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19 December 2023, 09:51 AM | #1 |
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Rolex daytona 116520
. The marks...as i see them
Hello everyone.
I am writing from Italy and I have decided to share this "latest effort" of mine with you too. I apologize immediately if you find some words wrong (I'm using Google Translate) and if this article of mine is out of place. After comparing all the dials seen from 2022 to today with those I have archived over the previous years. This allowed me to catalog as best I could the various Marks present on this reference, also placing them in time bands. Obviously, being a self-taught work, it can be (and I hope it is) subject to corrections/in-depth analysis and therefore, if after comparing those you have seen/owned and of which you are 100% certain of the originality/coevalness , if there are any changes to be made... they are welcome!! This humble publication of mine was also dictated by the fact that some dials are not present in the catalogs found online and this has created quite a few "failures" as they were deemed not to be contemporary (to the great disappointment of the owners, alas). The one most tormented by these "expertise" is the one I have classified as Mk 6: it has the "misfortune" of being very similar to the Mk1 (especially in having the long minute track on the sides of the "Swiss Made" writing) and therefore when it is seen on serials post 2003/2004 he is pilloried (the last episode happened just yesterday). In reality it is a very, very common dial seen since 2008 and present until the end of production. It differs from the Mk 1 both for the alignments in the graphics (slight in the "5 lines" but more evident at 6 o'clock) and for the counters ("bronzed" in the Mk 1 - "mirrored" in the Mk6). However, the Mk 6 bis is not at all "problematic" as it is identical in every way but with the short minute track at 6 o'clock, like all its other contemporaries. In cataloging I felt I had to keep unchanged the order found on the internet only of the first 3 Mk, those defined as "first series", accompanied (not always) by the slim hands since, as is well known, they are dials that were used indiscriminately in the first years of life of 116520. I have 2 other "types" of dials in my archive that could be part of the very first productions but I have never seen them live and I do not consider the documentation I have sufficient at the moment. In this case they will be integrated later as Mk 1bis and 1ter. For all the others I tried to follow a chronological order (always and exclusively based on my personal experience). The differences between the various Mk concern very small (sometimes almost imperceptible) details in the graphics and alignments. As you will see in the photos I have also included the type of luminescent material used as well as the "colour" of the counters, characteristics that can be found, without distinction, on the same Mk. P.S.: only on the Mk 7 and 8 I am not sure (since I have never seen them) with the "double luminescence" ... Obviously here the confirmation on the coevalness will be obtained by "analyzing" the serial number of the watch on the basis of other information such as: - Superluminova luminescence (seen) until the first half of 2014 - Chromalight luminescence (seen) starting May/June 2013 - bronzed counters (seen) up to medium V. - counters "mirrored" by the top "M" (seen - NOS M98xxxx) I repeat myself: the above is the result of personal research.... therefore it is not law. I hope it can be useful.... N.B.: one dial was left out of the cataloging as it has only been seen twice (not live), both dating back to 2009/2010. The owner of one of the 2 (a serial high V) declared that he had collected it in person from an official dealer... few however to include it in the Mk. If others emerge, it will be a reason for an update. |
19 December 2023, 10:57 AM | #2 |
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Very interesting. Gracie!
Here is a complementary information https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=652404 |
19 December 2023, 12:26 PM | #3 |
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116520
bel lavoro
bravo sai nulla da che anno a che anno 116520 ha usato Singer dial invece che rolex? thank you |
20 December 2023, 02:02 AM | #4 | |
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quadranti
Quote:
Good morning From memory I would say that towards the end of the 90s Rolex wanted all dial makers to use that of the maison instead of their own logo, signing them only with a number: 1 Stern - 2 Beyeler - 3 Singer). I understand that Singer still produces dials for Rolex |
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20 December 2023, 02:26 AM | #5 |
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116520
anyway to understand if is a Singer dial without disassemble the all world?
i have 2011 |
20 December 2023, 02:38 AM | #6 |
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Singer
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19 December 2023, 03:24 PM | #7 |
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Thanks for sharing
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19 December 2023, 06:30 PM | #8 |
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You sir, are a gem for the serious collector.
