When we first laid eyes on the new Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona at Watches and Wonders Geneva earlier this year, we believed it was the highlight of Rolex’s offerings. This strongly suggests it would become one of the most discussed watches globally this year. If you flip through the pages of our summer issue of World of Watches, this notion seems accurate. However, to cut to the chase, it isn’t entirely true — while the 60th anniversary of the world’s foremost chronograph puts this watch in the spotlight, online discussions are largely focused on two vibrant counterparts.
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We’ve seen this before, notably during the 50th anniversary of the Cosmograph Daytona. The unique platinum variant of the 2013 model ultimately proved to be significantly impactful. Keep this in mind when examining the 2023 iteration, which features a remarkable exhibition caseback (a first for this line). The platinum model, reference 126506, mainly refers back to the 2013 version, as the exhibition caseback allows discourse about the new calibre 4131. This upgraded calibre includes the Rolex Chronergy escapement and several minor enhancements (reportedly to the self-winding mechanism), yet the official specifications remain unchanged.
Firstly, the watch retains all its emblematic attributes, avoiding any introduction of a date feature or drastic alterations. Nevertheless, there are enough differences with this new reference, some of which are unexpected. Space is certainly one area worth exploring, as even though the published dimensions remain at 40mm, the watch feels more substantial. The new model plays with space in various ways, including subdials whose tracks are now noticeably narrower. The case is also sleeker than its predecessor, but there is no mention of this in the specifications.
It’s important to note that the visual and tactile differences will be evident only to those who’ve worn and handled both the new reference and the previous model. If you are familiar with more versions of this iconic chronograph, you will appreciate the evolutionary path of the Daytona, even if you have your preferred features. If you’re entirely new to the Daytona, this won’t matter at all. In fact, it may even be clearer, as Rolex is standardizing aspects of the Daytona, including the symmetrical lug shape across all versions.
The bezel ring, an immediately identifiable change for 2023, is consistent across the five current model references. This ring is crafted from the same material as the case, although models with precious metal bezels will not feature this. Where it exists, the bezel remains entirely made of Cerachrom and is not merely an insert — it now has a frame, likely for protection, but this is purely conjecture on our part.
This article first appeared in Issue #69 of World of Watches.
All images courtesy of Rolex.
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