Manufacturer: Rolex Year: Circa 2000 Reference No: 116520 Movement No: 0’053’266 Case No: P656’270 Model Name: Cosmograph Daytona Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Automatic, cal. 4130, 44 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet, max length 185mm Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Rolex Oyster deployant clasp Dimensions: 40mm diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement, bracelet and clasp signed Accessories: Accompanied by Rolex product literature, green passport holder, 2000 - 2001 calendar card, outer packaging and fitted presentation box.
Catalogue Essay
Launched in 2000, the Rolex Daytona ref. 116520 marked a new era for the famed model replacing its former ref. 16520 powered by the Zenith El Primero based cal. 4030. A milestone for Rolex, the new ref. 116520 featured the firm’s very first in-house chronograph cal. 4130. Although the aesthetics of the timepiece remain very similar to its predecessor, several minor upgrades were featured, such as its mirror-polished lugs compared to its previous reference with a brushed finish.
Furthermore, typical to only white dial examples of the ref. 116520 manufactured from 2000 – 2002 with serials P,K and Y, some examples develop a change in hue of the dial to a creamy color due to the nature of the material used, however at random.
The present example Rolex Daytona ref. 116520 from circa 2000 with a “P” serial is presented in excellent overall condition with no signs of color change on the dial.
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.