In the previous blog we have talked about the birth and history of Daytona. At that time, Daytona was still a niche chronograph, and due to the impact of the quartz crisis, in fact, Daytona was not welcomed by the market, and it belonged to a situation that no one cared about.
In 1988, Rolex completely changed the COSMOGRAPH DAYTONA series. Launched the Ref. 165XX collection, equipped with an automatic movement supplied by Zenith. The size is also changed from the original 39MM to 40MM, the crystal is upgraded to sapphire glass, and the middle of the strap is also polished.
Regarding this change, it can be said that it is a watershed between medieval and modern Daytona. In addition to the movement change, the appearance has also been significantly changed. The size is increased by 1MM, the black rubber ring is cancelled and the steel/gold ring is unified. Add shoulder pads to the head position, and add the observatory certification logo at 12 o’clock on the dial except the LOGO. The logo of COSMOGAPH DAYTONA is still retained, and a more modern configuration is adopted as a whole, and the waterproofness has also been raised to the standard of 100M.
Due to cost constraints, Zenith’s El Primero 400 is used as the basis for the movement, and up to 200 improvements have been made to its El Primero movement, including: in addition to the material and polishing changes, the more critical changes – the pendulum frequency of the El Primero is reduced from 36000 to 28800, 52 hours of power, 31 jewel bearings; the calendar device of El Primero has been removed; the original flat hairspring of ELPRIMERO is replaced by a Breguet-type tail-winding hairspring, and a balance wheel without a card is used. The improved ELPRIMERO movement was named 4030 automatic chronograph movement by Rolex.
In terms of style, Rolex has made a considerable extension of the Daytona, producing a variety of different styles. In addition to the regular black and white steel models, inter-gold, belt gold shell, and gold belt gold shell, there are also many more special dial options on the dial surface, and there are more gemstone dials and diamond-encrusted dials since then.
For example, this white gold case uses sodalite as the dial. It is also a common practice for watch brands to combine sports replica watches with gemstones to increase their gold content. In addition to the regular special gem face, some more special disk faces are slowly emerging. For example, in the early days, there was porcelain face, jumping characters, patrizzi face, inverted 6, and color-changing circles, all of them are artificial gimmicks. These strange ways of playing are also what everyone at the auction wants to see most.
Among the many Daytonas, according to the current market situation, the 16523 of the gold model is the cheapest style among all Daytonas. The saying that gold is not as good as steel has a long history, especially in the antique player circle, so the recognition of gold is not high, and the price gap between the steel and gold models is very large.
At the Basel Watch Fair in 2000, Rolex launched the fully self-produced Daytona1165XX series. Equipped with the self-produced automatic chronograph movement Cal. 4130, Rolex has finally established its position in the chronograph. The integrated module is more stable than most competing movements, and it has been proven to be the best movement of all automatic chronographs for many years.
With the new movement Daytona, the small seconds dial was changed from nine o’clock to six o’clock. The positions of the left and right small second dials are also raised, and are no longer aligned with the central axis. The case part cancels the brushing and polishing, and all are polished. The overall shell shape will also be fatter than before, but the thickness has not changed much, and it is even a little thinner because of the self-produced movement.
At the same time, the replica watch is also becoming more and more exaggerated. The tiger pattern plate is matched with a circle of sugar cube diamonds, and even the lugs have to add a few diamonds. This is also due to the success of the self-produced movement, making the 116520 steel daytona become the Rolex’s golden emblem. According to Rolex’s internal rumors, Daytona is the favorite replica watch worn by high-level managers.
Because the 4130 is too good, the new 116500 will continue to use this movement in 2016. The new model replaces the new Cerachrom ceramic bezel in style, and the outer ring scale has been changed. The new Daytona is still on sale due to its high standardization from the factory.
In addition to the regular style changes, Rolex’s 116518 gold tape version of the Daytona in 2017 has also become more and more popular in recent years. The configuration of the tape is a popular choice in recent years, and under its hype, the price has approached some Daytona with all precious metal straps.
Many people don’t understand why tape-style replica watches can be sold so expensively. It can be seen that Patek Philippe grenades and Richard Mille are also made of tape, and these styles often require super-cost to buy. In terms of cost alone, is tape more expensive than steel tape or even precious metals?
This is actually the charm of luxury goods. The actual material cost is not the key to luxury goods, but the fact that he can provide ancillary value that everyone can recognize is the core of determining the price.
The light weight of the tape is also reflected in the comfort of wearing. It is heavy and uncomfortable to carry the big gold every day, and it is easy to bump and scratch. The tape reduces a lot of unnecessary troubles.
Of course, there are exceptions to everything, such as this “rainbow daytona” inlaid with seven-color diamonds, which is the ceiling of Daytona. I believe that my cousins can’t refuse these beautiful gems. Women will cry when they see them, and men will dig their wallets when they see them. Of course, it is not to advocate that everyone pursue popular models, but it is enough to choose within the range that is acceptable to one’s own psychology.
A senior once told me that how to judge the market of Rolex, one can only look at the price of Daytona, because he is the benchmark of Rolex. He is a very prestigious series in all Rolex, his production is stable and is recognized around the world as a good watch. Although the submariner can also do these things, but in terms of status, Daytona has obviously improved a notch, which also makes the value behind him even higher.
