Manufacturer: Rolex Year: CIrca 2009 Reference No: 116520 Case No: V290575 Model Name: Cosmograph Daytona Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Automatic, cal. 4130, 44 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet stamped "PJ 78590" to the endlinks Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Rolex deployant clasp stamped "EO11" Dimensions: 40mm diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and clasp signed Accessories: Accompanied by Rolex International Warranty card stamped by Las Vegas retailer Wynn & Co Jewelry and dated January 29, 2009, product literature, sale tag, green fitted presentation box and outer packaging
Catalogue Essay
Launched in 2000, reference 116520 is the first Daytona model featuring a fully in-house calibre when it was replaced by reference 116500.
The new model features a more-than-slight resemblance to its predecessor ref. 16520, but some subtle changes are apparent to the Rolex connoisseur: the diposition of hour counter and constant second is now inverted, with the hours at 9 o' clock and the seconds at 6. This makes the entire layout more tidy and rational: chronographic indication in the center of the dial - minutes on the right, hours on the left - and constant seconds at 6 as horological tradition dictates. Also, the subsidiary counters at 3 and 6 have been moved slightly higher on the dial, increasing the overall design balance. Finally, the hands are a little wider, for better readability.
The present specimen is an absolutely new-old-stock example of this historical reference, appearing for the first time at auction, and complete of its full original sale kit down to the sale tag.
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.