Results for Rolex Daytona

Celebrating 60 years of the Rolex Daytona

The One: The Rolex Daytona Reference 116508 in gold with a green dial

A few months ago, Revolution’s founder acquired his grail watch that’s been the object of his obsession since 2016. He describes what it’s been like living with it.

A Rose by Any Other Name – Uber Rare Rolex Daytona Surfaces at Phillips Hong Kong

Introducing New Rolex Daytona Meteorite Dials for 2021

Breaking News: Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona 6263 “Big Red” Sells for US$5.48m

The most expensive wristwatch ever sold when it achieved US$17.52m at Phillips, the Rolex “Paul Newman” Daytona once owned by the actor was a high watermark in vintage Rolex collecting when it sold in 2017. And now Phillips has sold another vintage Daytona owned by the late actor – a ref. 6263 “Big Red” – for US$5.48m including fees. Gifted by Newman to his daughter Clea in 2008, the ref. 6263 was originally given to Newman by his wife, engraved with a dedication on the back, just like the Daytona sold in 2017. Though selling for less than the 2017 example, the ref. 6263 becomes the third most valuable Rolex sold at auction, after the first Paul Newman Daytona and the ref. 6062 “Bao Dai” once owned by the last Emperor of Vietnam. Paul Newman pictured with the ref. 6263 in the 1980s The bidding for the Daytona opened at a little under US$1.00m, but dramatically jumped to US$2.00m with a bid by Paul Boutros of Phillips’ New York office. It progressed swiftly, with numerous bidders contesting the lot. But the winner was the bidder represented by Livia Russo of Phillips in Geneva, who clinched it with a US$4.50m bid, which totals US$5.48m with fees. Intriguingly, auctioneer Aurel Bacs commented during the bidding that if Ms Russo’s client won the watch, it would disappear into a private collection like the record-setting Daytona sold in 2017 – though he did not say it was the same client that that bought both watches.  

Insight: High-Tech LIGA Within the Rolex Daytona Cal. 4130

In-house movements are common in modern watchmaking, and practically the norm at the biggest brands. But new movements are usually developed to replace existing calibres, making 21st century movements with lifespans of decades fairly uncommon. Such mechanical longevity, on the other hand, is only possible with consistently implementing incremental but significant technical upgrades. Perhaps more than others, Rolex has perfected the art of carefully engineered movements that remain in production for many, many years thanks to incremental upgrades. The sheer scale of Rolex as a manufacture doubtlessly plays a big role in making that possible. Producing close to a million watches a year, according to estimates by banks Vontobel and Morgan Stanley – and owning almost all of its distribution and after-sales service network – Rolex certainly possesses tremendous data on the performance of its movements over prolonged, real-world use. Such information would be invaluable boosting the performance of its movements as well as extending the longevity of the calibre designs. The Cosmograph calibre One such long-lived movement is the cal. 4130 that debuted inside the Cosmograph Daytona in 2000. Over its two decade production run, the chronograph calibre – featuring both a column wheel and vertical clutch – has undergone four key technical updates according to Rolex, all of which are found in the cal. 4130s produced today. [And any Daytona with earlier versions of the cal. 41...

EXCLUSIVE – Unique Platinum Rolex Daytona at Sotheby’s

Sotheby’s is set to sell a unique platinum Perpetual Daytona with never-before-seen lapis dial as the star lot in its July Hong Kong sale.

Watch I Love: Rolex Daytona 116519 ‘Tahitian’ Dial

In the ‘Watch I Love’ series, Revolution editors take turns to reveal their favourite watch. Here, Ross Povey presents the Daytona 116519 ‘Tahitian’ Dial.

A Movement in History: The Zenith-driven Rolex Daytona

Unique White Gold Rolex Daytona Ref. 6265, the Unicorn, Sold for USD5.9mil

Spot the Watch: NCIS and the Rolex Daytona in Everose Gold

We spotted a familiar watch on the wrist of Special Agent, Timothy McGee in the hit show NCIS for this installment of Spot the Watch.

Weekend Contemplation: The Watch Market Isn’t In Crisis, But How Should We Describe Its Current State?

