Today, Paul Boutros finishes off his exhaustive (nay...EPIC!) look at the Rolex Daytona. In part one, he told us about this historic chronograph's humble beginning with a pushers that pumped, a case that wasn't waterproof, and a Valjoux-based movement. He went on to tell us about the first automatic Daytonas, based on a heavily modified Zenith El Primero movement. In part two, he showed us just why Rolex's in-house caliber 4130 really is the automatic Daytona to own, above the Zenith's, and finally, today, he takes us into a full-length review of the modern Rolex Daytona 116520 as an entire watch, taking into account comfort, wearability, and attractiveness. A must read if you are considering buying a chronograph of any sort in the near future.
Wearing the Daytona ADVERTISEMENTFor one week, I had the pleasure of wearing the 116520 Rolex Daytona. The very first post 2000-made modern Rolex I've had the opportunity to wear for an extended period of time, I was a bit worried I'd find it too big, too heavy, or too flashy.
Key to my enjoyment of a watch is its wearing comfort. My initial concerns on the Daytona's size and weight quickly disappeared. The case with its long, steeply curved lugs, fit my wrist with glove-like comfort. Likewise, the Oyster-style bracelet was equally comfortable, with its taut yet supple solid steel links. A major improvement over the vintage Rolex bracelets I'm accustomed to, the craftsmanship, functionality, and quality truly impressed me. So enjoyable was the process of locking and unlocking of the innovative "Oysterlock?clasp, I found myself taking the watch on and off several times each day to experience its precise, smooth operation. The bracelet is that well made.
Timekeeping accuracy, over the course of seven days, was superb. The rate performance ranged from +1 second over 24 hours to +3 seconds over 24 hours. Most impressively, these rates were achieved with frequent use of the chronograph ?starting, stopping, and resetting it throughout each day. The fact that it was a new, factory fresh watch certainly is a factor behind this performance. But really, the main reason is the high-quality escapement ?the timekeeping heart of the watch. Rolex designed it for maximum accuracy with its large balance wheel and state-of-the-art, Rolex-made Parachrom balance spring. True to expectations, there were no jitters in any of the watch's hands when operating the chronograph ?thanks to the vertical clutch. Awesome.
Speaking of operating the chronograph, the tactile feel of actuating each pusher was crisp and assured, with just the right amount of tension. You immediately get the sense this is a well-made machine ?the feedback is comparable to chronographs with significantly higher retail prices. There is one downside I noted: The screw-down pushers are rather inconvenient. Though aesthetically, they look great (when screwed down), having to first unscrew each before use is annoying. Yes, they can be left in the unscrewed position, particularly if the watch will not be used underwater, but they look less attractive to my eyes. Perhaps the elimination of the screw-down pusher becomes the next evolutionary step in the Daytona line? I hope so!
The glossy black dial and contrasting, silver-ringed metallic sub-dials, combined with the high-polished lugs, bezel, and central bracelet links make the watch highly noticeable. Adding a bit more shine is the highly reflective, flat sapphire crystal, which I wish was domed like the acrylic crystals used by Rolex in the past.
The wide metallic rings encircling each sub-dial give the watch a lower-end look ?the least appealing design feature on the dial, in my opinion. When compared with vintage, manual-winding Daytonas, the 116520's aesthetic leans more towards a status-symbol than the more Spartan and modest reference 6263. Overall, the flashiness was not over-the-top, however, making the watch appealing to vintage watch fans like me.
So…would I buy this modern Daytona? Well, by day two of seven, I was sold. I submitted an offer to Fourtané to try to buy it. Their response was expected: "Sorry, we have a waiting list for it, and we do not discount.?
ADVERTISEMENT PROS+ Outstanding movement -among the industry's best self-winding chronographs
+ Superb, high-qualitybracelet and clasp
+ Classic, versatile styling
+ High accuracy ?unaffectedby chronograph's operation
+ High power reserve, evenwith chronograph activated
CONS- Screw down pushers limit accessibilityto chronograph function
- Metallic regions withinsub-dials look lower-end
- Flat, raised sapphirecrystal
This concludes our three-part look at the Rolex Daytona. We would like to thank Fourtane Jewelers of Carmel, California for loaning us the new Rolex Daytona Reference 116520 and Antiquorum Auction House for the use of some of its historic images. You may view Part One of this series here, and Part Two here.
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