Daytona Mystique

[Mike I]

Why is the Daytona the most sought after Rolex?

[WalterW]

Because of the 25k in profit when you flip it. No other reason.

[dpt.calvin]

I didn’t buy mine with any intention of selling it for profit.

[Tim Plains]

Paul Newman auction.

[SLWoodster]

Originally Posted by Tim Plains

Paul Newman auction.

Absolutely right. this is the root cause.

Then Rolex had a bunch of releases in the last 4 years that kept everyone's eyes on the brand.

Demand remained way higher than supply.

Then coronavirus happened.

Then 5711 discontinuation happened, 15202 discontinuation happened.

[WalterW]

Me either I’ve owned two Daytona’s and I loved them both. But the reason it’s so polarizing is because of its value in the secondary market and because of the inherent difficulty in getting one at an ad.

[Seddyspaghetti]

Because it is the most hyped

[ArtNouveau]

Originally Posted by Tim Plains

Paul Newman auction.

The Daytona Mystique started way way before that auction. The original handwind Rolex chronographs and Daytonas were slow sellers in the 60’s through mid 80’s. Then Rolex came out with the automatic 16520 with Zenith based movement in the late 80’s. Almost simultaneously an Italian magazine had Paul Newman on its cover sporting his 4 digit Daytona and almost overnight it became the “IT watch.”
Except for a very brief period around the last big economic downturn, the steel Daytona has been a grail ever since, doled out by AD’s as a reward of sorts to its most loyal and well spending customers and the secondary market price has always been above retail. In the last few years gold and tutone Daytonas which once were relatively available have also entered into the hype.
“Mystique” aside, it has one of the best chronograph movements available, is very slim and well proportioned (it is not a big watch) and of course retains its value.
I am on steel Daytona #4 having had all three automatic references. It feels good to get one at retail, I wear it every other day mostly. That said, I would not pay “market value” for one. If my dealer hadn’t sold me one I would just be without one.

[RolexSimon]

It remains a classic in its design, ease of use and has evolved into a better and better watch with each gradual improvement.

[Ensign]

Complex movement, low production, sub dials…

Then social media hit, so that magnified the hype.

[rootbeer7]

For the reasons above, it’s simply a commodity now, easily transferable and tangible.

[grimps]

They've never made them in big numbers , the Daytona was hard to get long before this current hype, that being said 10 years ago it wasn't impossible like it is today

[Neom]

History behind it, the Rolex brand, only Chrono offered by the brand etc etc

[Nairn1980]

Originally Posted by WalterW

Because of the 25k in profit when you flip it. No other reason.

Mine is a keeper and I love it.
Secondary value irrelevant to me

[mew]

The steel Daytona was never an easy watch to get hold of pre-hype. Add social media/hype/easy money to the mix and you would get where we are today.

[rambo99]

because it's kind of a unisex watch, both man and woman are target customers.

[nollie85]

Originally Posted by WalterW

Because of the 25k in profit when you flip it. No other reason.

Pretty much. Because of the profit margin everyone wants one for an immediate $25k.

Some ppl cant even save $25k after working 1 or 2 years. Imagine getting that as instant profit doing zero except buying a watch with a credit card, walking down the road to a gray dealer and instantly making $25k or whatever. 99% of ppl would do it.

[JSol1]

I was one of those who didn’t get the draw…until I did. I told my AD a while ago I had no interest in it, so I won’t be one of his customers bugging him for one.
Since I didn’t have a Chrono in my collection I thought it would be a good way to get into another brand…frankly I struggled with everything else I tried (almost bought a Zenith and considered VC).
Then I saw one in the wild and had an opportunity to try one on…and I now own one at retail.
The draw for me is definitely the size, but also the more casual nature compared to the chronos I was looking at. It is also my first and only white dial…at retail it is fairly priced and there’s no way I would personally pay current secondary prices for it, but I love it. To be fair, I picked it up last Friday so definitely honeymoon phase, but as I said I ‘get it’ now…

[rambo99]

Originally Posted by JSol1

I was one of those who didn’t get the draw…until I did. I told my AD a while ago I had no interest in it, so I won’t be one of his customers bugging him for one.
Since I didn’t have a Chrono in my collection I thought it would be a good way to get into another brand…frankly I struggled with everything else I tried (almost bought a Zenith and considered VC).
Then I saw one in the wild and had an opportunity to try one on…and I now own one at retail.
The draw for me is definitely the size, but also the more casual nature compared to the chronos I was looking at. It is also my first and only white dial…at retail it is fairly priced and there’s no way I would personally pay current secondary prices for it, but I love it. To be fair, I picked it up last Friday so definitely honeymoon phase, but as I said I ‘get it’ now…

dont fool yourself, you didnt buy your daytona at retail. you actually bought it at a premium which is what you spent to build AD relationship.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by Mike I

Why is the Daytona the most sought after Rolex?

