Rolex Daytona 16520

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1988 was the year of introduction of the second-generation Daytonas; the Zenith Daytona starting with reference 16520. This Daytona, dating back to 1998, is a very handsome specimen as it is in absolute mint condition. It still has the original green Rolex sticker on the caseback, the bracelet has no stretch and the watch has barely been polished. This can easily be seen when you take a closer look at the bezel as the numbers of the tachymetric scale are still clearly visible. The Zenith Daytonas are larger (40 mm) than their predecessors and have a black-lacquered, glossy dial as opposed to the matte or metallic dial. The crown guards and sapphire crystal make it a very robust watch. The watch is powered by the famous El Primero-based Zenith caliber 4030, which was Rolex's first self-winding chronograph movement. 

Introduction

Rolex 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 were 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 $15,000 for modern ones to many millions for rare vintage references. A big contrast with the $210 list price when it was first released!

Shipping

Packages are generally dispatched within 2 days after receipt of payment and are shipped within the Netherlands by Registered Mail through the Dutch carrier PostNL and for other countries by Fedex. Consult us if you prefer another method of shipping. For most destinations tracking is available.