Created in 1963, the Rolex Daytona watch, just like its namesake in Florida, has been through a facelift or two in its time, yet the 2016 model in striking white or black dial with stainless steel case and bracelet seems to have found an extra gear aesthetically. Named after the city of Daytona Beach on the US east coast, the birthplace of motor racing in the early 1900s and today home to a modern oval-shaped racing circuit, the watch was designed to be highly legible thanks to its contrasting chronograph counters.
Sports performance, technical precision and the upmost functionality all lie at the heart of the Daytona’s DNA; pure Swiss timekeeping, in other words. Modifications include the introduction of a technical black ceramic bezel similar in style if not substance to that used in the 1965 version. It’s the combination of that distinctive bezel with tachymeter for measuring speeds of up to 400km/h with the three dial counters, here shown in black off a white dial background, that makes the Daytona instantly identifiable from across a room.
As ever, the winding crown and chronograph pushers all screw down to ensure the case is waterproof up to 100m and a remarkably solid piece of kit. The same goes for the inside too, thanks to the in-house Rolex Calibre 4130 self-winding mechanical movement with its 72hour power reserve. If the monochrome black and white combination isn’t for you, however, or if you simply insist on standing out far from the crowd, there are also two additional
versions available in yellow and white gold. The former is matched with an emerald-green dial, the latter with a royal navy blue. All three will look great at the wheel of something with a six-speed gear box.
May 2016
Quality Time | Rolex Cosmograph Daytona
Rolex is the undisputed master of rolling out iteration upon iteration of good-looking watches explicitly designed to sell in large volume at premium prices.
Given the type of sales targets involved to keep a company of this size ticking over, it is undoubtedly a high-stakes game – rather than risk taking a wrong
step, the product team like to stick to the middle ground. From time to time, however, they find their bite, perhaps after a wild afternoon of Nespresso shots in their Swiss workshops.
Created in 1963, the Rolex Daytona watch, just like its namesake in Florida, has been through a facelift or two in its time, yet the 2016 model in striking white or black dial with stainless steel case and bracelet seems to have found an extra gear aesthetically. Named after the city of Daytona Beach on the US east coast, the birthplace of motor racing in the early 1900s and today home to a modern oval-shaped racing circuit, the watch was designed to be highly legible thanks to its contrasting chronograph counters.
Sports performance, technical precision and the upmost functionality all lie at the heart of the Daytona’s DNA; pure Swiss timekeeping, in other words. Modifications include the introduction of a technical black ceramic bezel similar in style if not substance to that used in the 1965 version. It’s the combination of that distinctive bezel with tachymeter for measuring speeds of up to 400km/h with the three dial counters, here shown in black off a white dial background, that makes the Daytona instantly identifiable from across a room.
As ever, the winding crown and chronograph pushers all screw down to ensure the case is waterproof up to 100m and a remarkably solid piece of kit. The same goes for the inside too, thanks to the in-house Rolex Calibre 4130 self-winding mechanical movement with its 72hour power reserve. If the monochrome black and white combination isn’t for you, however, or if you simply insist on standing out far from the crowd, there are also two additional
versions available in yellow and white gold. The former is matched with an emerald-green dial, the latter with a royal navy blue. All three will look great at the wheel of something with a six-speed gear box.
Case: 40mm stainless steel, yellow gold or white gold
Features: chronograph, 72-hour power reserve
Movement: Rolex Calibre 4130
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet with safety clasp
Price: On request
Contact: rolex.com