April 18, 2020
WHY WE THINK THIS ROLEX OYSTER PERPETUAL COSMOGRAPH DAYTONA IN OYSTERSTEEL IS MADE FOR SPORTS FANS
4 Min read

It’s not hard to understand the allure of the Oystersteel version of the iconic sporty chronograph

Rolex Official Retailer - Kee Hing Hung
Rolex Official Retailer - Kee Hing Hung

The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona embodies a history marked by a passion for speed and motor sport. Created by Rolex in 1963, this model born for racing has established an extraordinary track record in the world of motor sport thanks to its reliability and performance. While it was initially designed for professional racers, the chronograph’s functionality, versatility, reliability and not forgetting its matinee good looks won everyone over. Known affectionately and simply as the “Daytona”, it remains in a class of its own among luxury sport chronographs and continues to transcend time and trends.

 

Looking at the highly popular Cosmograph Daytona in Oystersteel launched in 2016, we can’t help but conclude on our own that it is indeed a watch that all sports fans can appreciate. Every element and detail—from how it’s constructed out of Oystersteel to withstand daily rigours to how the sub-dials are designed and spaced out on the dial for better legibility—is exactly what sportspeople (professional, amateur or otherwise) expects from a chronograph. Let us explain further.

 

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Rolex Official Retailer - Kee Hing Hung
Rolex Official Retailer - Kee Hing Hung

If you are a motor sport fan…

The city of Daytona Beach in Florida—with its famous long, straight beach, and sand packed as hard as cement—cemented its status as the capital of land speed records in 1903. That was when Sir Malcolm Campbell broke the 300mph barrier with a Rolex timepiece on his wrist. Then in 1959, Rolex partnered with Daytona International Speedway, a race held on Daytona Beach in Florida, USA. Four years later, the watch marque launched the Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona before adding the name ‘Daytona’ to the dial that epitomises the historic ties between Rolex and automobile racing—for endurance or speed. Similarly, this modern-day Cosmograph Daytona is designed with motor sport enthusiasts in mind. Its chronograph functions are activated by pushers that screw down when they are not in use—just like the winding crown, ensuring waterproofness to 100 metres. Rolex has also perfected the start, stop or reset action of the chronograph. What is needed is a single push to produce a crisp and clear click to activate the chronograph. This way, the action is smooth and the timing reliable and precise.

Rolex Official Retailer - Kee Hing Hung
Rolex Official Retailer - Kee Hing Hung

If you are an extreme sport fan…

Thrillseekers need a sturdy and reliable wingman to accompany them on their adventures. Here’s where the Cosmograph Daytona excels at. The monobloc black Cerachrom bezel in high-tech ceramic, which is engraved with a tachymetric scale for measuring speeds, holds the sapphire crystal firmly in place on the middle case, ensuring waterproofness. The black bezel, which takes inspiration from a 1965 Daytona model that was fitted with a black Plexiglas bezel insert, is corrosion-resistant, virtually scratchproof, while its colour remains unaffected by UV rays. And reading time in dark conditions is never an issue. The dial features snailed counters with 18 ct gold applique hour markers and hands—both of which are applied with Chromalight, a highly-legible luminescent material.

Rolex Official Retailer - Kee Hing Hung
Rolex Official Retailer - Kee Hing Hung

If you are a golf fan…

Golfing enthusiasts will know that every stroke on the green boils down to experience, calculation and precision. Almost nothing is left to luck. This is the same mentality that Rolex has when it comes to developing its movement. Take the calibre 4130 equipped within the Cosmograph Daytona, for instance. The self-winding mechanical chronograph movement is developed and manufactured by Rolex and passes all tests at stringent accuracy and precision tests at the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC) successfully—evidence that the watchmaker has rigorously tested it to ensure top-notch performance.

But that’s not sufficient, of course. To allow the movement some 72 hours of power reserve, Rolex has incorporated a couple of revolutionary engineering marvels in the calibre 4130. For one, it is composed of only 201 components—far fewer than that in a regular chronograph movement—and boasts a simpler yet more effective and efficient movement architecture. Also, its Parachrom hairspring, which is constructed from a paramagnetic alloy, is unaffected by magnetic fields and up to 10 times more shock-resistant than regular ones.

SPECIFICATIONS

MODEL CASE
Oyster, 40 mm, Oystersteel

OYSTER ARCHITECTURE
Monobloc middle case, screw-down case back and winding crown

MATERIAL
Oystersteel

BEZEL
Black monobloc Cerachrom bezel in ceramic with engraved tachymetric scale

WINDING CROWN
Screw-down, Triplock triple waterproofness system

CRYSTAL
Scratch-resistant sapphire

WATER-RESISTANCE
Waterproof to 100 metres / 330 feet

CALIBRE
4130, Manufacture Rolex

FUNCTIONS
Centre hour, minute and seconds hands; small seconds hand at 6 o’clock; chronograph (centre hand) accurate to within 1/8 of a second; 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock and 12-hour counter at 9 o’clock. Stop seconds for precise time setting

BRACELET
Oyster, flat three-piece links

BRACELET MATERIAL
Oystersteel

CLASP
Folding Oysterlock safety clasp with Easylink 5 mm comfort extension link

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