Rolex Daytona 116523 'MoP Telephone Dial'
SoldRolex Daytona 116523 'MoP Telephone Dial'
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They say there are no great deals to be had with vintage Rolex anymore. We disagree: two-tone Daytonas are criminally underrated and one of the best deals in town.While the prices of stainless steel Daytonas, particularly those with a Zenith movement, have sky-rocketed, the two-tone versions have long lacked popularity and prices have lagged behind on the more popular steel variants. Of course, this wasn’t going to last very long and watch collectors are finally beginning to appreciate the luxury sporty looks of two-tone Daytonas as well.This 116523 dates back to 2003 and is powered by Rolex’ very first in-house chronograph movement. The watch features a 40 mm stainless steel case with an 18k yellow gold engraved bezel and gold crown. While most two-tone Daytonas feature a classic champagne dial, and sometimes a silver variation, this watch comes with an uncommon and lustrous mother of pearl dial. The dial is accented with lovely 18k gold details by way of the raised rings around the sub-registers, the gold Rolex coronet, and, most importantly, the applied 18k yellow gold Arabic indices. The upright placement of these numerals is reminiscent of old rotary phones, earning this particular configuration the ‘Telephone dial’ moniker.The watch is in amazing condition with a razor sharp case and bracelet and even comes with the original box and papers!
Introduction
Rolex Cosmograph DaytonaRolex started making chronographs in the 1930s, but it was only in 1963 that a named product line was introduced: the Cosmograph. In some early advertisements, Rolex referred to the watch as the ‘Le Mans’ after the famous race track in France, although the name never appeared on the dial. After a few years, the line was officially renamed Cosmograph Daytona, after the racetrack in Florida.The most noticeable difference between these Cosmograph (Daytona) models and earlier Rolex chronographs was the tachymeter scale (used for measuring distance and speed) that was moved from its traditional placement on the dial to the bezel. Furthermore, the dial was updated with the introduction of contrasting sub-dials.It's hard to imagine now, but Daytonas received little love after their release. Most Daytonas languished in dealer displays for years and only started to get noticed by Italian collectors and dealers in the late 1980s. Nowadays, Daytonas are among the most sought after Rolex models, fetching prices from $20,000 for modern ones to many millions for rare vintage references. A big contrast with the $210 list price when it was first released!
Specifications
- SKU 6867
- Bezel material
- Boxed
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Bracelet
18K yellow gold and stainless steel Oyster bracelet, original Rolex
- Caliber
- Case Dimensions
- Case Material
- Dial
- Documents
- Glass
- Model
- Movement
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Reference
116523
- Year