Rolex Daytona 116520 40 mm (2004)

The Rolex Daytona is named after the town on the east coast of Florida, USA, which developed into the world capital for speed in the early 20th century.  All through the 1930s, Rolex was developing sports watches that could do amazing things such as survive underwater as well as keep reliable time in extreme temperatures.

Starting in 1955, Rolex produced a small number of watches that were designed to measure speed and distance.  Using a tachymeter for speed and a telemeter for distance, three subdials on the watch helped calculate accurate results.  In 1963 the Cosmograph Daytona was introduced,  aimed specifically to aid professional racing drivers.  It’s incredible to consider now, but when the official Daytona was first introduced in 1963, it wasn’t popular.  There are stories about dealers who refused to stock the watch because they couldn’t sell them!  All that changed when Paul Newman was photographed wearing the Daytona watch – a gift from his wife –  in the early 1970s.

Of course, these days, watch enthusiasts don’t always wear a Daytona for measuring speed and distance, but rather because of its iconic style and history.  The Rolex Daytona reference 116520 was first introduced in 2000.  It was discontinued in 2016.

Specifications:

• Model: Daytona, 116520
• Dial: White Chronograph, three small sub-dials – 60 seconds at 6 O’clock, 30 minutes at 3 O’clock and 12 hours at 9 O’clock
• Material: Stainless steel
• Crystal: Scratch resistant sapphire
• Movement: Automatic
• Water Resistance: 100 m / 10 ATM