches were designed to meet the needs of racing drivers with the capability to measure elapsed time and average speed offered in its distinctive three-dial face. Although Rolex Daytona production continues, there’s a limited number made each year, so the watches are still a rare find.
And Mayer isn’t the first celebrity to bolster the status of the “Daytona” watch. Actor Paul Newman wore one of the original series of Daytona watches, a gift from his wife Joanne Woodward, for years during his racing career. That watch was sold at auction in 2017 for $17.8 million.
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