Dumb question - How did the Daytona get to the iconic status?

[airchitect]

Originally Posted by Polar Bear

A "true tool watch" that scratches easily and cant get wet?

Ok, then...

I think he’a referring to the fact that it had a purpose and did/does a real job…..besides being posted on Instagram


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[DLRIDES]

Originally Posted by Seddyspaghetti

Because it is hard to attain and if you manage to attain one you feel special.

If everyone were able to get one, I doubt it will be as desirable.

This

[Sublovin]

It’s popular because it’s popular. That’s the real answer. In hobbies like watch collecting, desires begin to grow when other people covet something. The fact that many AD’s created a perception years ago that Daytona was hard to get and reserved for VIP’s fueled the hype.
The reality is that it is not highly legible, it’s small, and the Heuer Monaco has more racing heritage.
It’s like the Kardashians.....famous for being famous.

[breitlings]

Originally Posted by airchitect

I like it ok, more some days than others, but have passed on it a few times. It is not iconic…. It has no real provenance…. It should be selling below msrp to be honest. The DJ, DD, GMT, sub, speedy, Navitimer, Santos, Tank, RO, octo finissimo, etc are all far more significant pieces… But the herd is the herd….. Buy an oversized house, a full sized SUV, and a Daytona and you’ll fit right in

Even today you would be hard pressed to buy a better chrono at any price. Navitimer speedy etc do not have the rolex movement. Which is a very fine and robust chrono movement.

[Asumer]

Why the hype is large on the daytona is really down to five events:

#1 In the 80s an Italian magazine published a picture of the actor Paul Newman wearing his trademark daytona on the leather bundt strap, this is the same watch that sells for $17 in 2017.

#2 90's comes around and due to #1 there is a hype building around the daytona, Rolex stops advertising for the watch and they either reduce the supply or demand spikes it now becomes a textbook veblen good(definately by intention on Rolexes part).

#3 2000 comes up and the 4130 movement is produced(new daytona ref. 116520), the best chronograph movement in a mass produced watch ever, it has a 70 hour power reserve, the same power reserve in Rolex sports models in the last 4-5 years. These watches are never seen in cases at AD's and are given to premier customers or customers who have to wait? Sound familar with todays ss sports models?

#4 2016 marks a new era for the daytona, the 116500 arrives and is lusted after by many, it looks the same as the precious ref. 116520 but has a new cermaic bezel and the white dial has black rings which throws back to newmans own daytona.

#5 2017, the actual paul newman daytona goes to auction, and breaks all records for a rolex at auction, $17 Million it sells for, hype for any daytona now jumps, as well as prices. Rolex in general becomes very popular with the younger buyers and we have our current era with waiting lists, 2-3x price increases on the grey market and we have to thank the daytona for leading the way.

[subtona]

Zenith was slow to deliver and rolex was slow to convert el primero to 4030 movement...
Shortage resulted and strategy was born. Here we are, now what?

[rootbeer7]

Originally Posted by Asumer

Why the hype is large on the daytona is really down to five events:

#1 In the 80s an Italian magazine published a picture of the actor Paul Newman wearing his trademark daytona on the leather bundt strap, this is the same watch that sells for $17 in 2017.

#2 90's comes around and due to #1 there is a hype building around the daytona, Rolex stops advertising for the watch and they either reduce the supply or demand spikes it now becomes a textbook veblen good(definately by intention on Rolexes part).

#3 2000 comes up and the 4130 movement is produced(new daytona ref. 116520), the best chronograph movement in a mass produced watch ever, it has a 70 hour power reserve, the same power reserve in Rolex sports models in the last 4-5 years. These watches are never seen in cases at AD's and are given to premier customers or customers who have to wait? Sound familar with todays ss sports models?

#4 2016 marks a new era for the daytona, the 116500 arrives and is lusted after by many, it looks the same as the precious ref. 116520 but has a new cermaic bezel and the white dial has black rings which throws back to newmans own daytona.

#5 2017, the actual paul newman daytona goes to auction, and breaks all records for a rolex at auction, $17 Million it sells for, hype for any daytona now jumps, as well as prices. Rolex in general becomes very popular with the younger buyers and we have our current era with waiting lists, 2-3x price increases on the grey market and we have to thank the daytona for leading the way.

Well said. I believe the Italian connection is often overlooked. The Italians are known as fashion leaders (look at all of the Italian fashion houses),have long been watch fans and particularly Rolex. I understand the Daytona hype started there, particularly for the 62xx models as they were replaced by the 1652x.
I would also add, a panda dial 6263 is an incredibly beautiful and well-balanced watch and the white-faced 16520 is just as stunning in a more modern size case. The later models don’t interest me personally and my tritium Speedmaster is more of an icon, but less desirable as there’s no internet hype and they’re readily available.