Well sort after by some yes, but today the Daytona must be the most hyped Rolex ever. When first launched way back in 2000 it was hard to get at retail and in this timeframe you could buy the TT version for the same price the SS was selling. But once the so called celebrities started to wear them, Daytona fever started. Now a watch thats almost 22 years old and basically only cosmetically changed over that period, the hype a has escalated 10 fold and many today buy the hype to wear it. And while high hype is generated by the likes of so called social media, and these social media buyers are willing pay crazy money for them. The various sellers will be jumping up for joy as to be able to extract as much cash from those willing to pay but perhaps one day the bubble will burst.

[1William]

The Daytona is a cool watch. Limited production and availability through AD channels and you have the formula for desirability.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by Ensign

Complex movement, low production, sub dials…

Then social media hit, so that magnified the hype.

Hardly a complex movement fact the Daytona cal 4130 has fewer parts that most all chronograph movements and built to be serviced quite easy. But agree about the hype and I would rate the cal 4130 movement in the top 5 of all chronograph movements ever made to date. As for low production well its been going since 2000 and now almost 22 years old, so there must be quite a few thousand or million plus of them in this world today.

[Goin2drt]

Originally Posted by Seddyspaghetti

Because it is the most hyped

This

[Chester01]

No mystique, just hype. Was not sought after at all for a long time as it broke no new ground, used an outsourced movements, and was just another chrono out there in the age when the speedy pro, el primero, navitimer, and monaco were the giants. Then came the hype and marketing machine, the crown on top and their is your so called mystique. Folks have trouble calling balls and strikes with Rolex. It’s excessively flashy, has poor legibility, but excellent proportions, fantastic movement (though was not more accurate than my old navitimer) water resistant and versatile to wear.

As Mark Twain commented, In order to make a man or a boy covet a thing it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to attain. It’s a part of human psychology and business know this well. So the mystique is all smoke and mirrors I’m afraid.

[Pw92676]

Sometime before the Newman auction it got popular. Not exactly sure how or when. But I recall the phrase “the Daytona is not a watch to be bought, it is a watch that Rolex and the dealer rewards it’s special clients with.” Then the auction escalated it and then the current frenzy took it to a whole other level.

[Chiboy]

I believe Rolex singlehandedly orchestrated the hype around the Daytona so that all of the fanboi negativity could be focused on one small part of their product line, enabling the rest of the Rolex line to bask in the inherent goodness and glow of the brand!

[interestedinwatches]

Originally Posted by Chester01

No mystique, just hype. Was not sought after at all for a long time as it broke no new ground, used an outsourced movements, and was just another chrono out there in the age when the speedy pro, el primero, navitimer, and monaco were the giants. Then came the hype and marketing machine, the crown on top and their is your so called mystique. Folks have trouble calling balls and strikes with Rolex. It’s excessively flashy, has poor legibility, but excellent proportions, fantastic movement (though was not more accurate than my old navitimer) water resistant and versatile to wear.

As Mark Twain commented, In order to make a man or a boy covet a thing it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to attain. It’s a part of human psychology and business know this well. So the mystique is all smoke and mirrors I’m afraid.

In what world is the Daytona (at least in SS) excessively flashy? It's not flashy whatsoever.

[subtona]

Before the scarcity and hype gets you,

You are intrigued by A Rolex with a chrono complication.

Your favorite brand with a dial and complication that sets it apart.
A rolex watch with buttons you can press…surely this is the one I must own.

Then you go to a dealer and are told you can’t have it. For the 16520 this scarcity may have been organic due to the complexities of acquiring and modifying the zenith movement.

Ever since Rolex started producing its own movement, the scarcity is by design.

[Chester01]

Originally Posted by interestedinwatches

In what world is the Daytona (at least in SS) excessively flashy? It's not flashy whatsoever.

I’ve owned a couple in my time. Looks like the back of a CD. The PCL, shiny ceramic, refrigerator white dial (black dial is definitely more muted) Look at they compared to the Zenith SS Daytona-it’s quite different. Not sure why they turned a tool watch as it was in the early 80’s into the Yacht-master.

I felt it so flashy I gave mine to my wife. I recall walking in Princeton one day and a dude, like no joke 15 feet out looks at me and says nice watch. That may be what others want to hear, but not me. Not long after passed it onto my wife.


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[ProCoach]

Originally Posted by dpt.calvin

I didn’t buy mine with any intention of selling it for profit.

+1

Originally Posted by Tim Plains

Paul Newman auction.

This was what raised the Daytona’s profile beyond Rolex anoraks. That sale turned it into something to covet by those other than collectors and other than those that used them as a tool watch.

Originally Posted by RolexSimon

It remains a classic in its design, ease of use and has evolved into a better and better watch with each gradual improvement.

No question.

Originally Posted by Neom

History behind it, the Rolex brand, only Chrono offered by the brand etc etc

In my little tiny section of the world, sports car racing, it’s symbolic of the summit of competitive achievement, and it has been since before the hype and mystique began…