Rolex Now Has Another Legendary Daytona Thanks to Jannik Sinner

Jannik Sinner lifted the Wimbledon trophy for the second consecutive year on July 12, and for eagle-eyed watch fans, the most surprising detail wasn’t the serves or his footwork that got him there — it was the timepiece he put on his wrist to celebrate.

As documented by Rolex’s own Instagram, the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona reference he wore to celebrate his 2025 title was there again in 2026, marking what’s surprisingly the second time a relatively obscure version of the Crown’s flagship chronograph has appeared in back-to-back Wimbledon victories.

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Unlike the yellow-gold, meteorite-dial Daytona Carlos Alcaraz wore in 2023 and 2024, though, Sinner’s 126515LN isn’t a discontinued rarity. It’s still in Rolex’s current lineup — and, until recently, was one of its more overlooked Daytona references in watch collecting circles.

That may no longer be the case. With the kind of global spotlight no ad campaign could replicate, this watch suddenly feels like a prime candidate to join the ranks of Daytonas remembered by a nickname rather than a reference number.

Reaching nickname status?

The 126515LN pairs Rolex’s proprietary Everose gold — a rose gold alloy engineered to resist fading — with a black Cerachrom bezel and a rich “Sundust” and bright black dial.

It’s a warm, confident configuration that reads more as quiet luxury, at least compared to yellow-gold versions of the watch, making it a piece that works equally well at lifetime achievement award celebrations as it does a lifetime’s worth of nice dinners.

Yet despite its striking looks and elevated details, its lacked in attention compared to many other Daytona references, especially those known by nicknames.

Rolexes, and the Daytona line, in particular, have a deep tradition of community-given pet names.

Some have evolved as simple descriptive shorthand for the watch’s look, as with the ‘Panda’ and ‘Ghost’, or, more unfortunately, the ‘Pikachu’.

The name ‘Wimbledon’ is also already off the table for this reason. The Datejust Wimbledon dial — with its slate-grey sunray face and green-outlined Roman numerals — has long since earned its label thanks to its aesthetic association with the tournament’s color palette and the Crown’s long role as a sponsor of the prestigious tournament.

But of course, the most famous Daytona references of all are named after the man who helped make them famous, Paul Newman, and in more recent years, a slew of other Daytona references have also earned nicknames based on their famous fans.

Yellow gold Daytona references with green dials are often generally described in watch circles as John Mayer Daytonas, based on the musician’s well-documented obsession with the color combo.

And even in the sport of tennis, Carlos Alcaraz has proved that the court is a legitimate stage for a Daytona to earn a nickname as the ‘Alcaraz’, even if he’s worn other references more often during major wins.

As such, calling the 126515LN the ‘Sinner’ feels like the most likely bet. The precedent is there. And it does have a nice ring to it.

Then again, maybe nothing sticks.

Roger Federer’s blue sapphire Daytona — an off-catalog gem-set ref. worth an estimated $1.5 million, isn’t known by his name. Neither is Scottie Scheffler’s far more obtainable, though now-discontinued Coral Red Oyster Perpetual, which he frequently wears.

Nickname or not, though, after two Wimbledon wins, the 126515LN no longer needs an introduction.

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