To celebrate 100 years of Lemans, Rolex releases a special edition of its Daytona timepiece, find out in this article.
Introduction
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is one of the oldest car races in the world and can count on worldwide interest. The race was created by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, an automobile organization founded in 1906.
The first 24-hour race was held May 26-27, 1923, on a circuit near Le Mans. The race was intended to stimulate technical innovation and encourage the development of the automobile industry. This year, the 24 Hours will be held June 10-11.
In honor of this 100th anniversary year, Rolex has launched a limited edition of its Cosmograph Daytona, a timepiece with a real history like the 24-hour race of Le Mans.
The Timepiece
The new Le Mans edition of the Daytona has a lot of similarities to the Daytona launched at Watches & Wonders 2023 this year. Still, there are enough innovations that make this version worthwhile.
The timepiece is finished in 18k white gold with a diameter of 40 mm and a height of 12.20 mm. This original edition of the Daytona also uses the new bezel style, that is, a black ceramic insert framed by a thin band of 18k white gold. The tachymeter scale is in platinum, with the number 100 in red ceramic as a reminder of the race’s centennial.
Besides the bezel, we also find many similarities on the dial to the 2023 model but where this edition especially stands out are the subchronos. These are executed like the historic “Paul Newman Daytona”. This version was given to Paul Newman by his wife in 1968 with the inscription “Driver Carefully” and was sold a while ago for the astronomical amount of $18 million. In addition, if you pay close attention you will see that the left subchrono showing the indication of the hours is not 12 hours but 24 hours.
To make this possible, Rolex specially developed the calibre 4132 instead of the 4131 which allows the hours of the chronograph function to be counted over a twenty-four-hour time frame instead of the usual twelve hours, another nod to the 24-hour Le Mans race.
We can behold the beautiful movement just like the new launch at Watches & Wonders through the transparent sapphire caseback.
Like all Rolex watches, this special version of the Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona features the Superlative Chronometer-certification, a guarantee of excellence on the wrist and accurate timekeeping for your next participation in the 24 Hours of Lemans.
Specifications
CASE
40mm diameter, 12.2 mm height 18K white gold , 100m (10 ATM) water resistant. Anti-reflective sapphire crystal. Black panda style dial with chronometer function seconds hand and date indicator. Oyster steel watch strap.
MOVEMENT
Rolex Calibre 4132 in house movement with 72-hour power reserve, Frequency: 28’800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz)
Functions : Hours, minutes, 24 hour display at 9:00, 30 minute chrono counter at 3:00, 60 second display at 6:00.
PRICE
42500 euro
REFERENCE
126529LN
Conclusion
With this special edition, Rolex gives an extra twist to its current Daytona line-up. With hints of the past and a movement and look of the present, this edition belongs in the collection of every Le Mans racefan.