‘Grand Prix de Monaco 1996’ 16520 Rolex Daytona

Grand-Prix-de-Monaco-1996-Rolex-Daytona-16520

This is one of those rare occasions where a solid caseback is way, way more interesting than the dial. Simply engraved, ‘Grand Prix de Monaco 1996’, it unlocks a whole world of unknowns and potential history. We know for certain that in the ’96 Monaco Grand Prix, Michael Schumacher took pole with some controversy, causing…

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‘Test’ Dial 16520 Rolex Cosmograph Daytona

Prototype-Dial-Rolex-Daytona-16520

No, you’re not having an aneurysm. This is a 16520, but not as you know it. This is a test dial, often called a prototype though that’s not exactly correct, made by singer for Rolex before the Zenith Daytona existed for COSC testing. And yet, it looks like what would happen if you asked AI…

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Mk2 ‘4-Liner’ 16520 Rolex Daytona

Mk2-4-Liner-16520-Rolex-Daytona

It is difficult to overstate the importance of the 16520. The Cosmograph had become undesirable and a stagnant seller by the year 1988. For context, there are stories from that era of customers asking to buy special production Day-Dates, but having to purchase Daytonas to sweeten the AD’s books. What the Daytona required was radical…

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16520 ‘Patrizzi’ Rolex Daytona

Rolex-Daytona-16520-Patrizzi

If you are beyond sick of the modern collecting Daytona hype (right there with you), don’t be so fast to turn away. In fact, I’m about to offer a viable, collectible, possibly even better-valued alternative. The now so-called neo-vintage range of 16520 and 116520 Daytonas are, to some extent, the last iterations with significant variations…

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Tiffany-Signed 16520 Zenith Daytona

Tiffany-Signed-Rolex-16520-Zenith-Daytona

It may seem only topical to feature a 16520 Zenith Daytona a few days after the Daytona-copy Zenith hit media, but I assure you this 16520 is above that noise. With its steel bezel, screw pushers, and running seconds at 9, there is no mistaking one for another. What’s more, you won’t even mistake this…

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