The iconic wearer Paul Newman1968Around the filming of Winning, his wife Joanne Woodward bought him a 1968 ref. 6239 with an 'exotic' dial, likely at Tiffany & Co., and had the caseback engraved "Drive Carefully Me" out of fear for his racing. He wore it every day between 1969 and 1984, timed his races with it and bet friends it was more accurate than their watches. Collectors began calling every exotic-dial Daytona a 'Paul Newman', and on 26 October 2017 this very watch sold at Phillips New York for $17,752,500, then a world record for a wristwatch at auction.
$17.8 millionPaul Newman's ref. 6239 at Phillips New York, 2017
200+Changes Rolex made to the Zenith El Primero for the 16520
4Known white-dial 'Albino' Cosmographs
72 hoursPower reserve of calibre 4131 (126500LN)
- 1963 to 1970
A chronograph for racing drivers
Rolex launched the Cosmograph Daytona in 1963 as a purpose-built chronograph for racing drivers, with the tachymeter scale moved onto the bezel. The name points to Daytona Beach, Florida, and to Rolex's role as timekeeper of the Daytona speedway from 1962. From 1965 the Oyster versions added screw-down pushers and crown.
- 1970 to 1988
Manual wind, exotic dials
From 1970 the references 6263 and 6265 ran on the hand-wound calibre 727. Rare 'exotic' dials, which became known as 'Paul Newman' dials during the 1980s, appear only on original-series Daytonas. Clapton's all-white 6263 is one of only four known white-dial examples.
- 1988 to 2000
The Zenith-powered automatic
Ref. 16520 of 1988 was the first self-winding Cosmograph Daytona. Its calibre 4030 came from the Zenith El Primero, transformed by more than 200 changes. The case grew to 40mm with a sapphire crystal.
- 2000 to 2016
Rolex builds its own
In 2000 the third series, ref. 116520, moved to the in-house calibre 4130. It remained the steel Daytona until ref. 116500LN replaced it in 2016.
- 2016 to 2023
Ceramic bezel and Oysterflex
Ref. 116500LN became the first steel Daytona with a black Cerachrom bezel, echoing the black acrylic bezels of early references, and waiting lists formed quickly. In 2017 the white gold 116519LN arrived on the Oysterflex, a rubber-coated bracelet with metal blades inside.
- 2023 to today
Sixty years, new movement
For the 60th anniversary Rolex redrew the 40mm case with slimmer proportions and downturned lugs and fitted the new calibre 4131. A small crown at six o'clock signals the new movement.
✦1980s. In the 1980s, Daytonas with the 'exotic' dial began to be called 'Paul Newman' Daytonas, after the actor who wore one.
✦2019. For his Shawn Carter Foundation Gala in November 2019, Jay-Z sent VIP guests a rose gold Daytona and a bottle of Ace of Spades champagne as their invitation.
✦2019. The green-dial yellow gold ref. 116508 retailed for $34,650 in 2016; after John Mayer praised it in a 2019 video, it took his name and secondary-market prices reached $70,000 to $100,000.
✦2016. Phillips describes the 116500LN as an instant overnight success, with waiting lists forming quickly after Baselworld 2016.
✦2015. The all-white ref. 6263 once owned by Eric Clapton sold at Phillips Geneva in May 2015 for CHF 1,325,000 against an estimate of CHF 500,000 to 1,000,000.