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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex Cosmograph Daytona}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex Cosmograph Daytona}}
{{#seo:
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex Daytona — Reference Guide to Every Model & Year | Rolexopedia
|title=Rolex Daytona — Reference and Movement Guide | Rolexopedia
|description=Every pre-2020 Rolex Cosmograph Daytona reference, from the 1962 Pre-Daytona 6238 through the 2000-2016 in-house cal 4130 generation. Production histories, dial variants, movement specs, and collector context.
|description=Rolex Daytona references from the manual-wind models through the Zenith and caliber 4130 generations, with production periods, dial differences and auction provenance.
|keywords=Rolex Daytona, Cosmograph Daytona, Paul Newman Daytona, Zenith Daytona, vintage Daytona, 6239, 6263, 6265, 16520, 116520, manual-wind chronograph, Valjoux 72, cal 4030, cal 4130
|keywords=Rolex Daytona, Cosmograph Daytona, Paul Newman Daytona, Zenith Daytona, vintage Daytona, 6239, 6263, 6265, 16520, 116520, manual-wind chronograph, Valjoux 72, cal 4030, cal 4130
|image=Daytona vintage poster.webp
|image=Daytona vintage poster.webp
|image_alt=Vintage Rolex Cosmograph Daytona advertising — the chronograph that defined the line
|image_alt=Vintage Rolex Cosmograph Daytona advertisement
|type=Article
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|og_type=article
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The Cosmograph Daytona is Rolex's chronograph line and the family that now anchors the brand's collector market. Rolex launched it in 1963, ran the manual-wind generation to 1988, switched to Zenith-based automatics that same year, and brought the movement in-house with cal 4130 in 2000.
The Cosmograph Daytona is Rolex's chronograph family, introduced in 1963. The original manual-wind watches used Valjoux-based movements. Automatic winding arrived with the Zenith-derived caliber 4030 in 1988, followed by Rolex's own caliber 4130 in 2000.


The map runs in four blocks: the 6238 Pre-Daytona, then the manual-wind Daytona from 1963 to 1988, the Zenith automatic from 1988 to 2000, and the in-house 4130 era from 2000 to 2016. Current ceramic-era production sits outside this page.
The reference tables begin with the 6238 predecessor and run through the 4130 generation. Rolex introduced the redesigned 4131 generation in 2023. Earlier Oyster and non-Oyster chronographs are covered under [[Reference:pre-daytona-chronographs|pre-Daytona chronographs]].


Origins from 1937 to 1963 sit on a dedicated page. The Antimagnetique, Monoblocco, and 4xxx tonneau Oyster chronographs that hand the layout to the [[Reference:6239|6239]] are tracked under [[Reference:pre-daytona-chronographs|pre-Daytona chronographs]].
[[File:Daytona vintage poster.webp|thumb|center|400px|alt=Vintage Rolex Cosmograph Daytona advertisement|Vintage Rolex Cosmograph Daytona advertisement]]
 
[[File:Daytona vintage poster.webp|thumb|center|400px|alt=Vintage Rolex Cosmograph Daytona advertising — the chronograph that defined the line|Vintage Rolex Cosmograph Daytona advertising — the chronograph that defined the line]]


== Common entry points ==
== Common entry points ==


<div class="rp-grid">
<div class="rp-grid">
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Identifying a manual-wind acrylic Daytona?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:6263|6263]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">Longest-running manual-wind Daytona, caliber 727, screw-down pushers. Hosts the Albino, Big Red, RCO, and the retailer-signed branches.</div></div></div>
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Manual-wind, black bezel</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:6263|6263]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">Caliber 727, screw-down pushers and a black acrylic bezel insert. Dial variants include the large red Daytona signature known as Big Red.</div></div></div>
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Working from a Zenith-era dial photo?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:16520|16520]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">Twelve years on caliber 4030 with the seven-mark dial progression — MK1 floating Cosmograph porcelain through MK7 Luminova, plus the Patrizzi sub-branch.</div></div></div>
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Zenith automatic, steel</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:16520|16520]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">Caliber 4030, sapphire crystal and an engraved steel bezel. The article compares dial printing and the brown subdial rings called Patrizzi.</div></div></div>
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Cross-checking an in-house automatic Daytona?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:116520|116520]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">First in-house Daytona, caliber 4130 with vertical clutch and column wheel, sixteen-year run from 2000 to 2016.</div></div></div>
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Rolex automatic, steel bezel</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:116520|116520]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">The 2000–2016 steel Daytona with caliber 4130. Running seconds moved to the subdial at 6 o'clock.</div></div></div>
</div>
</div>


