Rolex Cosmograph Daytona - In the footsteps of a classic

Rolex has delighted the watch world with an impressive number of models over the years – but one in particular still stands out: the Cosmograph Daytona . The timepiece made its debut in 1963 and was specially tailored to the needs of professional racing drivers. The highly reliable chronograph movement and the tachymeter bezel make it possible to measure average speeds of up to 400 kilometers per hour. Rolex has always placed great value on precision and reliability – characteristics that are also of great importance in the world of motorsport. This connection initially formed the basis for the Cosmograph Daytona. The model is now one of the most famous watches in the world and a continually sought-after collector's item. Anyone who knows Rolex knows the Daytona – but how did all this hype come about?

The right strategy

After a rather sober launch, demand for the Daytona finally increased when Hollywood star Paul Newman showed up with an early version of the watch that his wife had given him. The successful actor with the deep blue eyes was also a racing driver - the words "Drive Carefully" were engraved on the case back of his watch.

In the 1980s, when mechanical watches were generally still relatively cheap, the watch model became a must-have with this lucky "advertisement". The so-called "Paul Newman dial" of this version is known for the minute track with seconds division on the edge of the dial, as well as the contrasting color of the dial and the three totalizers. In the 1980s, collectors nicknamed this watch "Paul Newman" after its famous wearer. Daytonas of this type can now fetch up to 100,000 euros at auctions, but there are huge differences between the individual pieces. The original Newman watch, for example, has a white dial with black totalizers and large, easy-to-read numerals in the Art Deco style. The second variant has smaller, simpler numerals in the subdials and is "only" worth between 30,000 and 40,000 euros. The price curve for such models has generally been steeply upward: at the end of the 1980s, examples were auctioned for around 3,000 to 4,000 euros. The value has therefore increased almost tenfold in the meantime. However, this is just peanuts compared to the sum that the Daytona that Paul Newman personally wore on his wrist brought in at an auction in New York in October 2017: the auction house Phillips was able to achieve a record price of 17,752,500 US dollars (approx. 15,228,095 euros) for the original with the reference 6239 after just 12 minutes. This makes this Rolex the most expensive wristwatch in the world. However, you should be careful when buying such a Daytona, because a standard model in particular is often turned into a "Paul Newman". Experts currently even believe that there are more fake than real Newman dials in circulation. In addition, complete watches are often not originals, but simply "put together" from various individual parts. Therefore, these watches in particular should only be purchased from well-known auction houses and trustworthy dealers. In addition, it is recommended that you have them checked directly by the manufacturer.

There is another reason for the continued success of the Rolex Daytona: the watch had already become a myth thanks to a clever marketing strategy. At first, around 500 pieces were produced annually, some of which often became slow-selling items. Since other suppliers had long since established themselves on the chronograph market, it was difficult for Rolex to do the same. But the company knew exactly how to maximize interest in the model: after a short time, it was no longer bringing anywhere near the number of Daytonas onto the market that could have actually been sold - and this was purely intentional. Demand was always far greater than supply - which meant that the timepiece was guaranteed worldwide attention. More and more people wanted to be one of the lucky few and own one of the highly sought-after pieces. You can think what you like of this artificial scarcity - Rolex's plan back then worked and the exclusivity made the Daytona the icon it is today. But this aspect is of course not the only reason for the watch's continued success. Rolex's generally excellent image is still an important factor. And the luxury brand has worked hard to achieve this over the years - so it deserves it!

Back to the Roots

When it was introduced, the Cosmograph Daytona did not yet have either of its two names. The first of the two had been reserved for Rolex since 1953, but the dial of the reference 6234 (built between 1955 and 1961) simply said "Chronograph". Today, these "Pre-Daytonas" are a real gold mine: 20,000 euros is just the starting price for one of the rare models with a stainless steel case and a silver or black dial.

Later, the watch was finally given its official name. And it doesn't come from nowhere: Daytona Beach in Florida has been hosting motorsport races since 1903. One of the most famous drivers there was Sir Malcolm Campbell, who beat his own world records every year during the 1930s with his "Bluebird". As the British record holder, Campbell received a great deal of international attention at the time. To Rolex's delight, the racing star regularly wore a Daytona on his wrist - even during races - and brought the brand a lot of positive publicity.

