The word of “Daytona” first appeared on the dial of a fake Rolex “Cosmograph” chronograph in 1965, which has become one of the most coveted and legendary sports watches ever produced. The name came from the equally fabled Daytona racetrack, which like the watch itself, evolved over the years. Originally opened as the Daytona Beach Road Course way back in 1902, it became world most popular as the site where 15 world land speed records were set.
On February 19, 1928 Campbell broke a new world record of 206.956 mph in his Blue Bird at Daytona, the event which finally led to Rolex using the name on its dials nearly 40 years later, at which point the iconic Swiss fake watch brand’s ties to the world of racing at Daytona and elsewhere were already the stuff of legend. These days Rolex sponsors the ultimate endurance race, officially known as the Rolex 24 at Daytona (since 1991), at the track, which is now called the Daytona International Speedway.
Paul Newman, an early adopter of Rolex’s Daytona model, perhaps pulled off the ultimate feat when he raced a Ferrari Daytona in the 1977 24 Hours of Daytona Race while wearing a replica Rolex Daytona. And while we may never that feat we came pretty close recently during the Ferrari World Championship Finals. For the prestigious event at the Daytona International Speedway, Ferrari corse cliente clients from all over the world convene at the celebrated track to compete with some of the fastest cars on the planet. These include retired F1 cars, FXX and FXXK track cars based on the famed Ferrari Enzo, 599XX and 458 Challenge Evo race cars, 488 GTBs, and even a couple LaFerraris for good measure.
This year’s event brought the F1 Clienti cars to Daytona for the first time, and Ferrari had its star F1 drivers Kimi R?ikk?nen and Sebastian Vettel along. Obviously, we had to wear a Rolex Daytona for the situation, though selecting the exact model was no easy task. Finally given that these were for the most part modern Ferraris we decided on a reference from the current era, though beyond the basic stainless steel that has long been the replica watch given to winning Rolex 24 drivers. Hence we selected the rare Ref. 116509 in 18k white gold, with its Ferrari red markings indicating that it’s no ordinary Daytona.
At 40mm the watch is somewhat subtle by current standards, though the gold is both heavier and softer than steel. Something of a cognoscenti’s Daytona, it’s not as instantly recognizable as the classic modern steel models, mainly because the sub-dials are the same matte black as the main dial. We’d venture to say that while few may recognize it as the coveted white gold model, it’s the few who matter. This cheap watch is also distinguished by its silver Arabic numerals which give it a rakish, appropriately racy feel.
You’re unlikely to spot someone else wearing this luxury watch, which is of course a large part of the appeal. The replica watch was the subject of many sidelong and envious glances, its stealthy appearance lending it a darker edge; the car at Daytona it resembled most was injured Ferrari racing legend Michael Schumacher’s own menacing FXX in triple black with red accents.
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