Rolex And The Spirit Of Racing – The Rolex Daytona Watch

ARTICLE DATE 11/10/2016

Rolex And The Spirit Of Racing – The Rolex Daytona Watch

Rolex Daytona Watch

There are few things that can get a watch lover going the way a Rolex Daytona watch can. This year saw what was undoubtedly the most anticipated Rolex release in the past ten years and you guessed it – it’s a new and improved Daytona model. It’s been the most talked about watch of 2016 and while the recently released 116500LN packs a few modern and beautiful upgrades, it’s important to understand the DNA that has kept the Daytona surviving for so long. It boasts a prodigious and extensive pedigree that encompasses tradition and technical innovation while remaining permanently associated with something we all love – really fast cars.

Rolex family

Rolex chronographs and the Daytona line, make up a family of some of the most extensively studied and catalogued watches in history. We’ve seen them sell at astronomical auction prices and fuel frenzy amongst collectors and enthusiasts alike. This is evident by the reaction the watch received in 2016 when its most notable upgrade was just a new ceramic bezel. There’s a reason for all of this and all it means is one thing – you can never go wrong with a Rolex Daytona watch.

Up close with a Rolex Daytona watch
Up close and personal with a Rolex Daytona

Vintage or modern. Stainless steel or precious metals. The Daytona often serves a grail for collectors around the world. It’s different. It’s not the black dial stainless steel Submariner you see around the mall four times a day or the subdued Datejust models that can often be dressier than most of us would like. It’s a totally different beast and Rolex has proudly carried and improved the line for decades.

Spirit of racing

Every year, Rolex sponsors the Rolex 24 at the Daytona International Speedway. It’s the first major automobile race that takes part in the United States every year and runs on a 3.56-mile combined course for a full duration of 24 hours. One of the coolest parts of the race is the fact that all winning drivers get a stainless steel Rolex Daytona. It’s a tradition that participants and fans of the sport can swoon over. This is the kind of connection to automotive sports that Rolex has pushed in both their history and their marketing since they first started producing sports chronographs and it works really, really well for them.

It’s a match made in heaven because the Daytona represents precision and quality in sports and timing. There is however one name that rivals Rolex with an equally strong connection to motor sports and that name is Heuer – that’s a topic for another time though.

Rolex Daytona with Paul Newman panda dial
Rolex Daytona with panda dial

The Rolex Daytona watch comes in a variety of configurations. The most common stainless steel versions offer a sporty experience for the wearer while maximizing versatility. Rolex has also released a variety of commemorative models like the platinum reference 116506 with a brown bezel and stunning ice blue dial. If you’re daring enough to go after the vintage models, you have plenty of choices but the panda dial 6239 Paul Newman Daytona…well that’s the one you have to get.

We do have Rolex Daytona watches

We’re no strangers to buying Rolex Daytona watches here at Gray & Sons. If you’re ready to step up your Rolex game and bring it to the next level, the Daytona is the perfect choice. Take a pit stop at our showroom and try one on for yourself. It’s a watch that needs to be experienced first hand and luckily, there are several configurations to choose from. Keep an eye out for our inventory, because these pieces move fast.

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