Rolex Daytona History

Rolex Daytona History

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Transcript:
The Rolex Daytona: The ultimate tool for speed.

The Daytona has been one of Rolex’s most popular watches since its debut in the early 1960’s. As the name indicates, the model pays homage to Daytona Beach, Florida, the world capital of speed.
Between 1904 and 1935, fourteen world land speed records were set in Daytona Beach, five of them by avid Rolex-wearer Sir Malcolm Campbell. Over time, the area has become known as a destination for other sporting events, like the Daytona 500.

Just a few years after the first Daytona 500 in 1959, Rolex introduced the first Daytona wristwatch, reference 6239. The Rolex Daytona was designed specifically with sports car racers in mind. It quickly gained recognition after receiving an endorsement from legendary racecar driver and actor Paul Newman. Subsequently, the early Daytona models of the 1960’s and 1970’s are referred to as the Paul Newman series.

The Paul Newman series of Daytonas are incredibly rare nowadays and are considered valuable to modern watch enthusiasts and collectors. These models are characterized by a solid-colored dial with contrasting sub-dials and an outer minute track. The Daytona watches from this era are some of the most highly sought-after vintage Rolex models.

In the 1970’s, Rolex began making adjustments to the Daytona’s design. The most significant modification was to the appearance of the dial. Rolex phased out the iconic Paul Newman dials and transitioned to the silver and black dials typical of more modern variations of the Daytona.

Despite this departure, acclaim for the Daytona grew exponentially for the next several years. By the early 1980’s, watch enthusiasts considered the Daytona a collector’s timepiece, and by the end of the decade, the model was more popular than ever before.

In 1988, Rolex released another one of its most coveted Daytona variations, the Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona, reference 16520. And at the turn of the new millennium, Rolex introduced an exciting update – the new Daytona reference 116520, housed Rolex’s first in-house chronograph, the Caliber 4130. The Daytona reference116520 is still in production and continues to be one of the most popular watches in the Rolex family.

Today, the high demand for both vintage and modern variations of the Rolex Daytona is a testament to its reliability, durability, and timeless aesthetic.

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Видео Rolex Daytona History канала Crown & Caliber