Very rare Rolex Daytona 116509 first series with steel and black dial, new, unworn and sticked, sold in France in August 2017.
By operating its own exclusive foundry, Rolex has the unrivalled ability to cast the highest quality 18 ct gold alloys. According to the proportion of silver, copper, platinum or palladium added, different types of 18 ct gold are obtained: yellow, pink or white. They are made with only the purest metals and meticulously inspected in an in-house laboratory with state-of-the-art equipment, before the gold is formed and shaped with the same painstaking attention to quality. Rolex's commitment to excellence begins at the source.
The central sweep seconds hand allows an accurate reading of 1/8 second, while the two counters on the dial display the lapsed time in hours and minutes. Drivers can accurately map out their track times and tactics without fail.
The design, development and production of Rolex bracelets and clasps, as well as the stringent tests they face, involve advanced high technology. And, as with all the components of the watch, aesthetic controls by the human eye guarantee impeccable beauty. The Oyster bracelet is a perfect alchemy of form and function. First introduced in the late 1930s, this particularly robust and comfortable metal bracelet with its broad, flat three-piece links remains the most universal bracelet in the Oyster collection.
The Cosmograph Daytona is equipped with calibre 4130, a self-winding mechanical chronograph movement developed and manufactured by Rolex. Its architecture incorporates far fewer components than a standard chronograph, thereby enhancing the movement’s reliability. Like all Rolex Perpetual movements, the 4130 is a certified Swiss chronometer, a designation reserved for high-precision watches that have successfully passed the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC) tests. The chronograph movement features a Parachrom hairspring, offering greater resistance to shocks and to temperature variations.
The Daytona’s chronograph functions are activated by pushers that screw down like the winding crown when they are not in use, guaranteeing waterproofness to 100 metres. One press to start, stop or reset the chronograph produces a crisp, clear click that was perfected using the most advanced technology. Rolex watchmakers also perfected the mechanism to suit the ideal finger pressure on the pushers, and engineered it to provide an instantaneous and accurate start to the timing without sacrificing reliability.
