Manufacturer: Rolex Year: 2002 Reference No: 116519 Movement No: C0'068'715 Case No: Y'326'161 Model Name: Cosmograph Daytona Material: 18K white gold Calibre: Automatic, cal. 4130, 44 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Leather Clasp/Buckle: 18K white gold Rolex deployant buckle Dimensions: 40mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and clasp signed Accessories: Accompanied by Rolex guarantee August 25, 2003, numbered sales tag, product literature, original sales tag and green presentation box.
Catalogue Essay
Offered in unpolished condition with its Rolex sticker still intact, this Cosmograph Daytona is cased in white gold, adding a luxurious twist to the iconic sports model. It houses the caliber 4130, which was Rolex's very first in-house automatic movement. In contrast, its predecessor, reference 16519 was powered by the Zenith caliber 4030.
The watch is offered with its all original accessories such as the numbered sales tag, guarantee stating the watch was retailed at Georg Kittel, Aurich, product literature and presentation box.
Founded in 1905 England by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis as Wilsdorf & Davis, it soon became known as the Rolex Watch Company in 1915, moving its headquarters to Geneva in 1919. Like no other company, the success of the wristwatch can be attributed to many of Rolex's innovations that made them one of the most respected and well-known of all luxury brands. These innovations include their famous "Oyster" case — the world's first water resistant and dustproof watch case, invented in 1926 — and their "Perpetual" — the first reliable self-winding movement for wristwatches launched in 1933. They would form the foundation for Rolex's Datejust and Day-Date, respectively introduced in 1945 and 1956, but also importantly for their sports watches, such as the Explorer, Submariner and GMT-Master launched in the mid-1950s.
One of its most famous models is the Cosmograph Daytona. Launched in 1963, these chronographs are without any doubt amongst the most iconic and coveted of all collectible wristwatches. Other key collectible models include their most complicated vintage watches, including references 8171 and 6062 with triple calendar and moon phase, "Jean Claude Killy" triple date chronograph models and the Submariner, including early "big-crown" models and military-issued variants.