The hype began with the Rolex 16520
In the early years, the Rolex Daytona was not a successful model. The Rolex chronograph gradually lost sight of the competition from TAG Heuer, Breitling and Co. This promptly changed with the reference 16520: thanks to the Zenith movement, with which the 16520, known for this reason as the Rolex Daytona Zenith, was equipped, its popularity rose rapidly – so much so that Rolex was unable to keep up with the production of the watches and the first waiting lists were created.
The best of both worlds
Produced between 1987 and 2000, the Rolex reference 16520 is neither young nor vintage – it combines the best of both worlds. Its appearance is close to the current Daytona models. At the same time, the 16520 is the last model to be a true Tool Watch: the reference 116520, launched in 2000, has a much larger Dresswatch attitude. Also, the Rolex 16520 Daytona is extremely comfortable to wear thanks to its perfect size and height. Secondly, the Ref. 16520 is the only Rolex with a third-party movement.