Manufacturer: Rolex Year: 1998 Reference No: 16519 Movement No: 195’202 Case No: A840774, case interior stamped 2119 Model Name: Cosmograph Daytona Material: 18K white gold, sodalite, diamond Calibre: Automatic, caliber 4030, 31 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Crocodile Clasp/Buckle: 18K white told Rolex deployant clasp, stamped DE Dimensions: 40mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and clasp signed. Accessories: Accompanied by wood Rolex presentation box, hang tag, green leather envelope, product literature, Rolex stick pin, Rolex Cosmograph Daytona plaque, Rolex service box and green pouch, and outer packaging.
Catalogue Essay
Rolex’s Cosmograph Daytona is one of the most iconic timepieces ever produced. Since it was first introduced in 1963, collectors and watch enthusiasts now long to own this model known for its masculine appeal and durability. Like other Rolex tool watches, the Daytona has undergone technical and design changes over the last nearly 70 years, however the base DNA has remained the same. Reference 16520 was launched in 1988 and took the watch world community by surprise. Until then, the Daytona was only available with a manually wound movement. With this reference, Rolex broke this tradition by introducing the automatic caliber 4030 based on a heavily modified Zenith El-Primero movement. The case was also enlarged to 39mm diameter. The public response was immediate, transforming the automatic Daytona into one of the most coveted watches, resulting in endless waiting lists around the world.
The reference 16519 was the white gold counterpart to the stainless steel 16520 – offered instead on a leather strap. The present example is fitted with a stunning and rare blue sodalite dial with diamond-set hour markers and is a wonderful example of Rolex seeking new innovative and imaginative ways to bring a new aesthetic to the Cosmograph Daytona. A pre-cursor to the beloved “Beach” series from the early 2000s, reference 16519s with hardstone dials show that experimentation with color is an expressive part of the Rolex way.
Preserved in excellent condition, the present model is a fine example of the rare hardstone dial Daytona Cosmograph.
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.
Ref. 16519 A rare and highly attractive white gold chronograph wristwatch with sodalite dial and diamond-set numerals with presentation box and hang tag
1998 40mm Diameter Case, dial, movement and clasp signed.