Vintage Watches: Three Rolex Daytonas With Boxes And Papers, And More
Through the Daytona in particular, there is much to learn about Rolex as a brand. In 1988, when the “Zenith” generation and, with it, this watch was introduced to the catalog, the brand very clearly begins a march towards luxury watch Rolex rather than tool watch Rolex. In this generation, the case increased in diameter, crown guards were added, and, eventually, polished bracelet center links would be become standard – all moves, in my opinion, away from tool utility and toward brash luxury. In addition to the redesign, the references of 16518, 16528, 16519, and 16523 were all added as luxury options offering the Daytona in yellow gold, white gold, and two-tone for the first time under a specific reference number.