Iron-Blooded Daytona

[KateB]

Dear TRF, I hope everyone is well and enjoying the holiday season. It has been a long while since my last post and I hope to tap into the vast knowledge base of the mighty TRF community. I have locked eyes with the old Meteorite Daytona for quite a while. I know it is a quite irresponsible purchase for me, but I have seen the price of this reference keep dropping and is nearing the level that I can afford. I tried to learn more about this reference but there are very few posts about it.

Please allow me to share a little back story about why I feel so passionate about this meteorite Daytona. I used to have a 16710 GMTII that I am still deeply in love with. I, however, sold it when I fell in some very difficult time during the pandemic. I was laid off and lost my only income in late 2020. Some may call me stupid, but I did not try to look for any handouts. I kept current with my mortgage and student loans even though I was qualified for the forbearance programs. I designed some watch theme jewelry to sell online, but they were not selling. I was able to find a very low paying gig that read stories online to children that were stuck at home. I did Uber Eats delivery for a few weeks using only my bicycle, but it was too unpredictable, and I could not take care of my parents. I tried to hold off from claiming unemployment benefits as that would probably my last live line. It was a very humbling experience. When my severance pay was approaching the end and out of panic, I sold all my possessions that had some value one by one, including my beloved 16710. I kept on dreaming about getting back a real job when the pandemic is over and I made a promise to myself that I will get back a watch for myself. Thank God my prayers were answered in 2021. I was able to find a contract job although I had to endure the daily harassment from another creepy contractor. It was hard but I kept on rolling with the punches and made it out alive when I got another assignment. It is no doubt a very humiliating experience, but it let me keep my condo and my life savings and retirement and I am very grateful I did not fall in debt or be a burden to my loved ones.

The reason I am so fixated on the Meteorite Daytona was because of a client who also is a watch enthusiast. He invited me to a Zoom get together with his fellow collectors and there was a discussion about the reintroduced Meteorite in modern Rolex and how some of them prefer the “Iron-Blooded” Daytona. That was the first time I heard about the Iron-Blooded Daytona and got curious; he showed the group his meteorite collections – the old Meteorite Daytona is so beautiful. It turned into the group sharing their unyielding life stories. I couldn’t hold back my emotions when I shared my pandemic experiences and how much I want to get back my 16710. That was the first time I opened up to anyone about my experience, not even my family. Interestingly, they all think I should move on with the 16710 and find another watch to commemorate my own story. I have improved my financial situation quite a bit and I now want to make this watch my goal.

Sooo sorry for being long wind… I got too carried away with all the flashbacks… Please share your knowledge and your opinion about this Meteorite Daytona.

Thank you TRF for hearing my story and your generosity.