[CFR]

Originally Posted by macplee

Every major collector on the plant seems to respect and want an old daytona.

Most major collectors are quietly leading their lives and are people whom you and I have never heard about and will never read about.

[Malum]

To me it looks like a cheapo quartz watch that has non functioning subdials.

[UK_]

Originally Posted by Malum

To me it looks like a cheapo quartz watch that has non functioning subdials.

That is hard to read and small.


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[Michael T]

Originally Posted by Michael T

I think much of it is the motorsport connection such as the 24 Hours at Daytona, and the 24 Hours at le Mans where the podium winners in each class receive a Rolex Daytona.

Originally Posted by Sub*Man

Two tone white dial, no less.

That influenced me to order a white dial TT Daytona.

[Jonah10]

Originally Posted by Asumer

Why the hype is large on the daytona is really down to five events:

#1 In the 80s an Italian magazine published a picture of the actor Paul Newman wearing his trademark daytona on the leather bundt strap, this is the same watch that sells for $17 in 2017.

#2 90's comes around and due to #1 there is a hype building around the daytona, Rolex stops advertising for the watch and they either reduce the supply or demand spikes it now becomes a textbook veblen good(definately by intention on Rolexes part).

#3 2000 comes up and the 4130 movement is produced(new daytona ref. 116520), the best chronograph movement in a mass produced watch ever, it has a 70 hour power reserve, the same power reserve in Rolex sports models in the last 4-5 years. These watches are never seen in cases at AD's and are given to premier customers or customers who have to wait? Sound familar with todays ss sports models?

#4 2016 marks a new era for the daytona, the 116500 arrives and is lusted after by many, it looks the same as the precious ref. 116520 but has a new cermaic bezel and the white dial has black rings which throws back to newmans own daytona.

#5 2017, the actual paul newman daytona goes to auction, and breaks all records for a rolex at auction, $17 Million it sells for, hype for any daytona now jumps, as well as prices. Rolex in general becomes very popular with the younger buyers and we have our current era with waiting lists, 2-3x price increases on the grey market and we have to thank the daytona for leading the way.

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[cfracing]

Originally Posted by Asumer

Why the hype is large on the daytona is really down to five events:

#1 In the 80s an Italian magazine published a picture of the actor Paul Newman wearing his trademark daytona on the leather bundt strap, this is the same watch that sells for $17 in 2017.

#2 90's comes around and due to #1 there is a hype building around the daytona, Rolex stops advertising for the watch and they either reduce the supply or demand spikes it now becomes a textbook veblen good(definately by intention on Rolexes part).

#3 2000 comes up and the 4130 movement is produced(new daytona ref. 116520), the best chronograph movement in a mass produced watch ever, it has a 70 hour power reserve, the same power reserve in Rolex sports models in the last 4-5 years. These watches are never seen in cases at AD's and are given to premier customers or customers who have to wait? Sound familar with todays ss sports models?

#4 2016 marks a new era for the daytona, the 116500 arrives and is lusted after by many, it looks the same as the precious ref. 116520 but has a new cermaic bezel and the white dial has black rings which throws back to newmans own daytona.

#5 2017, the actual paul newman daytona goes to auction, and breaks all records for a rolex at auction, $17 Million it sells for, hype for any daytona now jumps, as well as prices. Rolex in general becomes very popular with the younger buyers and we have our current era with waiting lists, 2-3x price increases on the grey market and we have to thank the daytona for leading the way.

Good summary, but I saw #2 a little differently. The new Daytona that came out in the late '80s was a hit, particularly the stainless steel version because it was a bargain relative to the precious metal ones, so that demand honestly exceeded supply for the SS model. The price of the SS Daytona went up on the secondary market. A co-worker of mine who I thought of as a typical non-WIS Rolex lover wound up buying a white gold Daytona at MSRP because he couldn't find a used SS one (much less a new one at an AD) that would have cost about the same anyway, and he wanted that look.

Rolex stumbled into a new marketing strategy and I think Rolex began evolving from the gold DJ and Date-Date era to the stainless steel professional sports watch era. At least that's how I saw it in the '90s.

[IamJacky]

Originally Posted by Asumer

Why the hype is large on the daytona is really down to five events:

#1 In the 80s an Italian magazine published a picture of the actor Paul Newman wearing his trademark daytona on the leather bundt strap, this is the same watch that sells for $17 in 2017.

#2 90's comes around and due to #1 there is a hype building around the daytona, Rolex stops advertising for the watch and they either reduce the supply or demand spikes it now becomes a textbook veblen good(definately by intention on Rolexes part).

