Rolex Daytona ref.16520 NOS de 1997

The story begins in 1988 at Baselworld when Rolex unveiled the new incarnation and most significant redesign of its flagship sports watch, the automatic Daytona. The 16520 Daytona announced the introduction of a new 40mm case and a sapphire crystal. Previous 62xx Daytonas had plexiglass crystals, so the introduction of robust sapphire crystals in the new case meant Rolex could guarantee the watches to a depth of 100m (330ft). This was Rolex's first automatic-winding chronograph.

Rolex's new Daytona was powered by a highly modified Zenith "El Primero" movement, the Calibre 400, which formed the basis of the new Rolex 4030 movement. Due to its very demanding standards, Rolex made more than 200 modifications to the base caliber. The movement had a power reserve of 52 hours and featured 31 jewels, a Breguet free-sprung balance spring, and most importantly, the automatic rotor. This movement served Rolex well for 12 years until Rolex launched its own in-house movement, the Calibre 4130, which powered the new generation of 116520 watches.

This piece, which we have the pleasure of offering to our friends and collectors today, is none other than my personal favorite variation of the 16520, a hollow bracelet with a polished finish on the central links and a satin finish on the lateral links gives the watch a very particular charm. For me, this feature is more appreciable for the wearer than any minuscule detail on the dial. The first pieces of the 16520 had a fully satin bracelet with a simple clasp, and the last pieces had a solid extension that generated confusion with the in-house mechanism 116520 and took away some of the watch's charm. Another detail that we must not forget to mention is its beautiful Tritium dial, without a doubt, the "perfect" Zenith Daytona.

Brand: Rolex
Model: Daytona
Reference: 16520
Year of manufacture: 1997
Serial number: U-6xxx
Material: Steel
Dimensions: 40mm
Crystal material: Sapphire
Luminescent material: Tritium
Caliber: cal.4030
Type of movement: Automatic
Extension measurement: 20mm
Bracelet: Oyster 78390 end-links 503B
Box/Papers: Box with original documents (9 pieces) non-punched papers.
Mechanical Function Guarantee: 6 months

Comments: minor aesthetic details due to storage, scratch on the lateral part of the case.

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