Manufacturer: Rolex Year: Circa 1996 Reference No: 16520 Movement No: 129’606 Case No: T878’944 Model Name: Cosmograph Daytona Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Automatic, cal. 4030, 31 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet stamped 78390, endlinks stamped 503 B, max length 180mm Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Rolex Oyster deployant clasp stamped "Z5" Dimensions: 40mm Diameter Signed: Dial, case, movement, bracelet and clasp signed
Catalogue Essay
The Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ref. 16520 was first introduced in 1989 bearing the serial “L” and an inverted “6” on the 6 O’clock subsidiary dial. The reference was the first of its kind to feature a Zenith El Primero ebauche with the calibre 4030.
The present example is a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona in stainless steel that features a desirable "tropical" registers developed through age across examples fitted with black dial, the present lot displays a uniformed tropicalization making it highly desirable and sought after by collectors.
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.