Since the introduction of the gem-set manually-wound 6269 and 6270 Daytona references, Rolex has taken the basic case, dial, and strap (or bracelet) of the beloved chronograph, and adorned it with various gems, outfitted it with colorful and exotic straps, and decorated the dial with otherworldly materials. Some of the most extravagant, elegant, and exciting examples in the Rolex catalogue are in this elevated line of Daytonas, which have only increased in opulence since the introduction of the automatic Daytonas: first, the caliber 4030 and then the in-house 4130. Perhaps the upsized 40mm diameter allowed for a larger canvas for Rolex to experiment with.
At the turn of the century, Rolex introduced not only its new in-house automatic movement for the Cosmograph Daytona, the caliber 4130, but a new reference alongside it, the reference 116520. Coinciding with this launch, Rolex released a colorful, joyful line of Daytonas, all cased in 18K white gold on exotic straps. These watches have been dubbed the “Beach” series, with brightly colored hardstone dials in blue (turquoise), yellow (yellow mother-of-pearl), pink (pink mother-of-pearl), and green (like the present lot, green chrysoprase), paired with matching lizard straps. These offerings brought a levity to the new Daytona lineup, and over the years since its introduction, the Beach series has become highly coveted by collectors.
The present lot is fitted with a chrysoprase dial and has a complementary green lizard strap. Chrysoprase is a form of translucent chalcedony that runs the gamut of the green spectrum from very light, almost pastel, to a deeply saturated green, caused by the nickel content of the stone. True chrysoprase is quite rare because large pieces of consistent color and without major inclusions are difficult to find. For Rolex to source such large pieces of homogenous chrysoprase and other similarly fragile and scarce materials underscores their commitment to quality and excellence. The current K serial Daytona Beach is in excellent condition, having been serviced by Rolex in 2019, and comes with its service box and papers. The chrysoprase is an intense candy apple green with no cracks or inclusions, absolutely stunning and resplendent against the white gold case.