Was Daytona always impossible to get

[maximus1]

I purchased my 116520 white dial Daytona in 2014 while visiting a AD for the first time.

[alphadweller]

Back in 2014, an ex-work colleague was trying to get a white steel Daytona for his wedding. His wife-to-be present. He comes from money. Parents own a big national brand in the food industry. His family has been buying jewelery for all sorts of events, so they could be considered VIP. He struggled to get the watch from his jeweler and Rolex AD back in the day. He was told he'd have to wait years, and he threatened with cutting the relationship off. He eventually got it in time for the wedding, after a few months.

[Hemdog]

First watch was a gold Daytona, took 1 month to get it. This is the way…

[Know1isgod]

Have been wondering if a 116503 (TT) is a good alternative to the 126503 price/availability wise or is this particular piece relatively easier to get from AD?

[77T]

I can only speak to 1999 onward. In that timeframe, a SS white dialed Daytona was more difficult to get than a Sub, a DJ, a DD, or a GMT.

But later (up until pandemic meme status) the more esoteric ones like TT, Gold MOP, Platinum, etc. were a bit easier than the SS.

What I don't get is the lack of a TT SS/RG (Everose Rolesor)

Never seen that in its entire history.


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[PatekSF]

1999/2000 After purchasing multiple pieces (+15) for self/family/friends from the same AD in Italy, I asked about buying a s/s Daytona. No go.

[talkingbollox]

Originally Posted by maximus1

I purchased my 116520 white dial Daytona in 2014 while visiting a AD for the first time.

A friend bought the same on a walk in at Hong Kong International Airport when the Rolex boutique first opened in August 2013. That boutique is no more since Covid.

[GB-man]

There was a brief window around 2014 where I was offered one as a second purchase and turned it down because they were cheaper from DSW here by about 1k and the BLNR was the hot watch to get. White dial too. In fact then the 116500 was announced in 2016 I asked one of my patek ADs for a 116500 and they said they had white and black 116520 if I was interested.

Never was a case watch. There were times where its availability was similar to an SS Rolex sub today. This may vary by location.

[Tricolore66]

2009/2010 was a tough time for the Swiss watch industry, even Rolex, so no surprise that SS Daytona was pretty easy to come by. There were so many BNIB watches at grey dealers at 50%, or more, off MSRP, that manufacturers were buying them up and dismantling them to keep it from destroying their brand equity. I don’t think we’ll ever see that again, but I think we’re heading back to a similar market to 2017, when other than a handful of pieces from the big brands were easy to get and selling at a decent discount on the secondary market.

I bought my Z-Blue Milgauss BNIB from a trusted seller here at $2k under MSRP, which was the norm for most every stainless Rolex that wasn’t a Daytona.

[bradyb]

Adam may disagree but I spent most of my time in Hong Kong and Shanghai from 1998 to 2006-ish and could easily pick up a new SS Daytona for around or under $12K.

Sadly never bought one during that time as I thought they looked like little girl watches as I was into Breitling and Panerai - I was so cool.

What a maroon...

[Mystro]

This is why when some say how much “hype” the Daytona has now hasn’t really understood that the SS Daytona, especially when it started its in-house movement was a very special and reserved watch. Obviously this predates the Internet, and even when anyone outside the watch world started to collect Rolex. The Daytona is “The Daytona” and is not a new phenomenon of social media hype. It’s reputation is in stone and not going to ever be accessible.

I remember going to some of the largest Rolex dealerships in the late 80s - 90’s from Philly, New York and DC and the SS Daytona was always absent from the display case and spoke of reverently by the staff.

[Dr. T]

Around 2009-2012 it was much easier to get a steel Daytona than today. I got offered one as a walk in around 2009 in Helsinki, Finland at the only AD in town. One even made it I to the window that year (it lasted 2-3 days).

And the 2 tone and all gold models just sat in windows for months and months. It was a different era honestly...

[Emery]

Should also distinguish between steel vs ceramic bezels.

While the Daytona has always been a known figure in watch circles, I believe the mass market appeal only really took off upon transition to ceramic bezels, which made hard harder to get due to the newfound demand.

[Zedder]

In Dec 2018 I walked in with no history and bought a sub for my son and got 13% off. Told the AD owner that I would like a white Daytona and a DJ for my wife to mark our 20th wedding anniversary. He basically laughed at me and I lost my S#%t on him. 4 weeks later both the Daytona and DJ were waiting for me.

[YoyoGift8]

As mentioned previously always hard to get from AD except for a brief window in 2012 to 2013 when the 116520 was readily available in certain markets.

