RolexDaytona

KEY FACTS

● Offered by a private vendor  

● Presented as a full set with its display box, outer box, warranty paper, sleeve, booklet, swing tag and calendar card. The vendor also notes that the mentioned accompaniments are in fantastic condition with the watch's original caseback sticker still mostly intact.

● Reported to be in good working order by the vendor and graded ‘A’ for condition

FUNCTIONS

● Hours, minutes, small seconds and 12-hour chronograph

● Powered by the chronometer-certified calibre 4030 (modified Zenith El Primero)

● Automatic winding with a 54-hour power reserve

● Screw-down crown and pushers deliver 100m of waterproofness

SUMMARY

The A serial Daytona offered here is among the last ‘Zenith’ examples and featured an SEL (solid end link) bracelet for the first time. The Rolex Daytona ref. 16520 marked a major milestone in the history of the model line. Popularly known now as the ‘Zenith Daytona’, it was the first self-winding Daytona reference. Rolex turned to the Zenith El Primero Calibre 400 - widely considered the best self-winding chronograph movement available on the market at the time.

In fact, Rolex heavily modified the El Primero movement, making some 200 changes to further improve reliability and ease of maintenance. This resulted in just 50% of the original movement remaining. The scarcity of Zenith El Primero movements, along with the amount of work required to enhance them to Rolex's specifications, resulted in the limited availability of this series of Daytonas from the start. With its 40mm Oystersteel case, the 16520 ushered in many of the features that have shaped the modern Daytona.

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