Rolex Daytona Ref. 16520 Full set ‘Zenith’

The Zenith-powered Rolex Daytona.

The Rolex Daytona was introduced in 1962 when Rolex was picked as the official timekeeper at the Daytona international speedway. First, the 4-digit reference Daytona’s were introduced, these watches have become incredibly famous since Paul Newman’s piece was sold at auction for a whopping 17,75 million dollars… Of course, the Day-Date is the president of Rolex watches, but the Daytona is the most collectible one. The Daytona 1652x was produced from 1988 until 2000, and many variations took place during its production. This definitely makes it one of the most interesting Rolex references ever made.

With the introduction of this Daytona, the bezel options disappeared. All models would be executed with an integrated metal bezel. The generation after this one changed very little in terms of design, which makes you feel like this Daytona is more of a modern watch than a vintage one. This piece is from 1997 though, putting it a little in a transitional era. This one of the reasons why the Zenith-powered Daytona is so desirable.

The Daytona we have on offer is in crazy condition. As mentioned, this watch is from 1997 and has the MK 4 dial, corresponding with the watch’s age and case number and warranty papers. The MK 4 dial was the first dial produced by Rolex, the production between 1988 and 1995 was done by Singer. The changes on the dial are noticeable, no more inverted 6, and the 5-line letter printing was pushed upwards towards the crown.

The subdials of this piece are silver and perfect. Some say that decoloration also took place on the tritium dials produced by Rolex between 1996 and 1998. Some even say that the so-called ‘Patrizzi’s’ can even occur in 1998 pieces… On some Rolex-related questions, there is no unrivaled answer, but the originality makes or breaks a watch. The dial of our Daytona is mint, original, and still has the exact silver-colored paint on the subdials how it was sold, making it almost look like new. We rarely see them this good.

The bezel (400 uph) is in great condition, with original paint which is undamaged. The case is great, the round curves are unaltered with no scratches or dents. The bracelet is just as good, if not better, the original bracelet barely shows any stretch and already has the glossy middle link. This watch is a winner and comes with its original box and papers.

If you’re looking to add a Daytona with Zenith-movement to your collection, our piece is definitely one you should consider. Condition and originality determine how good the watch is, and this piece is one of the best.

Feel free to contact us for more information. Available now.