== Manual-wind chronograph (1962–1988) ==
== Manual-wind chronograph (1962–1988) ==


This is the Valjoux 72 era. Rolex first sold the 6238 as the Pre-Daytona, then moved the tachymetre to the bezel on the 6239. Screw-down pushers and the Oyster case arrived with the 6240, while the 6241 kept pump pushers behind an acrylic bezel insert. After the brief transitional 6262 and 6264, the 6263 and 6265 carried the manual-wind line out to 1988 on caliber 727.
The [[Reference:6238|6238]], now called the Pre-Daytona, has its tachymetric scale on the dial. The [[Reference:6239|6239]] moved that scale to the bezel in 1963. Rolex added screw-down chronograph pushers with the [[Reference:6240|6240]] in 1965; the [[Reference:6241|6241]] combined a black acrylic bezel insert with the earlier pump pushers.
 
The short-lived [[Reference:6262|6262]] and [[Reference:6264|6264]] retained pump pushers but used caliber 727. The [[Reference:6263|6263]] and [[Reference:6265|6265]] paired that movement with screw-down pushers and remained in the range until the late 1980s.


{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Bezel !! Pushers !! Key distinction
! Reference !! Approximate period !! Movement !! Bezel !! Pushers !! Distinction
|-
|-
| [[Reference:6238|6238]] || 1962–1968 || 722 || Smooth || Pump || "Pre-Daytona"; chronograph without the Daytona name; tachymetre printed on the dial
| [[Reference:6238|6238]] || c.1962–1968 || 72B / 722 || Smooth metal || Pump || Tachymetric scale on the dial
|-
|-
| [[Reference:6239|6239]] || 1963–1969 || 722 || Engraved metal tachymetre || Pump || First true Cosmograph Daytona; Paul Newman's reference
| [[Reference:6239|6239]] || c.1963–1969 || 72B / 722 family || Engraved metal || Pump || The first Cosmograph reference; Newman's own exotic-dial watch was a 6239
|-
|-
| [[Reference:6240|6240]] || 1965–1969 || 722-1 || Acrylic black insert || Screw-down || First Oyster Daytona; introduced screw-down pushers and 100m water resistance
| [[Reference:6240|6240]] || c.1965–1969 || 722 family || Black acrylic insert || Screw-down || Introduced screw-down pushers to the Daytona
|-
|-
| [[Reference:6241|6241]] || 1966–1969 || 722-1 || Acrylic black insert || Pump || Pump-pusher sibling of the 6240; hosts the 14k yellow gold John Player Special
| [[Reference:6241|6241]] || c.1966–1969 || 722 family || Black acrylic insert || Pump || Black-insert alternative to the metal-bezel 6239
|-
|-
| [[Reference:6262|6262]] || 1970–1972 || 727 || Engraved metal tachymetre || Pump || Brief transitional pair — pump pushers with the new 21,600 vph caliber
| [[Reference:6262|6262]] || c.1970–1972 || 727 || Engraved metal || Pump || Caliber 727 in a pump-pusher case
|-
|-
| [[Reference:6263|6263]] || 1969–1988 || 727 || Acrylic black insert || Screw-down || Longest-running manual-wind Daytona; Albino, Big Red, RCO, every retailer-signed branch
| [[Reference:6263|6263]] || Around 1970–late 1980s || 727 || Black acrylic insert || Screw-down || Black-insert counterpart to the 6265
|-
|-
| [[Reference:6264|6264]] || 1970–1972 || 727 || Acrylic black insert || Pump || Acrylic-bezel pump-pusher sibling of the engraved-metal 6262; same brief window
| [[Reference:6264|6264]] || c.1970–1972 || 727 || Black acrylic insert || Pump || Black-insert counterpart to the 6262
|-
|-
| [[Reference:6265|6265]] || 1971–1988 || 727 || Engraved metal tachymetre || Screw-down || Metal-bezel sibling of the 6263; the Unicorn 18k white gold lives here
| [[Reference:6265|6265]] || Around 1970–late 1980s || 727 || Engraved metal || Screw-down || Metal-bezel counterpart to the 6263
|}
|}
Vintage production dates vary between sources. Monochrome gives 1971–1988 for the 6263/6265 pair; Phillips's Geneva XX catalogue discussions place their introduction in 1969 or the early 1970s and their end in 1987. Monochrome's 1963–1969 range for the 6239 also differs from the later endpoint in Phillips's account.
The early movements belong to the Valjoux 72 family. Catalogues use the designations 72B, 722 and 722-1; Phillips identifies a 72B in an early 6239 and a 722 in a 6241. The reference number alone does not identify the caliber fitted to an individual watch.


