Reference 116520 made history as it was the very first Daytona to feature a fully in-house Rolex movement (abandoning the Zenith El Primero calibre used for the previous automatic Daytona: 16520).

The present example is without a doubt one of the most collectable to come out of the factory, as not only it is an extremely early "P series" example, a detail which in itself already places the present watch above its standard peers. Most importantly, however, this is a "Winner" Daytona.

Rolex, capitalizing on - and keeping alive - its historical roots of "tools watch" company, sponsors a number of sports events worldwide in the most disparate fields, from sailing to, in this instance, car racing. Watches awarded to the winners of these competitions are extremely sought-after in virtue of a number of reasons: they are virtually unique pieces, as each watch is usually engraved to the back with a commemorative inscription, but most importantly they are the purest form, in modern times - of Rolex DNA: a brand which makes watches unsurpassably reliable and dedicated to the world's foremost athletes, racers and explorers.

Research on the present timepiece shows that it was awarded to Chris Bingham, the 2002 winner of the "Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series" (GTS class). The event, held between 2000 and 2013, included a series of races across different classes (including prototypes and more classical Grand Touring-style categories). In 2013 the association merged with the America Le Mans Series to form the Unified SportsCar Racing. A celebrated racing driver, Bingham first commenced his professional racing career with four Indy Lights starts in 1997 and also participated in the 24 Hours of Daytona in a GT3-class Porsche. Having participated in the Grand American Road Racing Championship for a second time 2002, Chris Bingham had won the title for a second championship and was offered the present watch upon his victory.