CELEBRITY DEATHMATCH: Rolex Daytona Le Mans spotting – are you team white or yellow gold?
Russell SheldrakeThe GOAT debate in any sport can feel never-ending. Fans on both sides are relentless in their support for their chosen idol, with stats to back up every claim and counterarguments up their sleeve ready to go at a moment’s notice. But we think we may have just found another facet; a new factor for fans to use next time they go toe-to-toe in a debate about the greatest of all time in their chosen sport – and that is which Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 24 Hours of Le Mans do they wear? We’ve found 4 sporting GOATs, two of which wear the discontinued white gold model and two that wear the new yellow gold model from this year’s Watches and Wonders. So who are you siding with? Michael Jordan and Tom Brady, or LeBron James and Harry Kane?
Team white gold
Michael Jordan
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Michael Jordan is known for having a large, eclectic watch collection, that stretches from A. Lange & Söhne to Urwerk, but he still has time for this more classic (if slightly hyped) chronograph. We know he likes a precious metal chronograph on a bracelet, having been spotted wearing a chunky Datograph on a Wellendorff bracelet, so his choice here to go with the white gold makes perfect sense.
Tom Brady
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Recently (and finally) retired Tom Brady has made headlines with his watch collection this year, having sold off a big chunk of it in one auction: the most famous lot from that auction being his custom-made Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Tourbillon with this name written across the dial in gem setting which he wore for his roast. Now he’s got rid of that rather special (if perhaps a little tasteless) AP, he can rock his white gold Daytona Le Mans with impunity.
Team yellow gold
LeBron James
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LeBron James seems to have one of those careers that will last forever. Currently playing in his 23rd season, and having scored more points than anyone else in NBA history, the case for him being the league’s GOAT is a solid one. But how does his choice in Daytona stack up with his rival in the GOAT debate, Jordan? The yellow gold is a strong choice for the man who has been seen wearing pretty much every hype watch to be released, whether it’s a Black Panther Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, or a Tiffany Patek Philippe Nautilus.
Harry Kane
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English football sensation Harry Kane might not be the first name on people’s lists of watch-collecting athletes, but the Bayern Munich striker has quite the collection – and despite never lifting a trophy with Tottenham, he has certainly been seen in a few price pieces over the years. He clearly has a soft spot for the sporting classics, spotted with plenty of Nautilus and Aquanauts over the years, but this yellow gold Le Mans is not the only Daytona he’s been clocked wearing, with the eye-catching Rainbow having made an appearance in the past. But which would you prefer out of those two? The YG Le Mans or the flashy Rainbow?
Now we’ve run through these top athletes and which colour Le Mans they prefer, let us know over on Instagram which pair won this battle. Is it the two retirees with the white gold, or the two active athletes rocking the yellow?
Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 24 Hours of Le Mans pricing and availability
The Rolex Daytona 24 Hours of Le Mans is… Oh, who are we kidding? Good luck getting an allocation at retail.
| Brand | Rolex |
| Model | Cosmograph Daytona |
| Case Dimensions | 40mm (D) x 11.9mm (T) x 47mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | 18K yellow gold (ref. 126528LN) 18K white gold (ref. 126529LN) |
| Water Resistance | 100 metres (screw-down crown) |
| Dial | Black with white registers |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front and back |
| Strap | Case-matching gold Oyster bracelet |
| Movement | Calibre 4132, in-house, automatic, Superlative Chronometer |
| Power Reserve | 72 hours |
| Functions | Chronograph, hours, minutes, small running seconds |
| Availability | Enquire at your local AD |
| Price | US$51,400 |