In March 2022, the global watch market was at an all-time high. A stainless steel Rolex Daytona was worth just over €50,000, any new limited-edition watch would sell out in a matter of minutes, and sites like Fratello attracted a lot of new readers. Since then, things have cooled down substantially. According to Chrono24, that […] Visit Weekend Contemplation: The Watch Market Isn’t In Crisis, But How Should We Describe Its Current State? to read the full article.

IWC Debuts the Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph

Just in time for the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, IWC reveals another rendition of a racing chronograph, the Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph. Available in two guises either titanium or Ceratanium, the new model retains the familiar visage of the standard Pilot’s Chronograph but with racetrack-inspired tweaks. Initial thoughts IWC has never quite had a bona fide racing chronograph with the gravitas of the Rolex Daytona or Heuer Carrera. Its past racing timepieces included the little loved and now discontinued Ingenieur and the more successful Pilot’s Chronograph Mercedes-AMG.  With the success of the Pilot’s Chronograph Mercedes-AMG with its Tiffany blue-esque colour, it’s unsurprising that another iteration has come along. The new chronograph has a distinctive racing aesthetic despite being a Pilot’s Chronograph, thanks to the tachymeter scale and more pronounced dial markings. The Formula 1 feel is particularly evident in the Ceratanium model that’s distinguished by its predominantly black design embellished with white and mint green accents.  That said, the paradox of a Formula 1-inspired aviator’s watch is hard to understand – the two themes don’t go together at all, although it is an appealing sports watch. IWC is relying on the strength of its bestselling Pilot’s line to build a racing offering, in part due to the Ingenieur’s historical lack of success. The Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team model The model starts at US$9,800 in ...

Artisans de Genève Introduces the Lance Armstrong Skeleton “Daytona”

Known for customised watches created for celebrity athletes, Artisans de Genève (ADG) has just revealed its latest project, the Armstrong. Based on a Rolex Daytona ref. 116520, the watch was commissioned by former pro cyclist Lance Armstrong. Though it looks thoroughly contemporary, it is modelled on the vintage Daytona ref. 6239 “Pulsations”, one of which just sold at Phillips for US$693,000. The vintage inspiration is literal, yet reinterpreted creatively. The Armstrong has been skeletonised and heavily modified, with both the hour register and automatic winding mechanism removed, resulting in an unusually minimalist watch. Initial thoughts Leaving aside Mr Armstrong’s chequered past – he was a cancer survivor and then multi-time world champion before getting a lifetime ban for doping – his namesake watch is surprisingly interesting. Although it is clearly modern in style, the Armstrong is vintage inspired – it is literally a manual-wind, “pulsations” Daytona. In that sense, it is actually a vintage remake with imagination. A significant amount of effort was clearly expended to get there, and the work appears to be of high quality. Doing away with large chunks of the movements feels drastic, yet the result is intriguing, both conceptually and visually. Or put more simply, it’s weird in a good way. The customisation is priced at about US$45,000, but that excludes the watch, which the client has to supply. It’s fair enough given the substantial work on...

In-Depth: Quantifying Performance and Trade-Offs in Movement Design Part II

Previously, in Part I of this series, we analysed and reviewed over 40 watch movements in terms of their potential chronometric performance – via the Horological Density Factor (HDF), which encompasses balance power and power reserve against the size of the movement – and debated the various trade-offs that had been made in order to achieve specific technical or aesthetic characteristics. Many readers then asked how more commonly known and accessible movements compare. To answer that we needed more data from the industry. Fortunately, Swiss movement makers Valjoux, Fabrique d’Horlogerie de Fontainemelon, Unitas, as well as their parent company Ebauches SA – now all part of ETA – once published beautifully comprehensive, detailed data sheets that included balance wheel inertia values. Armed with this data, we have been able to analyse and plot a further 25 movements alongside the previous group (with the disclaimer that it might not be fully up to date since the data sheets date from before the Quartz Crisis in the 1970s) to give a total of 68 to allow further investigation and review. The analysis Several popular movements have been added: the workhorse ETA 2824-1 and -2, the ubiquitous ETA Valjoux 7750 chronograph, the large diameter ETA Unitas 6497-1 and -2, and the ETA Peseux 7001. We also added, among others, the integrated chronograph cal. 4130 in the Rolex Daytona, and the modular chronograph versions of both the ETA 2892 (known as the ETA 2894) as well as...