[SpeedyTuomas]

No. It got difficult around 2016. Edit: SS models.

[theflywrist]

Cant speak for everywhere else but they were always readily available at the showcase at the ADs in some gulf countries.
Up until 2015 you could pick up a 116520 from the AD in Qatar any day of the week, including at the airport.

[Michael T]

Late in the financial crisis, I went into an AD here in Houston to express interest in a 116520. I got a call in two weeks time.

[Jason Bourne]

Originally Posted by Mercmanr

If as you say you are new with no purchase history, you have less than zero chance of getting one from a AD. If its the only watch you want, unfortunately you have no choice but to go grey, and that's not going to change probably in your lifetime

My purchase history is 5 rolexes in the last two years but still according to AD the steel Daytona is not realistic

[kritameth]

My uncle said he got his Zenith in the ‘90s just walking into an AD in Bangkok. It’s likely market-dependent as well.

[t65tampa]

Stainless Daytona models have been hard to get since I've been collecting watches over the past 20 years. They've gotten absurdly harder to get in the last 10 years.

[Manamana]

Walk in Daytona no way since 30 years or so. There was a time grey wouldn't buy a Daytona from you because no one would buy it from them and ADs bundled them out or even for free to get rid of them, the same references go for hundreds of thousand of dollars now. I personally don't see the big deal. before the ceramic Daytona you could get one in 1-2 years or so if you bought a couple of Rolexes already from your AD. After charity Newman Daytona, Ceramic Daytona, and Insta things got crazy. Clever marketing from Rolex otherwise nothing special.

[doze]

like others have said, easy around 2009-2012. Wanted a SS black one, gave a call, got it delivered 2 days later from the dealer (for under msrp!) . Same thing happened to a friend for his ceramic Daytona when it was released . Both times 1srt time dealing with those AD.
Good times!

[Deppe]

I have seen pictures of ads from the 70/80’s from what I suppose was the grey dealers at that time, with “We buy your Rolex (no Daytonas)” so the Daytona was not hard to get back then.

Then in 1988 with the introduction of the 16520, the hype took off. If I remember correctly, Zenith was just starting up again, when Rolex knocked on their door in 1986 to get a deal in place with regard to delivery of movements. So the Zenith Daytona was actually limited in production, due to Zenith not being able to deliver enough movements, and I seem to remember a book mentioning that prices could reach 2x MSRP also back then (although MSRP was obviously less back then).

The 116520 was also popular, but as can be seen from the post here it was not entirely impossible to get depending on the year and the markets. A friend of mine went into every Rolex shop for several years when she and her husband was traveling, without any luck until one day in Asia they went in and asked for a Daytona and the reply was “Yes, which color?”. So while it was possible, it was still not easy, and for many still impossible.

And then from 2016 with the ceramic, the hype went through the roof once again.

[worldofoyster]

oh yes, back in the day, daytona sits in the case for months and many times you could buy at a discount. those days have been long gone.

[INC]

As far as I know, a TT Daytona is still not a very hard to get, and probably not an impossible mission to get some PM models either.

Based on this, I believe that as long as an SS Daytona was not a status symbol, it was just an ordinary watch that could simply be bought.

[dmash]

Originally Posted by jumpmaster 175

IMHO not worth the hype..great watch but nowhere near worth 2x retail

Agree 100%

I’m not a Daytona hater whatsoever, but it’s absolutely insane to me what people are paying on these. For context I just bought a brand new Speedy 3861 full set for $5800. To say the SS Daytona is FIVE times better than that watch is amusing.

[boa2]

It may have eased in some markets during the 2008 financial crisis, but even prior, they were very difficult to get and market price was well above retail. When retail was ~$6600, for example, they were fetching $10K or more. I suspect that some who purchased with a short wait during the financial crisis were from dealers who had been storing them in their safes.

[sambb]

been offered daytona several times, not a flipper, and i find the speedmaster to be more interesting hisotically and i like the size better.. i wouldnt pay 2x the retail price. if daytona is your thing, then consider getting a TT or a PM piece instead much closer to retail. Dont really understand the SS fascination with the piece, when a SS speedy is available also, but a lot of people find the SS piece iconic - to each his/her own. I think the daytona looks great on a woman also, as a fashionable and horological piece, the speedy may be too large.. i recall the SS to be somewhat difficult, and ADE relationship mattered.

[Spartacus]

My experience, SS Daytonas yes always difficult, and often kept in the safe or back for good clients.

PM no so much.