History of Rolex Daytona

What if we told you that when the Rolex Daytona originally came out, no one wanted it? You probably wouldn’t believe us. However, it’s true. The watch would sit on shelves forever (and retailing at under $300). Now, as we all know, it’s a bit different.

The first series of the famous Rolex Daytona came about in 1963. The watch was, in fact, inspired by racecar drivers and enthusiasts alike. Actor turned racer Paul Newman wore a Rolex Daytona every single day from when he first got one in 1972 up until he passed away 8 years ago.

This first series was in very limited supply. So, in 1988 the second version came out; this one with a modified automatic winding movement. And, finally, the third series came out in 2000, and had a movement made by Rolex.

It’s funny because while it used to not be such a popular watch, fast forward to the early 1990s, and for almost 20 years thereafter; if you wanted to purchase a stainless steel Rolex Daytona, there would be a multi-year waiting list.

When it comes to the rarest of the Daytonas, it would be the one with a ‘Paul Newman’ dial (Paul Newman’s wife, Joanna Woodward, gave him this watch when he first took up racing). To someone who doesn’t know all too much about this style, they wouldn’t find many differences to other Daytonas. The differences have to do with the reference numbers, the dials have block markers instead of lines, they have crosshairs across each sub dial meeting at the center, and the second sub dial is marked a bit differently.

The Rolex Daytona is a classic, timeless watch that is coveted by many all across the globe.