204
Rolex
Ref. 16520
Cosmograph Daytona "Floating Porcelain Dial"
勞力士，十分罕有、品相如新，精鋼自動計時鏈帶腕錶，備「Floating」陶瓷錶盤。附勞力士日本底蓋貼紙、勞力士日本保證書、錶盒
完整圖錄內容
In celebration of the Daytona’s 25th anniversary, Rolex released its first self-winding chronograph model, the reference 16520, at Baselworld 1988. Technically impressive, it was powered by the automatic Zenith El Primero calibre, which was substantially modified by Rolex. Over the years, this milestone timepiece has become a collectors’ favorite, with grail examples such as the early and rare “R” series chronographs like the present watch.
Indeed, while reference 16520’s popularity has increased dramatically in the past years, few automatic Cosmograph Daytonas are as beloved as the first-generation models ‘R Series’. As opposed to later examples, the Cosmograph script is set further apart from the first four lines of text, as if floating away toward the middle of the dial. Another charactieristic of early dials is the “inverted 6” on the 6 o’clock subsidiary register, highly appreciated by collectors today and which will be employed until the early 1990s. Floating dials lasted for a very short time before being updated to “4 liner” dials, which eliminate the “officially certified” line. Intriguingly, Rolex very soon went back on this decision and reinstated the full 5-line script, albeit this time the 5th line would be solid with the rest.
The reference 16520 was also the first Daytona to be fitted with a sapphire crystal, and with a larger case diameter measuring 40 mm. Originally equipped with the rare 200 graduation bezel, later examples would have a bezel calibrated to 400 units.
Rolex
Swiss | 1905Founded 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.