ROLEX. A VERY RARE AND IMPRESSIVE 18K GOLD DIAMOND AND EMERALD-SET AUTOMATIC CHRONOGRAPH WRISTWATCH WITH BRACELET AND BOX

Offered in pristine overall condition, the present reference is part of the rarest jewellery-set iterations of the Rolex Daytona chronograph. Crafted out of 18k gold, the timepiece participated in defying the idea that sport-watches were bound to be manufactured in steel.

Manufactured with the now legendary Zenith ‘El Primero’ movement, Rolex’s first automatic movement, the chronograph is bestowed with a magnificent diamond-set dial with emeralds set in yellow gold chatons. Alluding to previous jewellery-set references such as the now iconic reference 6270, the chronograph epitomizes the savoir-faire of the Rolex manufacture.

The first automatic Daytona chronograph:
Announced in 1988 during the Basel spring fair, the Rolex Daytona 16520 marks an important change in the history of the chronograph. Discontinuing the manual Valjoux 727 movement, Rolex decided to use a highly modified Zenith El Primero automatic movement renamed Caliber 4030. Upon its release, the reference 16520 became an instant success throughout the globe and commanded important waiting lists. With the production of the reference officially stopping in 2000, the chronograph is now highly sought after by collectors.