#3 2000 comes up and the 4130 movement is produced(new daytona ref. 116520), the best chronograph movement in a mass produced watch ever, it has a 70 hour power reserve, the same power reserve in Rolex sports models in the last 4-5 years. These watches are never seen in cases at AD's and are given to premier customers or customers who have to wait? Sound familar with todays ss sports models?

#4 2016 marks a new era for the daytona, the 116500 arrives and is lusted after by many, it looks the same as the precious ref. 116520 but has a new cermaic bezel and the white dial has black rings which throws back to newmans own daytona.

#5 2017, the actual paul newman daytona goes to auction, and breaks all records for a rolex at auction, $17 Million it sells for, hype for any daytona now jumps, as well as prices. Rolex in general becomes very popular with the younger buyers and we have our current era with waiting lists, 2-3x price increases on the grey market and we have to thank the daytona for leading the way.

Well said! Insightful yet concise!

[JUSTIFIED]

For those who doubt that it’s an icon...Rolex is an icon and the Daytona might very well be its most iconic watch. The Sub is def right there, too.

As to why it’s an icon....most have already clarified that connection to Paul Newman (salad dressing comment was ridiculous....the guy was great actor and very talented race car driver) helps in the say that Bond movies have helped Omega’s status.

[watchwatcher]

I think the description you're actually looking for is coveted, rather than iconic, just my take on your post.

In any case, the steel Daytona has always been a notch (or two) more difficult/expensive to obtain than the sub/GMT. Even when supply was at its peak and AD cases were filled with all manner of sports watches, you hardly ever came across a Daytona sitting out there. In all my years of watch browsing, I only ever saw one at an AD, and that one was still in its shipping container, already promised to a customer. Never made it to the case, needless to say.

With the introduction of the ceramic models, the market went crazy--both for the newer models and the pre-ceramics. Already healthy resellers such as the Zenith precursor to the 4130 cal took off into the stratosphere. Even PM/TT secondary prices took off.

None of this really answers your question of why, though. Many of us here on TRF thought when/if ceramic bezels were introduced on the Daytona it would kill the 116520 values. Well, hardly. So, again, why? I'll be honest. I have no idea. I seriously doubt it's because there's that many people who are race car drivers or just in need of a stopwatch, however.

If I were to speculate, I would point to two main major contributing factors, the first being Rolex's dogged determination over the years to making sure the watch was never widely available. But that's not all. I think it has more to do with the name conjuring up images that are...well, cool. I mean, Paul Newman? It doesn't get any cooler than him. Not only a famous actor, but he also raced cars? Forget about it. And then there's the racing heritage. The Daytona 500, it's just so darn sexy sounding.

The real mystery, however, is not why it's coveted to the degree it is, but, rather, how one of the most globally desired watches receives the amount of bashing that it does on, of all places, the Rolex Forum.

[macplee]

This is very helpful - the one thing that keeps coming up in my mind is....the 1% watch nerds with lots of $$$ and knowledge - the folks you would not think would be impacted by the marketing and kardasian effect love the old daytonas too.

few watches are coveted by both the instagram wealthy flashly crowd and old horological crowd like the DAYTONA.

[Yachtbuoy]

Originally Posted by sub2011

Beautiful watch, of course, but not iconic at all. Today is a hype Rolex model,as others are, nothing more. It is known for being the only chronograph made by Rolex, but there were times when it was a hard seller. For an iconic chronograph get an Omega Speedmaster. Just my opinion.

I agree with this. It previously wasn't a really "good" watch but the trend has been towards chronographs lately. I also think that if you want a chronograph some real chops, you'd look towards a Speedmaster, a vintage Seiko 613x or 701x chrono, or a Zenith. Hell, even those cheap hand-wound Sea-Gull 1963s have a decent amount of history, and it's a column-wheel chrono (which even the Speedmaster Pro cannot boast).

[Pauln]

An actual watch question. Awesome!!


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[Chiboy]

Originally Posted by watchwatcher

The real mystery, however, is not why it's coveted to the degree it is, but, rather, how one of the most globally desired watches receives the amount of bashing that it does on, of all places, the Rolex Forum.

One of the greatest last lines of a(n excellent) TRF post ever!!!!

[shaunylw]

There are not a lot of younger guys that care about Paul Newman. Some might like it because it’s hyped up, but i think most of us like the dimensions and the history.

I like vintage Rolex, love Paul Newman’s, but i don’t really relate vintage Newman’s and new Daytona’s. I like the look and the dimensions. I’ve wanted one for 20+ years, and my numbers coming up. I remember being 12-13 years old and seeing guys wear them around the golf course. I wish it had air king popularity, it would make getting PM models much easier.


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