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19 December 2023, 06:33 PM | #9 |
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Nice Post.
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19 December 2023, 07:25 PM | #10 |
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Veramente impressionante ed interessante Davide. Mi prenderς qualche oretta tranquillo per analizzare tutto. Grazie.
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19 December 2023, 08:11 PM | #11 |
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Seeing dials are still made in 3 different factories now all owned by Rolex, there always have been and always will be tiny variations to most all dials across the range. Same for bezel inserts and even watch hands as these hands are made by a third party. All this Mk stuff mainly exists in internet land, plus now some sellers hoping to extract more money from buyers with things like rare dial.
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ICom Pro3 All posts are my own opinion and my opinion only. "The clock of life is wound but once, and no man has the power to tell just when the hands will stop. Now is the only time you actually own the time, Place no faith in time, for the clock may soon be still for ever." Good Judgement comes from experience,experience comes from Bad Judgement,.Buy quality, cry once; buy cheap, cry again and again. www.mc0yad.club Second in command CEO and left handed watch winder |
19 December 2023, 08:16 PM | #12 |
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Welcome! Nice work!
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19 December 2023, 08:23 PM | #13 |
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Welcome to the forum, thanks for your hard work here
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19 December 2023, 08:58 PM | #14 |
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Grazie e benvenuto
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19 December 2023, 11:04 PM | #15 |
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Super interesting. Great research and analysis. I have a later production white face 116520. Not sure which MK it is, but will take a look.
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20 December 2023, 01:38 AM | #16 |
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Very interesting
Thanks |
20 December 2023, 07:14 PM | #17 |
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Mine is a Mk6 number N18xx
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20 December 2023, 08:01 PM | #18 |
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Cool man!
Nice diagrams.
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20 December 2023, 08:50 PM | #19 |
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2007? White dial
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20 December 2023, 09:02 PM | #20 |
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2007
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20 December 2023, 09:29 PM | #21 |
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I heard Rolex is not necessarily good as managing their FIFO in their manufacturing process. Would it be possible that a later model has a earlier mk dial and hands ? Like mk I or mk II
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20 December 2023, 09:33 PM | #22 |
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Read post 8 in the real world all this Mk stuff only exists in internet land, and Rolex uses whatever dials hands etc they have on hand for any Production run so no exact year.
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ICom Pro3 All posts are my own opinion and my opinion only. "The clock of life is wound but once, and no man has the power to tell just when the hands will stop. Now is the only time you actually own the time, Place no faith in time, for the clock may soon be still for ever." Good Judgement comes from experience,experience comes from Bad Judgement,.Buy quality, cry once; buy cheap, cry again and again. www.mc0yad.club Second in command CEO and left handed watch winder |
20 December 2023, 09:43 PM | #23 | |
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Quote:
But when they advertise the dial is chromalight, would they still sell the watch if in real it is superluminova ? Do you know when Rolex started to advertise the 116520 having chromalight? Thanks 🙏 |
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20 December 2023, 10:15 PM | #24 |
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Mk
Possible.... and this is precisely why no Mk has a limited but long enough serial range. For example, the first 3 Mk were seen from 2000 to 2005, until stocks lasted. However, the spheres, a remnant of the 16520, had a shorter lifespan. In general terms, however, I would say that finding one of the first 3 Mk at a much later date (e.g. 2006) is synonymous with "tampering".
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20 December 2023, 10:36 PM | #25 | |
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Quote:
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21 December 2023, 12:53 AM | #26 |
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Cream 116520 is the GOAT
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21 December 2023, 08:15 AM | #27 |
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Is this ok?
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21 December 2023, 08:23 AM | #28 |
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a front photo would be needed
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21 December 2023, 10:00 AM | #29 |
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21 December 2023, 09:03 AM | #30 |
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Great post! Thanks.
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