== Zenith automatic (1988–2000) ==
== Zenith automatic (1988–2000) ==


Rolex reworked the Zenith El Primero into caliber 4030 by cutting the beat rate, removing the date, and fitting a Rolex balance and escapement. The 16520 is the steel reference; 16518, 16519, 16523, and 16528 are the gold and Rolesor parallels. The 16520 dial map is the main collector battleground of the era.
Caliber 4030 is Rolex's reworking of the Zenith El Primero 400. Rolex removed the date mechanism, reduced the frequency from 36,000 to 28,800 vibrations per hour and changed the balance assembly. The steel [[Reference:16520|16520]] has a sapphire crystal and crown guards, both departures from the manual-wind models.


{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Material !! Bracelet !! Key distinction
! Reference !! Period or dated example !! Movement !! Material !! Bracelet or strap !! Distinction
|-
|-
| [[Reference:16520|16520]] || 1988–2000 || 4030 || Stainless steel || Oyster (78360 → 78390) || First automatic Daytona; MK1 floating Cosmograph porcelain through MK7 Luminova; Patrizzi
| [[Reference:16520|16520]] || 1988–2000 || 4030 || Steel || Oyster bracelet || Steel automatic Daytona; dial variations include changed text spacing and Patrizzi subdial rings
|-
|-
| [[Reference:16518|16518]] || 1988–2000 || 4030 || 18k yellow gold || Leather strap || Yellow gold leather-strap sibling
| [[Reference:16518|16518]] || Documented sale in 1992; 1990s || 4030 || 18k yellow gold || Leather strap || Strap-mounted yellow gold version
|-
|-
| [[Reference:16519|16519]] || 1989–2000 || 4030 || 18k white gold || Leather strap || White gold leather-strap sibling
| [[Reference:16519|16519]] || Catalogued example c.1997; late 1990s || 4030 || 18k white gold || Leather strap || Strap-mounted white gold version
|-
|-
| [[Reference:16523|16523]] || 1988–2000 || 4030 || Steel + 18k yellow gold (Rolesor) || Oyster || Two-tone Rolesor variant
| [[Reference:16523|16523]] || c.1988–2000 || 4030 || Steel and 18k yellow gold || Oyster bracelet || Two-tone version, called Rolesor by Rolex
|-
|-
| [[Reference:16528|16528]] || 1988–2000 || 4030 || 18k yellow gold || Oyster || Yellow gold bracelet sibling
| [[Reference:16528|16528]] || c.1988–2000 || 4030 || 18k yellow gold || Oyster bracelet || Bracelet-mounted yellow gold version
|}
|}


== In-house cal 4130 (2000–2016) ==
Monaco Legend records a December 1992 warranty sale for a 16518; Phillips dates a 16519 to around 1997. Neither catalogue establishes an exact launch date.


Caliber 4130 brought vertical clutch, column wheel, and a 72-hour reserve. The 116520 is the steel reference; 116523 and 116528 are the Rolesor and yellow-gold siblings. Cerachrom reached the Cosmograph in 2011 on the Everose-gold [[Reference:116515LN|116515LN]], then the platinum [[Reference:116506|116506]] in 2013, and steel in 2016 with the [[Reference:116500LN|116500LN]]. The 2017 Baselworld release carried it across the remaining precious metals on the Oysterflex strap: the yellow gold [[Reference:116518LN|116518LN]], the white gold [[Reference:116519LN|116519LN]], and the 116515LN re-cased off leather.
Dial-mark numbers depend on the author's classification. Ross Povey's account in Revolution uses Stefano Mazzariol's five-mark scheme for the 16520. The linked reference article compares the schemes and their dating limits. A later service dial can sit in an earlier case.
 
