Rolex Daytona

When the hammer fell down at Phillips inagural New York watch auction on October 26, 2017, an exotic dial Rolex Daytona owned by Paul Newman became the most expensive wristwatch ever sold at auction. While Newman’s Own Daytona might have been exceptional (in provenance), it illustrates the tremendous desirability of the Daytona model in general. As Rolex’s only chronograph in continuous production, the Daytona occupies a place of privilege in watch boxes around the world. Preference, of course, is given to early variants, such as the exotic dial versions worn by Paul Newman. However, the climate has certainly changed thanks to the recent auction, and “Newman Daytonas” have crept from attainable artifacts into “grail watch” territory—for a certain few who won’t balk at dropping hundreds of thousands - or even millions - of dollars on a watch. But production of the Daytona didn’t end when Paul Newman strapped on his and took to the racecourse. To the contrary, Rolex continued to manufacture the Daytona and improve it, adding crown guards and screw-down pushers in the mid-1960s. Though the addition of screw-down pushers might make actually using the chronograph difficult, it was a necessary one, ensuring that the watertight nature of the watch’s famed Oyster case would not be compromised. And in the 1980s, as Rolex revamped its collection of sports watches, the Daytona was not excluded. As watches like the Rolex Submariner Reference 16800 and Explorer Reference 14270 were given sapphire crystals, so too was the Daytona, which now boasted water resistance up to 330 feet. And Rolex used a Zenith El Primero unit as a base for the Calibre 4030—the first automatic chronograph movement ever used by Rolex. The Reference 16520 Daytona ushered in a new era for the model. Consumer demand for it meant that Authorized Dealers couldn’t keep it in stock. Moreover, since Rolex only made these watches for little over a decade, “Zenith Daytonas” have gained a fervent following of their own. This particular Zenith Daytona boasts a nicely-patinated black Mark 3 Dial, which marks the return of “Officially Certified” to the paragraph beneath the Rolex coronet. At 39mm the case, lightly worn, maintains the slim proportions of the earlier references. The 78390/503B bracelet is a desirable value-add. Dating from 1996, this Zenith Daytona is one of the later versions, and in a few years will become properly vintage. It’s the perfect compromise—a collectible watch that you can actually wear. Whether for work or for play, this watch will prove the perfect companion as you circle the racetrack of life.