January 28, 2023

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It has been a number of days since Rolex introduced that it could formally depart Baselworld (along with homes like Chanel, Chopard, Patek Philippe and Tudor), and one can solely surprise (no pun supposed, Watches & Wonders) what they are going to have in retailer for us come April 2021 at Palexpo. However for now, let’s return in time to revisit one of many model’s best creations, the Cosmograph Daytona that was final up to date and showcased for the very first time (reference 116500LN) at Baselworld 2016.

IMAGE: ROLEX

The watch has its roots relationship again to 1963, first launched to fulfill the calls for {of professional} racing drivers. Identical to how the Submariner got here to be often called the final word reference amongst divers, and the Air-King paying homage to the golden age of aviation, the Daytona made a huge effect on this planet of motorsports, identified for its tachymetric scale and the trio of counters and pushers that made it the right timing instrument for racing drivers. Over the previous 50 years, the watch has grown leaps and bounds, pushing horological requirements with every replace, together with minor tweaks by way of its aesthetics as properly. At first, the dial featured the phrases Cosmograph on the outset, earlier than phrases like Oyster Perpetual, Daytona and subsequently, the time period Superlative Chronometer Formally Licensed was added, rounding its evolution over the many years into the legend that we’ve come to know and love.

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Probably the most standard dials ever created was dubbed the Paul Newman model, named after the movie star and race automotive driver who chosen the Daytona for its legibility of chronograph capabilities underneath difficult race circumstances. Within the Eighties, Paul Newman was noticed carrying it regularly off the race observe, additional solidifying its standing as a cult icon then and now. At this time, the classic variations value properly over that 6-digit determine, with the unique 1968 Paul Newman model fetching a whopping USD15.5 million at an public sale again in 2017.

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Quick ahead to 2016, and the spotlight of the Cosmograph Daytona has acquired to be the Monobloc Cerachrom Bezel (developed and patented by Rolex), an ideal hybrid of excessive know-how and trendy beauty. Not solely is the floor just about scratch-proof, however it additionally comes with a corrosion-resistant coating that forestalls the color from altering attributable to UV injury. Quite a few particulars had been up to date as properly, such because the addition of numerals and triangular markers across the fringe of the bezel, together with the exceptionally clear tachymetric scale due to a skinny layer of platinum PVD coating, permitting it to distinction superbly towards the black ceramic. Aesthetics apart, the Cosmograph Daytona is provided with calibre 4130, a self-winding mechanical chronograph motion that manages to ship an influence reserve of 72 hours, whereas staying exact and dependable like no different.

You’ve all the time heard the saying that Rolex’s standard watches are all about excessive demand and low provide. The one means of getting one requires you to have a long-standing relationship with authorised boutiques (Emperor or The Hour Glass, for instance) or allotted one should you’ve positioned your self on a waitlist on the respective Rolex shops. However the Cosmograph Daytona might be thought of one of many (if not, the) most elusive piece of all of them, commanding year-long waitlists that causes its resale worth to be nearly twice its retail value in Singapore. It’s that standard amongst the followers and watch aficionados, and the Panda particularly scores main factors by way of the desirability issue, coming in an eye catching mixture of white (dial) and black (sub-dials). At this time, the Cosmograph Daytona begins from SGD17,640 for the 40 mm measurement in Oystersteel to SGD23,420 for Oystersteel/Yellow Gold and all the way in which to SGD63,350 for the mannequin in Everose Gold (40 mm).

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