Rolex’s Daytona Cosmograph is one of the most iconic and sought-after wristwatches ever produced. While early chronographs were produced as tool watches for motorsports and horse track racing, today they are a symbol of excellence in timekeeping, and precision haute horology. The Daytona is appreciated for its contemporary aesthetic with a masculine vibe and can be worn by both men and women. Since it was introduced in 1963, the model has undergone a multitude of changes from metal to acrylic bezels, addition of screw down pushers, and various caliber changes from manual to automatic movements. During the 1980s, Rolex began to adorn their sports watches with precious gemstones for their most exclusive and demanding clientele. In the late 1990s through the 2000s, Rolex specifically utilized the ultimate luxury tool watch, the Cosmograph Daytona, as a vehicle for gemological experimentation, and as the present “Beach” Daytona demonstrates, a new aesthetic with new dial types.
For a short period of time at the turn of the 21st century, Rolex offered the “Daytona Beach” with four dial types including yellow mother of pearl, green chalcedony, pink mother of pearl and like the present lot, turquoise. The models were produced not in stainless steel but in 18 karat white gold, and provided a colorful joie de vivre to the collection. Each example was offered with a matching colored strap, and they were very much an expression of a summer day at the beach. The model also featured Rolex’s new in-house automatic movement – the caliber 4130. Over the years the “Beach” series has become coveted by collectors, and today are highly sought after.
The present example with turquoise dial remains unpolished and is accompanied by the rare matching turquoise presentation box. The Daytona Cosmograph is a diverse tool watch that today is offered in many combinations, and this lovely “Beach” model is an opportunity to own one of these highly limited timepieces.
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.
