Daytona "APH" dial

[79280_116520]

I was reading a watch blog and the writer mentioned something about Daytona (ref.116520) error dials. On the Italian watch forums, they mentioned something about a small spacing gap "APH".

Is there any truth to this so-called error dial with the "APH" for the 116520 Daytonas?

[R!$]

its really insignificant

[Tools]

It seems that some analyze everything Rolex to death to find something so that they can have their "gotcha" moment.

There have been many, many font variations throughout the Rolex line since millions of dials are stamped annually.

The so-called Daytona "error" dial is a slight gap between the R and A in CHRONOGRAPH. Since it is likely stamped that way on thousands of Daytonas, is it really an "error", or just a variation like the GMT ll dials

[Swaye]

So the thing that interests me about this "variant" dial is why do some people call them rare? I mean, perhaps they are, sort of, but how does anyone know? It appears that some Daytonas were released with the APH dial, and some were not. It appears more did not have it, but that is anecdotal. I guess what I am saying is were 5% of the Daytonas APH dials, or was it 50%? That is the difficulty for me with this variant. It clearly exists. It was clearly a variant. Many people intimate it is much rarer than the non APH dial, but how do they know that? I just do not see anything definitive to say if it is a small % of dials with it, or large.

I can tell you this, I just checked Chrono24 and there are 46 advertised APH dials for sale worldwide, and most are at a significant premium. Interesting...

[1665fan]

From my understanding they were made between 2011-2012 until last batch 2016...from those years the majority of them are Aph dials....I wouldn’t call them rare but any small difference in a daytona and people will think it’s rare or better. Half the people who have one probably have know what aph dials are lol

[Swaye]

Originally Posted by 1665fan

From my understanding they were made between 2011-2012 until last batch 2016...from those years the majority of them are Aph dials....I wouldn’t call them rare but any small difference in a daytona and people will think it’s rare or better. Half the people who have one probably have know what aph dials are lol

Thanks. Is there some resource that says the APH dials are the majority of dials from those years? I don't doubt you, but that is sort of the point. Some people say they are rare. Some people say they aren't. I know sellers have an incentive to say they are rare, but it would be interesting to have some solid understanding what percentage of APH vs standard exist.

Interesting stuff. I love variant dials and so on. It's what makes collecting fun, to me. It is just helpful when there is some useful info that exists about certain variants to better gauge them.

[Infusion1]

Any picture examples of variant?

[ROLEXster]

Sweet, mine is an “APH” dial.
Better put in the safe now.

IMG_9528.jpg




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[77T]

Originally Posted by Infusion1

Any picture examples of variant?

Lots...

https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=433868

This has been discussed on TRF for years.

The master silk screen design from which the various pads are made had no kerning twixt the R and the A. All the other script was tightly kerned.




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[1665fan]

The top dog 116520 is cream still, but yea that’s an APH made for 4-5 years

[padi56]

Originally Posted by Tools

It seems that some analyze everything Rolex to death to find something so that they can have their "gotcha" moment.

There have been many, many font variations throughout the Rolex line since millions of dials are stamped annually.

The so-called Daytona "error" dial is a slight gap between the R and A in CHRONOGRAPH. Since it is likely stamped that way on thousands of Daytonas, is it really an "error", or just a variation like the GMT ll dials

Have to agree Larry but if the internet hypes its a error dial, those who buy internet hype will be brainwashed into thinking they have something special.But we must all remember most all Rolex watches today are quoted by many as being rare.

[blada4life]

I’m not entirely 100% sure but I think it’s white dials only which already will make it less than half, considering. Not all dials have it. It was a batch of dials and even during those production years not all of them had the error. So are they super rare? Probably not. Are they more rare than normal? Yes. Considering this watch is no longer made and already hard to come by, it makes sense. And btw, were not talking a huge well known error, which explain the price difference. I’ve seen like 20% more. Consider the flat four Kermit, now you’re talking double. So I’m not sure why haters try to down play it but the reality is the rareness of the error is directly explain by the pricing difference. If it was more rare like a flat four, you’d see the 116520 selling for close to $40,000, which it isn’t, so I think the market has spoken and in terms of comparing rarity in dials, it’s already taken into account. My 2 cents


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[rootbeer7]

We really need a new lexicon of misleading words. Rare is made in the 10s or hundreds, unusual in a few thousand perhaps. Mass produced modern Rolex; neither of the above.

[tcheeco]

My 2013 white dial seems to have that, but I never really care about...

[ROLEXUS]

The small variations in font size/ spacing etc on dials are part of Rolex anti-counterfeiting measures. Pretty crazy to ascribe different value to a watch based on these minor variations.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by ROLEXUS

The small variations in font size/ spacing etc on dials are part of Rolex anti-counterfeiting measures. Pretty crazy to ascribe different value to a watch based on these minor variations.

Not true nothing more than 3 different factories now owned by Rolex churning out thousands of dials on different mass printing machines.Over the past 50 odd years there have hundreds perhaps thousands of tiny font deviations. But with today's WIS and loupe madness these tiny fonts changes have been noticed, then blown out of all proportion on the net.

[ppalasthira]

Originally Posted by ROLEXster

Sweet, mine is an “APH” dial.
Better put in the safe now.

Attachment 1040976




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Ok. I get it now.


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[Swaye]

Originally Posted by blada4life

I’m not entirely 100% sure but I think it’s white dials only which already will make it less than half, considering. Not all dials have it. It was a batch of dials and even during those production years not all of them had the error. So are they super rare? Probably not. Are they more rare than normal? Yes. Considering this watch is no longer made and already hard to come by, it makes sense. And btw, were not talking a huge well known error, which explain the price difference. I’ve seen like 20% more. Consider the flat four Kermit, now you’re talking double. So I’m not sure why haters try to down play it but the reality is the rareness of the error is directly explain by the pricing difference. If it was more rare like a flat four, you’d see the 116520 selling for close to $40,000, which it isn’t, so I think the market has spoken and in terms of comparing rarity in dials, it’s already taken into account. My 2 cents


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Good way to look at it. Impossible to know I guess what percentage of the dials are APH vs non-APH, but the market is speaking, and the prices are pretty clearly differentiated. I love interesting collector stuff like this...

[1665fan]

Aph come in black dials also

[Swaye]

Originally Posted by 1665fan

Aph come in black dials also

You are correct. I just saw an example or two last night when researching this stuff for the first time. I had no idea these, or the cream dials even existed until yesterday. Always something new to learn I suppose.

[Wiener48]

APH - Not sexy, sorry

[patriot885]

Can use an advise whether this one has it?
Thanks!

[DoDe]

Originally Posted by patriot885

Can use an advise whether this one has it?
Thanks!

See post 8, 9 and 14

[nikesupremedunk]

Mine has it and almost every one I see has it also. Don’t consider it rare but anything can happen in the future.

[peterdavid911]

From what I've seen on eBay and Chrono24 it seems the black dial APH is the rare one. Plenty of white one's around. But if you can find a black APH with chromalite dial then that's definitely worth getting.

[Gutie007]

Originally Posted by peterdavid911

From what I've seen on eBay and Chrono24 it seems the black dial APH is the rare one. Plenty of white one's around. But if you can find a black APH with chromalite dial then that's definitely worth getting.

I just bought a black dial APH without the seller knowing at a regular dial price, can’t believe it... i personally prefer to have something rare in a world of random series...
Best to all

[The1019]

Ridicul ous

[dexter1]

Hahaha that’s funny ��

[Calboy888]

Mine is 2016 model white dial with APH error

[Polarexplorerii]

Originally Posted by R!$

its really insignificant

i agree