Rolex Daytona Zenith - 16520

Rolex released the Cosmograph Daytona ref. 16520 in 1988. It is the first Daytona to be equipped with an automatic chronograph caliber and a sapphire crystal. The 40-mm case is crafted from 904L stainless steel, otherwise known as Oystersteel, and is relatively thin at just 12 mm thick. Lug-to-lug, the watch measures in at around 47 mm, making it a great option for slimmer wrists. ​

Similar to the majority of Daytona models, the chronograph push-pieces on the 16520 are screwed down to prevent them from being operated involuntarily. You can also take this reference swimming, as it offers water resistance to 100 m (10 bar, 328 ft). In true Daytona fashion, this model sports a steel bezel with a black tachymeter scale.

Inside the case, you'll find the Rolex caliber 4030. This movement is based on the world-famous El Primero from fellow Swiss luxury watch manufacturer Zenith. This is also where the reference got its nickname as the "Zenith Daytona." It was only in the year 2000 that Rolex started using in-house calibers in the Daytona collection, starting with the ref. 116520.

The Daytona 16520 is available with a black or white dial. During its 22-year production period, only a handful of changes were made to the dial design, all of which related to inscriptions and lettering. Otherwise, Rolex made a few minor tweaks to the watch, some of which can be found in the bracelet. In order to distinguish between the different variants, they are divided into the categories Mark I to Mark VIII.

Collectors pine after the rare copies with the "Patrizzi" dial, which found their way into the Daytona Mark IV and Mark V series during a brief period in the mid-1990s. The subdials have faded to a brown color, and instead of being considered a production mistake, are actually extremely popular and valuable.

Rolex pairs the Daytona 16520 with the well-known three-piece link Oyster bracelet. Until the early 1990s, the bracelet was completely satin-finished; it wasn't until the Mark IV that the watch received an Oyster bracelet with polished center links. Around the turn of the millennium, Rolex also introduced solid end links (SEL).

As expected, the value development for the Rolex Daytona 16520 is positive. Since spring 2022, its value has dropped, but prices were at an all-time high at that point. Considering the period from January 2021 and January 2023, the following trends emerge:

At the beginning of 2023, a new Daytona 16520 with a black dial cost around 39,500 USD. Back in January 2021, this value was closer to 27,000 USD, and thus corresponds to an increase of 46%. Pre-owned copies appreciated by around 27% and now demand roughly 25,500 USD. The white dial version has recorded similar financial performance.

Variants with the "Patrizzi" dial have not experienced such a drastic increase in value: Mint-condition models have, however, still appreciated by about 15%, while pre-owned watches rose by over 16% and now change hands for around the 39,000 USD mark.

While the Rolex caliber 4030 is based on the Zenith El Primero 400, the manufacturer made a host of changes to the movement, which warranted it being designated as an in-house creation. For example, the Swiss manufacturer slowed the high-speed movement from 36,000 to a more leisurely 28,800 vph, a standard speed for modern mechanical movements. Rolex also opted for a free-sprung Breguet hairspring and its signature Microstella screws to regulate the oscillation of the balance wheels.