![]() It seems that the varnish used to protect the dial reacted with the silver rings around the three sub-dials on the black 16520 and caused a change in colour in unpredictable ways. With Zenith Daytonas, we have black dials with discoloured rings around the sub dials. A classic example of this is the “spider dial” – the nickname given by collectors to dials that have a cracked or crazed pattern in the glossy finish of dials. I say that because one man’s treasure is another man’s piece of junk – or maybe beauty is in the eye of the beholder? Either way, some people love these accidents on Rolex dials and others see them as simply trash. ![]() It is amazing how manufacturing faults can work out well in the end… at least for some people. This version featured a graduated scale from 50 to 200 as seen on the plexi 6265. Easily recognised by the presence of “UNITS PER HOUR” being at 3 o’clock on the bezel. ![]() The first was the MK1, which was in essence a remake of the 62xx plexi watch bezels. There were three different bezel layouts employed in the 16520s run, that we will call the MK1-3. The bezels on the 16520s were now all-steel and there were no longer any plastic inserts used as seen on the vintage 6263. It wouldn’t be unusual for Rolex to replace dials at service and so, as an example, a 1992 watch could have had a MK5 dial fitted at some point in its life at service. It is also worth noting here that the corresponding yellow-gold watches also featured a similar dial development.Įach of the dial versions can be placed to quite accurate serial number ranges and so collectors will always want to check the serial number of the watch to make sure the correct dial is fitted. These dials were in the first series of watches from 1988 and the collectors’ preference is for watches whose serials have an “R” prefix, which were the very first 16520s. The MK1 dial is the most sought after and, therefore, commands a significant premium over other versions. The book that started my love with the model was Rolex Daytona – A Legend is Born by Stefano Mazzariol. There have actually been a number of books written on the subjects of the Daytona. As Rolex has improved its production facilities, the evolution of dials is less frequent, but the 12-year run of the Zenith-powered Daytonas has a well-documented chronology of dial changes and variations. But to collectors, it’s the very life blood of their hobby – the minutiae. Often, small differences that the lay person might not notice without it being pointed out. This is largely due to the fact that it is possibly one of the last production Rolex watches to feature a number of significant variations to the dial and bezels. And so, the Zenith-powered Daytona has developed a following. The steel 16520 is now three generations old, having been superceded twice by the 116520 in 2000 and the 116500 in 2016. Like all Rolex wristwatches, the older the Zenith Daytonas become, the more interest grows amongst collectors.
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