How John Mayer Made The Ref. 116508-0013 A Cult Watch

indexThree years after its official launch, the green dial Daytona started to hit headlines after John Mayer – one of the most astute celebrity watch collectors – acknowledged it as a ‘sleeper hit’ in Hodinkee’s Talking Watches. As someone who likes looking “past the hype”, Mayer is particularly fond of this watch, which he snapped up soon after its launch in 2016. “It’s still out there…still floating around and it’s the future thing,” he declared on that famous episode of Talking Watches from 2019. As soon as word got out and people spotted Mayer flaunting that gorgeous green dial every now and then, there was a colossal spike in demand that pushed the watch’s retail price of USD 34,650 to as much as USD 88,000 for a pre-owned piece. “It’s a Daytona and so I don’t believe that any model truly flies under the radar. Having said that, however, there are always taste makers and influencers (in the truest sense of the word) that help shape the landscape and horological zeitgeist, one of which is John Mayer. Why I think so many people follow his lead is because he isn’t a dealer and has nothing to gain by ‘talking up’ a watch. He just loves them. I disagree with him that Rolex doesn't make colorful dials, which was key to his argument on why that watch was special, but he was right that it was cool,” explains Povey.

Right from Conor McGregor to tennis legend Roger Federer, rapper Drake, and mega-influencer Supercar Blondie, the Ref. 116508-0013 has made an appearance on the wrist of almost everyone who's anyone, so it won’t be wrong to say that it’s not just a “John Mayer” Daytona anymore but one of the most important chronograph sport watches of all time.