<span id="In-house_cal_4130_(2000–2016)"></span>
== In-house caliber 4130 (2000–2023) ==
 
Caliber 4130 introduced a vertical clutch and an approximately 72-hour power reserve. On the steel [[Reference:116520|116520]], running seconds moved from 9 to 6 o'clock. The steel reference ended in 2016, but other 4130 Daytonas continued until the 2023 redesign.
 
Ceramic bezels arrived in stages: the Everose-gold [[Reference:116515LN|116515LN]] in 2011, platinum [[Reference:116506|116506]] in 2013 and steel [[Reference:116500LN|116500LN]] in 2016. Rolex added Oysterflex versions in yellow, white and Everose gold in 2017. Oysterflex has flexible metal blades covered in elastomer.


{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Material !! Bezel !! Key distinction
! Reference !! Approximate period !! Movement !! Material !! Bezel !! Distinction
|-
|-
| [[Reference:116520|116520]] || 2000–2016 || 4130 || Stainless steel || Steel tachymetre || First in-house Daytona; APH error dial; Fratello-measured 38.5mm true case
| [[Reference:116520|116520]] || 2000–2016 || 4130 || Steel || Engraved steel || Steel bracelet model, replaced by the ceramic-bezel 116500LN
|-
|-
| [[Reference:116523|116523]] || 2000–2016 || 4130 || Steel + 18k yellow gold (Rolesor) || Gold tachymetre || Two-tone Rolesor variant; Rolex 24 At Daytona GT Champion presentation watches
| [[Reference:116523|116523]] || c.2000–2016 || 4130 || Steel and 18k yellow gold || Engraved yellow gold || Rolesor model preceding the 116503
|-
|-
| [[Reference:116528|116528]] || 2000–2016 || 4130 || 18k yellow gold || Gold tachymetre || Full yellow gold bracelet variant; Eric Clapton's example sold 2017
| [[Reference:116528|116528]] || c.2000–2016 || 4130 || 18k yellow gold || Engraved yellow gold || Yellow gold Oyster bracelet; replaced by the 116508
|-
|-
| [[Reference:116518|116518]] || 2000–c.2015 || 4130 || 18k yellow gold || Gold tachymetre || Yellow gold leather-strap counterpart to the 116528; alligator on yellow gold deployant; broad cal 4130 dial catalogue
| [[Reference:116518|116518]] || 2000s–2010s || 4130 || 18k yellow gold || Engraved yellow gold || Leather-strap version preceding the 116518LN
|-
|-
| [[Reference:116519|116519]] || c.2000–c.2016 || 4130 || 18k white gold || Engraved white gold tachymetre || White gold leather-strap counterpart to the 116509; carried the four pastel "Beach" dials with matching lizard straps; Paul Newman owned one
| [[Reference:116519|116519]] || 2000s–2010s || 4130 || 18k white gold || Engraved white gold || Leather-strap version; includes the coloured-dial Beach series
|-
|-
| [[Reference:116509|116509]] || 2004–c.2023 || 4130 || 18k white gold || Engraved white gold tachymetre || Only cal 4130 Daytona on a white gold Oyster bracelet; broadest stone-dial catalogue — meteorite, chrysoprase, turquoise, sodalite
| [[Reference:116509|116509]] || 2004–2023 || 4130 || 18k white gold || Engraved white gold || White gold Oyster bracelet