The race track ran partly along the beach and partly along the shore road. It was not until 1959 that the first races were held entirely on asphalt. The new "Daytona International Speedway" was the fastest course in the USA at the time and one of the very first "superspeedways". Three years later, Rolex began to get directly involved in the competition and became its official timekeeper. In 1963, the Cosmograph with reference number 6239 appeared, which was given the nickname "Daytona" in the same year to emphasize its connection to racing. From that point on, the first-place finisher in the race not only received a trophy, but also a Rolex Cosmograph. At first, the name was only immortalized on the dial of the models that were specifically intended for the American market. Over time, however, the lettering was adopted for all models, in the form we know it today: semicircular, in red letters, above the totalizer at six o'clock.

In 1965, Rolex switched to screwed pushers, which sealed the Daytona and the Oyster models perfectly. The improved water resistance was also noted on the dial and the "Cosmograph" lettering was supplemented with "Oyster". The last model series with manual winding were finally produced from 1971 to 1988, one variant of which is particularly valuable today: the auction house Christie's was able to get hold of almost a million Swiss francs for it in 2013 - an absolute record sum. From 1988 onwards, the mechanical watch was really just a relic of days gone by, after all, quartz technology had long since taken hold. Rolex also decided to abandon this bandwagon and continue to produce the Daytona as an automatic watch. The movement for this was not an in-house production, however, but a creation from Zenith: Rolex reworked the competitor's well-known El Primero movement and called it "Caliber 4030". The famous rings around the totalizers were also introduced, which have been retained to this day, and the Daytona's case was also enlarged from 36 millimeters to 40 millimeters in diameter. Over time, demand for the sporty chronograph continued to rise, and waiting times of up to three years were no longer an exception.

At the turn of the millennium, Rolex presented the Daytona for the first time with its own movement: the caliber 4130, which is still used today, has over 44 jewels, a power reserve of 72 hours, and the typical Kif shock protection for the balance wheel and escape wheel. A vertical clutch now also enables the stop second hand to start smoothly. The chronograph functions are controlled by a column wheel, as with the Zenith predecessor. The design has also changed slightly with this development: the running second has moved from nine to six, and the pointers of the minute and hour counters are set slightly above the central axis. Rolex also certified the new automatic models as COSC chronometers and also showed this on the dial: since 2015, it no longer just says “Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona,” but also “Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified.” There is also a new internal precision standard: the fully assembled watch is subjected to a series of strict Rolex tests. The requirements are said to be more than twice as strict as those of the COSC. It also comes with an international guarantee of five years.

The Next Generation

At Baselworld 2016, Rolex presented two new stainless steel versions of the popular classic: The Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona is available with a white or black dial, and the company continues to rely on strong contrast for perfect legibility. New, however, are the black totalizer circles and the black Cerachrom monobloc bezel made of ceramic. This is a tribute to the Daytona version from 1965, whose black bezel was made of Plexiglas. The price for the new versions is around 11,300 euros each.

In 2017, Rolex introduced the Daytona in yellow, white and Everose gold. The typical characteristics were retained. The current starting prices for the version with an Oysterflex bracelet are around 25,000 euros for yellow gold, 26,150 euros for white gold and 26,150 euros for Everose gold. For models with precious metal bracelets, you have to expect a surcharge of 7,000 to 8,000 euros. If you like it even more luxurious and extravagant, you should take a closer look at the star of this year's Baselworld. This time, Rolex presented an extra classy Daytona model with a diamond dial. The case of the rose gold watch is set with 56 diamonds, instead of the tachymeter scale, 36 sapphires in rainbow colors adorn the bezel, and the hour indices have also been replaced by 11 sapphires. Despite the precious stones, no expense was spared when it came to functionality: the watch is water-resistant to 100 meters, the hour and minute hands have blue luminous material and the strap comes with a high-quality Oysterlock safety folding clasp. This piece of jewelry is sure to impress even the most demanding Rolex fans.

Especially after the last few decades, it has to be said that Rolex keeps coming up with something new with the Cosmograph Daytona to positively surprise fans and collectors - while still remaining true to the core of the classic. Certainly no easy task for over half a century. But the Swiss have managed to maintain the balance between innovation and consistency and not disappoint their fans. Die-hard Rolex fans have even had their own technical language with special terms and phrases for some time now: When, for example, they talk about a "racing dial", they mean a dial of the model in white gold. The corresponding version was produced between 2009 and 2016. When the term "inverted six" is used, they are talking about a dial variant of the automatic models. In the hour totalizer of this model, the six was aligned towards the middle until the mid-90s, i.e. inverted. But who is surprised by the fuss about this model series? The Daytona is a real phenomenon and a timepiece that is hard to imagine the watch industry without. And so it will probably remain with us for a long time to come as a model example of the best Swiss watchmaking.

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