The year 2000 marked an important milestone for Rolex as they introduced their first automatic in-house chronograph cal. 4130, in the Cosmograph Daytona ref. 116520. This was a remarkable shift from the previous Daytona ref. 16520, which had used the Zenith El Primero-based cal. 4030 since 1988. The new Daytona was a revelation in design and technology. Extremely popular since its introduction in both black and white dial variants, ref. 116520 enjoyed a successful 16-year run before being discontinued in 2016.

The present distinguished example, bearing a “P” serial case number from circa 2000, features a mysterious prototype dial known as the “Moonraker”. When the 6-digit Daytona was introduced, the text was repositioned to align more closely with the coronet. However, the transitional "Moonraker" dials retained the earlier layout of the ref. 16520, resulting in the sub-dials being positioned relatively close to the text. Furthermore, the dial is characterized by a white matte textured finish and tritium hour markers.

Extremely rare with only a handful known, the “Moonraker” Daytona is featured in Pucci’s “Ultimate Rolex Daytona” book. The present example is further accompanied by its original warranty and offered in excellent overall condition - an opportunity not to be missed by collectors of exceptional timepieces.