Rockstars rocking vintage watches, Part 2 – Paul Newman Daytonas only

Ever since the “panda” dial Paul Newman Rolex Daytona sold for the GDP of a small African nation, it’s become the preserve of mega-rich rockstars only. And thus, we have just two examples of rockstars wearing it, one from the new school – old mate, Ed Sheeran who is quite the enthusiast and journeyman Eric Clapton. … ContinuedThe post Rockstars rocking vintage watches, Part 2 – Paul Newman Daytonas only appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Revolution Exclusive: Another Daytona with Ultra-Rare Lapis Dial Offered by Sotheby’s

Sotheby’s offers another Lapis dial Rolex Daytona, proving that lightning does strike twice; coming up for sale in Hong Kong Autumn of 2020

Book Review: Daytona Perpetual

Fans of the Rolex Daytona have a new, knowledgeable friend in the 300-page Daytona Perpetual, co-authored with Revolution’s very own Ross Povey.

Best 5 watches for under $5K at the Sotheby’s Important Watches auction

At the upcoming Sotheby’s Important Watches auction, you can browse the catalogue and find all manner of incredibly rare and important watches and clocks from all the best watchmakers in the world. There is everything you would expect, and more, including a possibly unique red dial Rolex Daytona, a factory gem-set yellow gold Rolex GMT-Master, … ContinuedThe post Best 5 watches for under $5K at the Sotheby’s Important Watches auction appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Four highlight watches from the Rolex “Daytona Ultimatum” Auction, with live pics of the lots

Here are the highlights from the recently concluded Rolex "Daytona Ultimatum" auction, by Phillips in collaboration with Bacs & Russo. Find out how the 32 Rolex Daytona fared in this highly-anticipated auction.

Paul Newman’s ‘Paul Newman’ Becomes the Most Expensive Watch Ever Sold at $17,752,500

Paul Newman’s ‘Paul Newman’ Rolex Daytona ref. 6239 goes down in history as the most expensive watch ever sold at Phillips Watches inaugural New York auction, going for $17,752,500.

Paul Newman Daytona 101

One watch that has been making headlines for the past few years is the Rolex Daytona ‘Paul Newman’. But how do you know if you are looking at the real thing? Just follow this simple guide assembled by The Watch Club for Revolution.

The Greatest of Grails: Paul Newman’s “Paul Newman”

Why is Paul Newman’s “Paul Newman” Rolex Daytona important to the greater story of horology? Why is it important that it’s been found? Phillips Watches’ Paul Boutros tells Revolution all, along with a little about their inaugural New York auction entitled: WINNING ICONS (26 October 2017).

Aziz Ansari Puts A 1978 Rolex Daytona Center Stage In 'Good Fortune'

In his feature directorial debut, Ansari gives a vintage Rolex Daytona a starring role-and teams up with Craft + Tailored's Cameron Barr to make it all real.

Rolex Daytona Rainbow: When An Icon Goes Colorfully Gem-Set

Aside from the watch that was made legendary by Paul Newman - and which would forever, unofficially, carry the famous actor’s name - there is probably no version of the Rolex Daytona that is more coveted than the “Rainbow” models that bring a meticulously designed and eye-catchingly beautiful assortment of colorful precious stones to the bezel, case, and dial of the motorsport-inspired luxury chronograph. Here is the story behind the Rolex Daytona “Rainbow” and why it has become yet another smash hit for the Crown in the 21st Century.  To start off, it’s worth answering the question, “Why is the Rolex Daytona so famous in the first place?” The model’s success story begins in 1962, when Rolex, hot on the heels of other genre-defining watch releases like the Explorer, GMT-Master, and Submariner several years earlier, became the official timekeeper of the “Great American Race,” the Daytona 500. In celebration of the partnership, the Swiss brand introduced its original “Cosmograph” racing-inspired chronograph watch the following year. The watch, notable for its tachymeter bezel and three-register dial design, adopted the name “Daytona” shortly thereafter and really took the enthusiast community by storm when actor, director, and part-time racecar driver Paul Newman began wearing one regularly. Newman became a big-screen icon in the 1970s, around the same time that auto racing took off in popularity as a spectator sport, and this confluence of...