|-
|-
| [[Reference:116505|116505]] || 2008–2023 || 4130 || 18k Everose gold || Engraved Everose tachymetre || First Everose Daytona; Baselworld 2008 launch; chocolate, black, ivory, sundust, and 2021 meteorite dial branches
| [[Reference:116505|116505]] || 2008–2023 || 4130 || 18k Everose gold || Engraved Everose gold || Rolex's rose-gold alloy, with matching Oyster bracelet
|-
|-
| [[Reference:116515LN|116515LN]] || 2011–2023 || 4130 || 18k Everose gold || Black Cerachrom monobloc || First Cerachrom Daytona; Baselworld 2011 launch; leather strap to 2017, Oysterflex after
| [[Reference:116515LN|116515LN]] || 2011–2023 || 4130 || 18k Everose gold || Black Cerachrom || Leather strap initially; Oysterflex from 2017
|-
|-
| [[Reference:116508|116508]] || 2016–2023 || 4130 || 18k yellow gold || Gold tachymetre || Bracelet-mounted yellow gold successor to the 116528; introduced the green sundust dial
| [[Reference:116508|116508]] || 2016–2023 || 4130 || 18k yellow gold || Engraved yellow gold || Successor to the 116528; includes the green-dial version
|-
|-
| [[Reference:116503|116503]] || 2016–2023 || 4130 || Steel + 18k yellow gold (Yellow Rolesor) || Engraved gold tachymetre || Rolesor successor to the 116523; 2016 bezel redraw with triangular markers; last engraved-gold-bezel Daytona on a steel case
| [[Reference:116503|116503]] || 2016–2023 || 4130 || Steel and 18k yellow gold || Engraved yellow gold || Rolesor successor to the 116523
|-
|-
| [[Reference:116500LN|116500LN]] || 2016–2023 || 4130 || Stainless steel || Black Cerachrom monobloc || First steel Cerachrom Daytona; Baselworld 2016; "Panda" white-dial and black-dial versions; one of the highest-traffic references in the family
| [[Reference:116500LN|116500LN]] || 2016–2023 || 4130 || Steel || Black Cerachrom || Steel Oyster bracelet; black or white dial
|-
|-
| [[Reference:116506|116506]] || 2013–2023 || 4130 || 950 platinum || Chestnut Cerachrom monobloc || First platinum Daytona; Baselworld 2013 for the 50th anniversary; ice-blue dial; standard / baguette-diamond / Arabic-Indic sub-references
| [[Reference:116506|116506]] || 2013–2023 || 4130 || 950 platinum || Brown Cerachrom || Ice-blue dial and platinum Oyster bracelet
|-
|-
| [[Reference:116519LN|116519LN]] || 2017–2023 || 4130 || 18k white gold || Black Cerachrom monobloc || White gold half of the 2017 Cerachrom-on-precious-metal launch; Oysterflex from inception
| [[Reference:116519LN|116519LN]] || 2017–2023 || 4130 || 18k white gold || Black Cerachrom || White gold on Oysterflex
|-
|-
| [[Reference:116518LN|116518LN]] || 2017–2023 || 4130 || 18k yellow gold || Black Cerachrom monobloc || Yellow gold half of the 2017 Oysterflex launch; the champagne-and-black "Pikachu"; meteorite dial added 2021
| [[Reference:116518LN|116518LN]] || 2017–2023 || 4130 || 18k yellow gold || Black Cerachrom || Yellow gold on Oysterflex
|}
|}


