Rolex Daytona “Zenith Daytona” Ref.16520

In 1988, the “Zenith” Daytona, powered by an El Primero base caliber, marked a significant update to the model line. Mirroring their previous decision to utilize the Valjoux 72 for manual wound generation, Rolex once again chose to enhance a third-party caliber rather than develop an in-house movement. The esteemed Zenith El Primero, recognized as the best mass-produced automatic chronograph movement available, was the chosen mechanism. It’s worth noting that Zenith, as a brand, had just emerged from a period of corporate upheaval, surviving the quartz crisis before Rolex’s intervention in 1982. The narrative of Charles Vermot and Rolex’s pivotal role in “saving” Zenith is explored in detail on Hodinkee.Beyond the movement choice, the ref. 16520 is distinguished for introducing a more contemporary case profile to the Daytona, featuring crown guards, an increased diameter, and eventually polished lugs. This case design has become synonymous with later iterations of the Daytona, undergoing only subtle modifications since its introduction in 1988

The showcased example, dating back to 1997 with a black dial, epitomizes the essence of a “Zenith” Daytona. The watch was serviced by Rolex in 2017 and is attached with a service receipt.