The Rolex Daytona saw its first light of day in 1963 and is still the watch of choice for professional drivers the world over, more than 45 years later. Early models were exceptionally accurate for the time and are considered the ‘holy grail’ of prestige watches for many collectors.
Rolex’ association with motor sport began in the 1930s, when the company’s watches were seen on the wrists of pioneering racers. The brand became connected with the Daytona International Speedway track in the 1950s. Since the early 90s Rolex has been the sponsor of the Rolex 24 at Daytona – the ultimate test of speed and endurance for racing drivers and cars from all series.
24 hour races are few and far between and include the famous French Le Mans 24 hours, for which Rolex are official timekeeper. While in Formula 1 the cars are tuned and pushed to the limit for around a two hour period, the engineers and drivers of a 24 hour race must find a balance between performance and reliability; resulting in a car that can withstand extremes of speed for the full 24 period of the race. For car manufacturers the prize of winning a 24 hour race is unrivalled, yet perfectly complements success in the racing disciplines of Formula 1.
A racing driver has very different requirements in a timepiece than a diver or pilot, for whom many brands manufacture technical watches. The graduated tachymetric scale on the bezel of the Rolex Daytona allows drivers to accurately measure elapsed track time and average speed. The movement is a self-winding, COSC certified chronometer, complete with full function chronograph. The watch is waterproof to 100 metres – handy for those excursions into the harbour during the Monaco Grand Prix. The Rolex Daytona does not need to scream of its racing pedigree; whether in steel, gold or leather the watch is elegant and functional and, with a closer look, unmistakeable as the ultimate wrist-wear for high performers.