As we all know, there are watches that fall into the “Diver” category, but there are also those for which a separate “Driver” category was created, and the undisputed flagship of this category is precisely the Daytona. In principle, the original name of the model was Cosmograph, while the nickname “Daytona” was given to it at the end of the 1960s after many years of sponsorship in motorsport and in honour of Daytona International Speedway.
It is a well-known fact that Rolex is the largest manufacturer of luxury watches, with an annual production of over one million pieces, but despite this, it is a brand that not only retains its value over time better than most, but also has certain models that are almost impossible to simply buy from a distributor’s boutique. The hardest to find, and the ones with long waiting lists, are precisely the Daytona – in the steel version, regardless of whether it has the white or the black dial. The reason for this lies not only in the cult status that the model has earned over all these years, but also in the fact that Rolex send a limited number of steel Daytonas to each of their dealers, who in turn are forced to create waiting lists of clients and/or choose which one of them to “make happy”. All this leads to the situation we find ourselves in today – on the secondary market, Daytonas are offered at around 250–300% above retail price!
It is indisputable that the Daytona has long since become a fashion accessory, even a status symbol, but the watch contains very specific functions aimed at pursuing its original purpose – that of a true “driver”. Measuring and calculating time, average and instantaneous speed through the use of the chronograph and tachymeter scale – all these functionalities are intended to assist every owner of the watch in their sporting activities. The 40 mm Oyster case, and when this name appears in the name of a Rolex, it means you can confidently “get it wet”, together with the Triplock crown, provide water resistance of 100 m, sufficient for maritime adventures.
The Daytona is neither the most expensive, nor the toughest, nor the most complicated or most beautiful “Driver” – so why is it so desired, valued and successful? One of the reasons is certainly its now-famous Caliber 4030 movement – this is nothing other than Zenith’s cult El Primero, which has a reputation for being robust, accurate and long-lasting. Especially for the Daytona, it was modified, with the main difference compared with the original being that the operating frequency was reduced to 28,800 vibrations. An automatic chronograph with column wheel, hacking function, operating at 28,800 vibrations, with 31 jewels and a power reserve of over 54 hours. Precisely because of the movement, this model received the nickname “Zenith Daytona”, while the colour of the dial and the layout of the subdials led enthusiasts to call the model Panda.
The dial of the watch is very balanced and easy to read despite the many functions, while the luminescence of the hands and indexes makes it easier to use at night – it is in a pleasant greenish colour and glows sufficiently brightly and for a long time.
Although the Daytona is a professional instrument, as intended by the manufacturer from the very moment of its launch, it is clear to everyone that for quite some time it has become a luxury attribute – and for a long time this function has prevailed over the original reason for its creation. Perhaps precisely for this reason, Rolex do many things in this model in such a way that the appearance and overall impression created by the watch prevail over its functionality. The first thing that makes an impression is the sapphire – Rolex are proverbial for the fact that they do not apply anti-reflective coating to the crystals of their watches. There are several theories as to why, but the one we like the most is that Rolex do this so that the appearance of their watches does not change for a long time and generations of their owners can enjoy this consistency.
For the caseback of the watch, Rolex use a plain solid back, as they do in all their models – in the case of the Daytona, it is devoid of any markings, inscriptions or other “decorations”. As we all know, Rolex use noble 904L steel for their watches – the difference compared with the 316L steel commonly used by other brands lies in its greater resistance, especially to salt water. It is widely known that Rolex can be called fanatics when it comes to the metals they use – a large part of the metallurgical processes are carried out in-house in order to guarantee consistent quality of the raw material. Many watches have passed through our hands, but we can say absolutely categorically that few brands devote so much attention and effort to the quality of the final product from the point of view of case finishing – and as a result, the outcome can only be unique quality and presence.
The overall impression is complemented by the tachymeter bezel of the watch – its purpose is clear: to help calculate average speed, movement speed and other values important in motorsport.
Truly, in the 1960s Rolex created a great product and invested the following 50 years in improving and perfecting it. If at the beginning it was valued by customers as a not very expensive specialised watch mainly for motorsport, today it is to a greater extent a fashion accessory, which nevertheless has all the qualities to become a long-term partner of its owner. Besides not letting you down, it will also not lose much of its value, because it is no secret to anyone that this brand not only cannot be found with large discounts when new, but also has the reputation of producing some of the watches that best retain their value. And this particular model can confidently be placed among the front ranks of Rolex in terms of popularity and, accordingly, among the most sought-after and desired models. One of the reasons for this is certainly the fact that this watch looks equally good on your wrist whether you are wearing a formal suit or worn jeans and a white T-shirt – in both cases, the Daytona will help attract approving glances towards your appearance.
In addition, we would like to draw your attention to the fact that the dial of the Daytona offered today is Mark 3 – which is truly a great rarity for the so-called “Zenith Daytona”!