== Variant spotlights ==
Production and retail sales can overlap a successor's introduction; the dates above are approximate.
 
== The 2023 generation ==


Headline and disputed variants get their own pages, where the provenance and the authentication arguments run at full length:
Rolex introduced caliber 4131 with a revised case and dial in 2023. The platinum version gained a transparent caseback. A separate Le Mans centenary version uses caliber 4132, with a chronograph hour counter that records 24 hours instead of 12. Rolex's [https://www.rolex.com/watches/cosmograph-daytona current Daytona catalogue] covers the later range.


* [[Reference:paul-newman-daytona|Paul Newman Daytona]]: the exotic dial family across six manual-wind host references (6239 / 6241 / 6262 / 6263 / 6264 / 6265). Mk1–Mk4 progression, five color types, RCO / Oyster Sotto, JPS, Lemon. Newman's own 6239 at USD 17,752,500 (Phillips Winning Icons, October 2017) and Big Red 6263 at USD 5,475,000 (Phillips NY, December 2020).
<span id="Variant_spotlights"></span>
* [[Reference:albino-daytona|Albino 6263]]: the white-on-white monochromatic dial; three documented examples; three-way authenticity dispute between Hodinkee, Jose Pereztroika of Perezcope, and Sotheby's; Clapton provenance arc from USD 50,190 (Christie's 2003) to USD 952,500 (Sotheby's Abu Dhabi 2025).
== Auction record and disputed examples ==
* [[Reference:unicorn-daytona|Unicorn 6265]]: the only known 18k white gold manual-wind Daytona; Phillips Daytona Ultimatum 2018 headline at CHF 5,937,500; Pereztroika's 2022 Frankenstein dossier disputing authenticity with 2010 Newoldschlock Instagram photographs and millerighe pusher forensics.
* [[Reference:big-red-daytona|Big Red 6263]]: standard / Floating Big Red / Small Red variants; Paul Newman's own Big Red, its caseback engraved "DRIVE SLOWLY JOANNE" by Joanne Woodward, who bought the watch for him in 1983. Newman gave it to his daughter Clea Newman Soderlund in 2008, and it sold at Phillips NY in December 2020 for USD 5,475,000.
* [[Reference:neanderthal-daytona|Neanderthal 6240]]: Phillips Daytona Ultimatum 2018 presented this as the earliest Paul Newman prototype, sold CHF 3,012,500. Pereztroika's November 2022 dossier disputes the prototype framing using the April 1998 ''Orologi & Market'' page 44 as contemporaneous evidence of a post-production construction.
* [[Reference:oyster-sotto-daytona|Oyster Sotto / RCO 6263]]: the rarest standard-production Paul Newman layout, with ROLEX COSMOGRAPH OYSTER text stack (OYSTER below Cosmograph rather than above). First Paul Newman to breach seven figures at Christie's Lesson One in 2013; hammered CHF 1,662,500 at Phillips Daytona Ultimatum 2018.


== Related families ==
Paul Newman's two watches below have separate provenance records. The auction results apply to those watches; the dial nicknames also describe examples he never owned.
 
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Watch !! Case number !! Sale !! Published result
|-
| Newman's [[Reference:6239|6239]] with an exotic dial || 2,005,325 || [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/NY080117/8 Phillips Winning Icons, lot 8, 26 October 2017] || USD 17,752,500
|-
| Newman's [[Reference:6263|6263]] with a Big Red dial || 6,392,137 || [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/NY080120/38 Phillips New York, lot 38, 12 December 2020] || USD 5,475,000
|}


* [[Reference:submariner|Submariner]] — the parallel dive-watch line. Same case-era splits and the other half of the steel-sports-Rolex collector market.
* [[Reference:paul-newman-daytona|Paul Newman Daytona]]: the collector name for the exotic dial family, with distinctive subdial numerals and square-ended markers.
* [[Reference:gmt-master|GMT-Master]] — the parallel pilot line. Acrylic, sapphire, and ceramic crystal eras run on the same calendar.
* [[Reference:big-red-daytona|Big Red]]: the large red Daytona signature above the hour counter. Newman's 6263 is one documented example.
* [[Reference:sea-dweller|Sea-Dweller]] — the deeper-rated Submariner sibling. COMEX provenance overlaps the manual-wind Daytona auction record.
* [[Reference:albino-daytona|Albino 6263]]: a pale dial with matching subdials. Eric Clapton's former watch and the example offered by Sotheby's in 2025 are different watches. Jose Pereztroika, writing at Perezcope, disputes the factory assembly of these dial and case combinations.
* [[Reference:unicorn-daytona|Unicorn 6265]]: the white gold watch presented by Phillips in 2018. Pereztroika challenges the components used in its restoration.
* [[Reference:neanderthal-daytona|Neanderthal 6240]]: presented by Phillips as an early exotic-dial prototype. Pereztroika argues that the dial appeared in a different watch in a 1998 magazine photograph.
* [[Reference:oyster-sotto-daytona|Oyster Sotto / RCO]]: dial text arranged ROLEX, COSMOGRAPH, OYSTER, with OYSTER below COSMOGRAPH. The names describe the text order.


== Related families ==


* [[Reference:submariner|Submariner]]: dive watches with an elapsed-time bezel.
* [[Reference:gmt-master|GMT-Master]]: travel watches with a 24-hour hand and bezel.
* [[Reference:sea-dweller|Sea-Dweller]]: saturation-diving watches with a helium escape valve.


