ROLEX DAYTONA REF. 16519 – THE COLORED DIALS COLLECTION

ROLEX DAYTONA REF. 16519

THE COLORED DIALS COLLECTION

In 1963, Rolex launched a new chronograph destined to become a legend: the COSMOGRAPH DAYTONA. It was used by racing drivers, as well as by other sport personalities and celebrities, the most famous doubtless being American actor Paul Newman, who unwittingly made a significant contribution to the Daytona’s incredible and enduring success.

After 25 years, in 1988, Rolex decided to update its star model equipping it with an automatic caliber that definitely replaced the previous manual-winding movements. It thus became one of the most coveted watches in history.

A huge number of variations have been created since then, thanks to the imagination and creativity of the brand’s designers and its constant desire to innovate. These iconic timepieces have attracted the attention of collectors the world over, and are the focus of much interest.

Today, we are delighted to present a unique thematic collection from one of these passionate collectors.

This great lover of rare and exclusive watches has succeeded in assembling the complete collection of white gold models, reference 16519, fitted with colored dials – mother-of-pearl and hardstone.

This unique collection of four models in excellent condition and presented with their original full set is now being offered for sale exclusively by WATCHFID. It is proposed as a unique lot.

INTRODUCTION

Rolex launched its Cosmograph Daytona chronograph in 1963.

Although it is now a watchmaking icon, the model’s beginnings were actually more laborious than one might imagine. Its special status was not built in a day and stems from a combination of several factors.

Rolex played the diversity card right from the outset with models in steel and yellow gold, as well as two dial color combinations for each metal. In the second half of the 1960s, Rolex further enriched its range with an “exotic” dial, available for all versions, again in two colors. Although these dials didn’t immediately win over the public, they did make a major (and unintentional) contribution to the Daytona myth: they are in fact the famous “Paul Newman” dials, named after the actor and racing driver, himself a 1960s icon who was photographed on numerous occasions with his “exotic” Daytona on his wrist.

It was precisely these few photos of Paul Newman with his “exotic” Daytona that started the craze for the Daytona in general and the “Paul Newman” in particular. The Daytona was also much appreciated by other racing drivers and celebrities of the time and this doubtless contributed to the model’s reputation.

Daytona sales in the 1980s were nonetheless not impressive, probably because of its high price compared to quartz models.

In 1988 however, Rolex significantly upgraded the model with a self-winding movement, enlarging its size from 37 to 40 millimeters in diameter and equipping it with a sapphire crystal.

Reference 16520 was launched in 1988: with this reference, Rolex broke his tradition by introducing the automatic caliber 4030 based on a heavily modified Zenith El-Primero movement.

The reference 16519 was the white gold counterpart to the stainless steel 16520 – offered instead on a leather strap.

Hardstone and MOP dials

The use of hardstone and mother-of-pearl dials by Rolex started during the 70’s, on Day-Date or Datejust models for instance, but it was only during the 1990s that the brand introduced those extremely rare and luxurious dials on the Daytona.

A pre-cursor to the beloved “Beach” series from the early 2000s, reference 16519s with colored dials show that experimentation with color is an expressive part of the Rolex way.

THE REFERENCE 16519

With probably the exception of a one-of-a-kind white gold model produced in 1971, the first Daytona made in white gold was introduced in 1997 with reference 16519, exclusively fitted with a leather strap. However, several examples with a serial number starting with W have been observed, theoretically corresponding to a production in 1995. They could either be pre-series examples, or watches actually marketed in 1997, but with cases made around 1995.

The black-dial version was identical to its steel counterpart, but the white one featured a distinctive characteristic with the hour-markers replaced by Arabic numerals, except at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock. More “exotic” versions were produced with hardstone, mother-of-pearl or diamond-pavé dials.

Reference 16519 (1997-2000)

Only 3 versions were produced with colored dials (hardstone or MOP) and 8 diamonds for the hour markers. Notably, two different colors of MOP dials were offered: pink or yellow (in addition to the more common white one).

That means that the complete collection of 16519s equipped with colored dials and diamond markers consists of 4 extremely rare watches:

• Ref. 16519, Garnet Grossular,
• Ref. 16519, Sodalite Blue,
• Ref. 16519, Yellow MOP,
• Ref. 16519, Pink MOP.

THE COLLECTION

This is probably the very first time that such a complete and qualitative collection of Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 16519s is proposed for sale.

The actual owner, who’s is a very well known watch collector, has decided to sell his full series of four models, all presented in excellent condition, with all their original documents and boxes.

Obviously, each watch was originally fitted with these dials by Rolex at the time of production. They are in no way service dials installed at a later date.

” This collection represents a very unique opportunity for any serious Rolex Daytona collector: the possibility to buy not one, but all the four of these extremely sought-after and rare models.

INFORMATION

GARNET GROSSULAR

SODALITE BLUE

MOP YELLOW

MOP PINK

Garnets are a group of silicate minerals that are used as gemstones and abrasives. All species of garnet possess similar physical properties and crystal forms but differ in chemical composition. The different species are pyrope, almandine, spessartine, and grossular.

Sodalite is a tectosilicate mineral, with royal blue varieties widely used as an ornamental gemstone. Although massive sodalite samples are opaque, crystals are usually transparent to translucent. Sodalite is a member of the sodalite group with hauyne, nosean, lazurite and tugtupite.

Nacre also known as mother-of-pearl, is an organic–inorganic composite material produced by some molluscs as an inner shell layer. It is also the material of which pearls are composed. Nacre is found in some of the most ancient lineages of bivalves, gastropods, and cephalopods.

Nacre is composed of hexagonal platelets, called tablets, of aragonite arranged in a continuous parallel lamina. These structures interfere constructively and destructively, creating structural colours.