On the right track with Rolex
Sixty years on from the brand becoming Daytona International Speedway’s official timekeeper, Simon de Burton looks at how the circuit shaped modern watchmaking
Ask 10 horophiles to name today’s hottest watches and there’s little doubt that each one will put the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona at, or near, the top of their list: watches simply don’t come much more ‘cult’. Such is the demand for the model that the chances of the average buyer being able to visit a Rolex boutique and walk out with a brand-new Cosmograph are currently on the wrong side of nil.
The alternative, of course, is to trawl the ‘pre-owned’ watch sale sites in the hope of finding one – and then bite the bullet before handing over a considerable multiple of the RRP. (One such site currently lists a 2022 example in steel for £34,687, compared with the £11,600 quoted by Rolex.)
So what is it about this particular watch that makes it so coveted? The answer is a combination of history, glamour and celebrity connections that all lead back to the world of motor racing.
Rolex has been associated with Florida’s Daytona International Speedway since its opening in 1959, but the two became inextricably linked exactly 60 years ago, when the celebrated Swiss brand became the circuit’s official timekeeper. To mark the occasion, Rolex upgraded its existing chronograph model with the new reference 6239 ‘Cosmograph’ that launched in 1963.
The name was first created by Rolex for its reference 6062 model of the early 1950s that combined a triple calendar with a moonphase display – hence the ‘cosmo’ aspect. But to prevent ‘Cosmograph’ being adopted by another maker, it was applied to the ref. 6239 – and so quickly did the timepiece become synonymous with motorsport that, in 1965, Rolex USA asked for the name
As the years went by, the Daytona Cosmograph came to be regarded as the quintessential driver’s watch
‘Daytona’ to be inscribed on all American market models.
The Daytona stamp was subsequently extended to every Cosmograph, and since the launch of the 24 Hours of Daytona race in 1966 (which became the Rolex 24 at Daytona in 1992), each winner has been presented with a Cosmograph Daytona as part of the prize. As the years went by and the model came to be regarded as the quintessential driver’s watch, Rolex also became a key player in other top motorsport events.
Not only has it been a Global Partner and Official Timepiece of Formula 1 since 2013, it sponsors the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the FIA World Endurance Championship, the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion and the UK’S Goodwood Revival. The brand also backs high-end automotive events such as the Pebble Beach Concours d’elegance and the Pebble Beach Tour d’elegance.
Celebrated drivers have also come to be associated with the Daytona, notably triple Formula 1 World Champion Sir Jackie Stewart (see right), former F1 star turned endurance racer Mark Webber and Denmark’s Tom Kristensen, the only person to have won the 24 Hours of Le Mans nine times.
But when it comes to ‘going the distance’
at the track after which the Cosmograph Daytona was named, no driver can hold a candle to the living automotive legend that is Scott Pruett. As well as being a triple Trans-am champion and double IMSA GTO champion, he has won the gruelling Rolex 24 at Daytona a remarkable five times.
That means Pruett has amassed an impressive collection of very special Daytona watches, including a one-off presented to him by Rolex in 2018 and engraved with the inscription: “50 years, a life of racing. Scott Pruett. 12X road racing champion. 5X Rolex Daytona 24hr winner; 3X Hall of Fame”.
It’s the type of unique piece that any Rolex collector would love to own – although it’s unlikely that Pruett would ever want to part with it. But there hasn’t been a Cosmograph that isn’t highly coveted since 2017’s US$17.8 million auction sale of the Daytona that the late Paul Newman was given by his wife, Joanne Woodward, after he took up competitive driving following his lead role in the 1969 car-race film Winning.
Today’s Cosmograph Daytona model is available in 61 references, with cases made from yellow, white or Everose gold, platinum, bi-metal and steel, all powered by the in-house Calibre 4130 self-winding, chronometer-certified movement. And, although it’s outwardly similar to the 1963 original, it’s leagues ahead in terms of engineering with features such as the Rolex-patented Parachrom hairspring, Paraflex shock-absorbing system and a scratch-resistant ceramic bezel.
OK, so wearing one won’t help you drive like Pruett, Kristensen, Webber or Stewart, but at least your wrist might look the same when you check to see if you’re getting anywhere close. Assuming you can beat the queue in the race to own one… rolex.com