== Shared references ==
== Shared references ==


* [[Reference:Bracelets|Bracelets]] — the 7205, 7836, 78350, 78360, 78390, 78490, 8385, 93150 fitments and clasp date-code key (A=1976 to CP=2011, with the 1995–98 overlap).
* [[Reference:Bracelets|Bracelets]]: bracelet construction, end links and clasp codes. A clasp code dates the clasp, not the watch head.
* [[Reference:Movements|Movements]] — the Valjoux 72 manual-wind family (722 / 722-1 / 727), the Zenith-derived cal 4030, and the in-house cal 4130.
* [[Reference:Movements|Movements]]: the Valjoux-based manual-wind calibers, Zenith-derived 4030 and Rolex 4130.
* [[Reference:Serial-numbers|Serial numbers]] — the three Rolex serial systems (numeric pre-1987, letter 1987–2010, random alphanumeric 2010+) with year-decoder tables.
* [[Reference:Serial-numbers|Serial numbers]]: case-number systems and the limits of serial-based dating.
* [[Reference:daytona-glossary|Glossary]] — every named dial variant, movement caliber, bracelet reference, and auction landmark consolidated with per-term definitions and links to the owning reference article.
* [[Reference:daytona-glossary|Glossary]]: dial nicknames and component terms.


== Sources ==
== Sources ==
* [https://www.rolex.com/watches/cosmograph-daytona/beyond-the-racetrack Rolex, Born to race: Daytona chronology]
* [https://newsroom.rolex.com/watches/oyster-collection/cosmograph-daytona Rolex, Cosmograph Daytona technical description]
* [https://content.rolex.com/dam/media/brochures/cosmograph-daytona/m116503-0004.pdf Rolex, Cosmograph Daytona 116503 brochure]
* [https://www.christies.com/PDF/catalog/2026/NYC23587_SaleCat.pdf Christie’s, Important Watches, New York, 12 June 2026, lot 130]
* [https://www.phillips.com/article/150046101/manual-wind-rolex-daytonas-phillips-november-2024 Phillips, Manual-wind Daytonas in Geneva Watch Auction XX]
* [https://www.monacolegendauctions.com/auction/exclusive-timepieces-35/lot-42 Monaco Legend, Exclusive Timepieces, October 2024, lot 42, reference 16518]
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/170881 Phillips, Hong Kong Watch Auction XV, lot 882, reference 16519]
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/a-vintage-watch-nerds-critical-dissection-of-the-rolex-daytona-past-to-present-pt-23 Paul Boutros, Daytona dissection, part 2, Hodinkee]
* [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6407894 Christie’s, reference 116509, lot 6407894]
* [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6367443 Christie’s, reference 116505, lot 6367443]
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/217135 Phillips, reference 116508, lot 217135]
* [https://www.phillips.com/article/30067876/only-known-white-gold-rolex-daytona-reference-6265 Phillips, The Only Known Vintage White Gold Rolex Daytona]
* [https://www.phillips.com/auctions/auction/CH080318 Daytona Ultimatum, Geneva, 12 May 2018] — Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo, curated by Pucci Papaleo (auction catalogue)
* [https://www.phillips.com/auctions/auction/CH080318 Daytona Ultimatum, Geneva, 12 May 2018] — Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo, curated by Pucci Papaleo (auction catalogue)
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/NY080117/8 Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6239, Lot 8, Winning Icons] — Phillips, New York, 26 October 2017
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/NY080117/8 Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6239, Lot 8, Winning Icons] — Phillips, New York, 26 October 2017
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/NY080120/38 Rolex Ref. 6263 Cosmograph Daytona "Big Red", Lot 38] — Phillips, New York, 12 December 2020 (case 6'392'137, sold USD 5,475,000)
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/NY080120/38 Rolex Ref. 6263 Cosmograph Daytona "Big Red", Lot 38] — Phillips, New York, 12 December 2020
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/a-vintage-watch-nerds-critical-dissection-of-the-rolex-daytona-past-to-present-part-1-3 A Vintage Watch Nerd's Critical Dissection of the Rolex Daytona, Past to Present] — Paul Boutros, Hodinkee (2012–2013, three parts)
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/a-vintage-watch-nerds-critical-dissection-of-the-rolex-daytona-past-to-present-part-1-3 A Vintage Watch Nerd's Critical Dissection of the Rolex Daytona, Past to Present] — Paul Boutros, Hodinkee (2012–2013, three parts)
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-first-rolex-daytona-by-benjamin-clymer The Very First Rolex Daytona, Explained] — Benjamin Clymer, Hodinkee (2013)
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-first-rolex-daytona-by-benjamin-clymer The Very First Rolex Daytona, Explained] — Benjamin Clymer, Hodinkee (2013)
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