116520 Daytona Question

[ChronoSloth]

I've never seen one, so I'd assume the answer is no, but wanted to ask, just in case. Some vintage 6263 and 6265 dials do not have "Daytona" printed on them. Has there ever been a case where the 116520 lacked this red printing?

[LeBrassusMonkey]

No, the 116520 has always had the word Daytona printed on the dial!

[Solo118]

Not to mention the 16520 also always had a red "Daytona" on the dial.

[Tools]

Originally Posted by Sfocato

I've never seen one, so I'd assume the answer is no, but wanted to ask, just in case. Some vintage 6263 and 6265 dials do not have "Daytona" printed on them. Has there ever been a case where the 116520 lacked this red printing?

Back in the 60's they weren't called "Daytonas", they were called Cosmographs and the Daytona badging was only added to a small percentage to try and capture the budding NASCAR enthusiasts.

No telling why/when they began badging all the Cosmo's with Daytona, but it seems to have stuck.

[Alpino]

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Here's what Rolex says about this :

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[Daytona88]

All of that and the 16520 ref have had the red Daytona.

[fskywalker]

Thanks for sharing!

[rr-nyc]

Originally Posted by Tools

Back in the 60's they weren't called "Daytonas", they were called Cosmographs and the Daytona badging was only added to a small percentage to try and capture the budding NASCAR enthusiasts.

No telling why/when they began badging all the Cosmo's with Daytona, but it seems to have stuck.

I think you meant the 24 hours of Daytona, not NASCAR.

[77T]

The race officially became the Rolex 24 at Daytona in 1992, and winners got Rolex watches as part of the company’s full sponsorship package. I think the Daytona inscription started before 1992, right?

The linkage was to NASCAR's Grand American series and the Daytona 500 IIRC.

[DCheeta]

I've always found it a little amusing that two of the most iconic chronos became famous for reasons that belied their original names.

The Cosmograph, named for space exploration (cosmology) later became famous as a racing watch and became known as the Daytona.

The Speedmaster, presumably named for the racetrack (speed) later became famous for space exploration and became known as the Moonwatch.

Maybe the Rolex should have been named the Speedmaster and the Omega called the Cosmograph!

[stainlesssteve]

Originally Posted by Tools

Back in the 60's they weren't called "Daytonas", they were called Cosmographs and the Daytona badging was only added to a small percentage to try and capture the budding NASCAR enthusiasts.

No telling why/when they began badging all the Cosmo's with Daytona, but it seems to have stuck.

I always thought the "Daytona" badging was as a reference to endurance style racing (The 24 Hours of Daytona) rather than NASCAR. Today, the 24 Hours of Daytona is sponsored by Rolex.

[stainlesssteve]

Originally Posted by 77T

The race officially became the Rolex 24 at Daytona in 1992, and winners got Rolex watches as part of the company’s full sponsorship package. I think the Daytona inscription started before 1992, right?

The linkage was to NASCAR's Grand American series and the Daytona 500 IIRC.

That's only when Rolex became the title sponsor. But I believe the 24 has been run at Daytona since the 60s ( about the same time the Rolex Daytona was branded)? I'm sure someone else knows the history better than I do...

[77T]

Originally Posted by stainlesssteve

That's only when Rolex became the title sponsor. But I believe the 24 has been run at Daytona since the 60s ( about the same time the Rolex Daytona was branded)? I'm sure someone else knows the history better than I do...

That's correct about the race. The number of spectators and lack of any marketing pull did not interest Rolex (or any other big sponsors) at the beginning. Even into the 70's the race wasn't very strong - it was actually cancelled one year due to the oil crisis.

When you compare that to the appearance of the word Daytona on the dial - Rolex clearly had added it before sponsoring the race in 1992.

Before '92, Rolex had become the official timepiece of NASCAR and then the Grand American Road Racing series. The linkage with the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona was a title sponsorship deal for the race as well as the series.

In 2006 Tissot was appointed the role of the official timekeeper and watch of NASCAR.

Rolex maintained its Grand-Am connection until 2014 when Grand-Am merged with the American Le Mans series. Rolex tendered the Tudor brand as series sponsor for 2015 but kept the title sponsorship of the 24 hours of Daytona.

Then in 2016, they dropped the series entirely (now it's WeatherTech). But Rolex is still sponsoring the 24 hour race.

Hope that helps.

[themast]

Originally Posted by DCheeta

I've always found it a little amusing that two of the most iconic chronos became famous for reasons that belied their original names.

The Cosmograph, named for space exploration (cosmology) later became famous as a racing watch and became known as the Daytona.

The Speedmaster, presumably named for the racetrack (speed) later became famous for space exploration and became known as the Moonwatch.

Maybe the Rolex should have been named the Speedmaster and the Omega called the Cosmograph!

That is an interesting observation!

[AK797]

Originally Posted by Tools

Back in the 60's they weren't called "Daytonas", they were called Cosmographs and the Daytona badging was only added to a small percentage to try and capture the budding NASCAR enthusiasts.

No telling why/when they began badging all the Cosmo's with Daytona, but it seems to have stuck.

Yes, we really should be calling these Kramers.