Luxury Watch Guide: The Rolex Daytona

The Cosmograph Daytona, known by Rolex as the “ultimate tool watch for those with a passion for driving and speed,” was designed to meet the demands of professional racing drivers. To go along with the neck-breaking speeds this watch has clocked, this legendary model even broke the record for the most expensive Rolex ever sold! Read on to learn more about this iconic racing chronograph.

About the Rolex Daytona

The Daytona is a “professional” watch that serves a specific purpose and community. Rolex has a pattern of making watches for niche groups — see the Submariner for divers and the Yacht-Master for yacht-racers. In the case of the Daytona, the group is racecar drivers, and the purpose is to time laps. Thanks to the chronograph feature, racers can time their laps with precision. 

History of the Daytona

The Daytona gets its name from the Daytona 500, the NASCAR race that takes place yearly in Florida. Back in 1935, a British driver named Malcolm Campbell broke 300 MPH speed barrier at Utah Salt Flats while wearing a Rolex Oyster. At this point, the Daytona model is a twinkle in Rolex’s eye, so to speak. In 1962, Rolex became the official timekeeper of the Daytona International Speedway. A year later, Rolex introduced the Daytona model.

The Daytona in Pop Culture

Remember how we said this broke the record for the most expensive Rolex ever sold? Would you have guessed this Rolex model commanded an impressive $1.5 million at auction at Sotheby’s? What a purchase!

The Daytona has been linked to famous celebs over its rich history, including John Mayer and Jay-Z.