Manufacturer: Rolex Year: Circa 2009 Reference No: 116519 Movement No: C0’329’563 Case No: V315’325 Model Name: Cosmograph Daytona Material: 18K white gold Calibre: Automatic, cal. 4130, 44 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Crocodile Clasp/Buckle: 18K white gold Rolex deployant clasp Dimensions: 40mm diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and clasp signed Accessories: Accompanied by Rolex guarantee stamped Iwafuneya Japan dated 13th September 2014 and presentation box.
Catalogue Essay
With its iconic shaped case and perfectly proportionate chronograph dial, it is hard to find a watch that can replace the Rolex Daytona. The ref. 116519 was launched at the turn of the century, highly desired for its all-white-gold livery of modern-production Daytonas, complete with the classic racing silhouette and slightly refreshed dial variants. In the flesh, the present example is immediately recognisable for its 40mm white gold case, screw-down crown and pushers, and tachymetric bezel that provides a distinctive aesthetic for the inimitable dial configuration. Fusing form and function, the off-white dial is complemented by black sub-registers with red accents and large Arabic numeral indexes, resulting in a clean and legible dial, an elegant comnination suited for any occasion. Since 2000, Daytonas are powered by the widely praised in-house cal. 4130, making its mark as a sulerlative chronometer timekeeper with a 72-hour power reserve.
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.