For those who acquired into watches over the past decade or so, there’s an excellent likelihood the Rolex Daytona—or somewhat one specific Rolex Daytona—had one thing to do with it. For a lot of the first 50 years of its life, the Daytona was a good Swiss chronograph (the time period for a timepiece with a built-in stopwatch perform) amongst a handful of top-tier decisions from manufacturers like Omega, Zenith, Breitling, and TAG Heuer.
When Paul Newman’s Daytona bought for greater than $17 million in 2017, nevertheless, it didn’t simply make historical past as the most costly wristwatch ever bought at public sale, it modified the best way individuals considered watches altogether. The headline-grabbing sale of Newman’s Daytona was the catalyst that reworked classic watches from a nerdy pastime for wealthy dudes into equipment with severe clout.
Wait, Why Is the Rolex Daytona Such a Massive Deal?
The hype across the Daytona has cooled considerably because the giddy highs of the early ’20s, however the watch retains its place as probably the most covetable designs from the world’s pre-eminent luxurious model, and selection fashions can nonetheless fetch seven figures at public sale. “The Daytona is arguably essentially the most iconic chronograph to have ever seen a wrist,” explains Geoff Hess, International Head of Watches at Sotheby’s. “It boasts a design [that is] immediately acknowledged by a essential mass of collectors…however maybe the most effective indicator of the enduring standing of the Daytona is the frequency with which it’s copied by others.”
It has not all the time been thus. The Rolex Daytona (full identify: Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona) was launched in 1963 and—like many different so-called “software watches”— was a sporty-yet-refined various to the dressy timepieces of earlier a long time. Initially dubbed the Cosmograph, it took on the identify Daytona when Rolex grew to become a sponsor of the 24 Hours of Daytona race (now generally known as the Rolex 24) held in Daytona Seaside, Florida. Rolex had been making chronographs because the Nineteen Thirties (these at the moment are recognized amongst collectors as pre-Daytonas) however due to a mix of savvy advertising and revolutionary design, the Cosmograph Daytona amassed a small however loyal following amongst collectors and motorsports fans together with, most famously, Paul Newman.
Makes Sense. How Has It Advanced within the Time Since?
In line with Michael Penate, the co-founder of Two Broke Watch Snobs, the fashionable Daytona’s reputation is right down to, “A mixture of historical past, shortage, and the correct quantity of hype.” Penate notes that the Daytona wasn’t all the time the golden little one of the Rolex fam, and early fashions sat in show instances for years (certainly, within the ‘80s, sellers would flip Paul Newman Daytonas for as little as $375.) Nowadays, issues are a bit completely different, to place it mildly. There’s a wild assortment of Daytonas within the Rolex catalogue, from basic Oystersteel and ceramic fashions to unapologetically blingy variations with rainbow bezels and tiger’s eye stone dials, however you’ll be able to’t simply stroll right into a Rolex boutique and purchase one. Due to a mix of excessive demand and comparatively low manufacturing, your greatest shot of bagging a late-model Daytona—significantly for those who’re after the metal model—is on the grey market, the place you’ll be able to count on to pay double the $16,000 sticker value.
Received It. Ought to I Purchase One Outdated or New?
If a classic Daytona tickles your fancy, you’ll have numerous variations and an entire lexicon of jargon to familiarize your self with, from early Nineteen Sixties fashions to uncommon “Khanjar” dial variations given as presents by the Sultan of Oman within the Nineteen Seventies. “It’s a black gap there’s no actual escape from,” says Penate. “Is it Paul Newman or non-Paul Newman? Pump pushers? Millerighe pushers? Double-Swiss-underline? Tropical dials? Each tiny element, and the intersection of these particulars, can imply the distinction between uncommon and grail-level.”
For those who’re able to make the leap into the world of Daytonas, Penate advises doing all of your homework—after which doing it once more. “For those who’re eyeing a classic piece, partnering with a trusted vendor is all the pieces. There are solely a handful of individuals on the earth I’d really depend on to search out a number of the most coveted examples,” he says. “Both approach, the extra getting into, the higher the journey (and the result) will probably be.” Listed here are a couple of of the fashions (or “references” in watch-speak) that collectors get essentially the most enthusiastic about.
