That’s a lot of money! Rolex Daytona Sells for Record $1.1 Million at Christie’s

Christie's Images Ltd. 2013 via Bloomberg.

The recent triumphant sale of a Paul Newman model Rolex Daytona watch for over £670,000 underlines the value fans of the classic Daytona put on the collectible cosmographs. In total, over 50 watches were sold at the Geneva auction, raising over £8m. Aurel Bacs of Christies' auctions is reported in the Telegraph as describing the auction atmosphere to that of a rock concert. Naturally, not every used Rolex Daytona for sale fetches such a handsome price, but it's not uncommon for the rarest models to command extremely princely sums.

Rolex Daytona History

First introduced in 1963, the Daytona Cosmograph has now racked up 50 years of prestigious history, during which there have been three separate series of the model, each improving on previous one. The earliest sported a four-digit serial number, and it's in this category that the highly sought after and so-called "Paul Newman" models belong. The series one watches were manufactured between '63 and the late '80s, when the series two was introduced. Series two featured refinements not present on the earlier watches, including automatic winding. Series three, introduced in 2000, saw in-house produced movements with automatic winding along with new certified and technical functions. The name Daytona was adopted by Rolex to mark the brand's link as the official timepiece of the Daytona International Speedway in Florida.

Daytona Features

Apart from the iconic Rolex styling, the Daytona boasts an automatic-winding, 44-jewel movement within the tough Oyster 44mm case which Rolex first developed over 50 years ago. Waterproof to 100 metres, the Daytona is the ultimate master in elapsed timekeeping with a graduated tachometer bezel. Developed as a precision timer for endurance racing drivers, the dial displays elapsed time in hours, minutes and seconds, with the second hand reading at an accuracy of 1/8 second. The pushers and screws that activate the functions screw down when they're not in use, as does the winding crown, thus guaranteeing the waterproof properties of the watch. Rolex takes pride in having perfected its mechanisms right down to ideal finger pressure. Buyers can choose between several dial options and also have the choice of an oyster bracelet or an embossed leather strap.

The Celebrity Lifestyle

The Rolex Daytona watch has many famous supporters and fans. Paul Newman is the most famous, and reputedly wore his Daytona from the day his wife presented it to him to the day he died. But other names to conjure with include Robert De Niro and Brad Pitt. De Niro wore a Daytona Cosmograph in stainless steel in the movie 15 Minutes. Other film appearances include a similar Daytona worn in the film Thunderheart by Val Kilmer. Not to be outdone, the ladies are equally fond of Daytona watches, with actress Tara Reid (Days of our Lives, Scrubs) seen wearing a model in yellow gold.