Manufacturer: Rolex Year: 2000 Reference No: 116519 Case No: P667’708 Model Name: Cosmograph Daytona “Beach” Material: 18K white gold Calibre: Automatic, cal. 4130, 44 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Lizard Clasp/Buckle: 18K white gold Rolex clasp, stamped 16519, AB Dimensions: 40mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and clasp signed Accessories: Accompanied by Rolex international guarantee, green presentation box, hang tag, green envelope, product literature and outer packaging.
Catalogue Essay
At the beginning of the 21st century, Rolex introduced a new in-house automatic movement for the Cosmograph Daytona, the caliber 4130 with the new reference 116520. Coinciding with this launch, Rolex released the reference 116519 and a colorful line of Daytonas encased in 18 karat 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. This collection brought a levity to the new Daytona line up, and in the years since its introduction, the “Beach” series has become highly sought after by collectors.
The present example 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 since 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 P serial Daytona Beach is in excellent condition, and complete with its guarantee, green presentation box and hang tag. The chrysoprase dial is an intense candy apple green with no visible cracks or inclusions, and absolutely stunning and resplendent against the white gold case.
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.