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Feature: The Vintage Rolex Daytona Vs. The Modern Rolex Daytona—Who Wins?
By Heidi Merrony
08 Jul 2022
The most famous chronograph out there and a Rolex fan favourite, the Daytona has found its way into the hearts of watch fans around the globe and rightly so. But one way the Daytona may divide opinion is whether to get a vintage or modern model. With that said, we’ve lined up two models—one from the 1970s and one from 2022—and put them head-to-head, so let’s take a look…
Rolex Daytona 6263
One of the most sought-after models in the Daytona family thanks to its ties to Paul Newman—although some regard the 6239 as the only true Paul Newman dial—the 6263 was manufactured from 1971 to 1988. Featuring the iconic screw-down pushers that have come to be so strongly linked to the Daytona ‘look’, this vintage Rolex is powered by the workhorse Valjoux 72—a movement that’s been described as one of the finest manual-wind chronographs ever. The 6263 is a watch that has garnered a lot of affection from watch fans and it’s certainly one that’ll take some beating.
Rolex Daytona 116500 LN
Jump to 2022 and the Rolex Daytona looks a little different. The 116500 ushered in the Daytona’s first big update in over 16 years but it’s still faithful to the original. An all-steel piece, this is a Daytona that’s ready for action on the racetrack or at sea, thanks to its 100m of water resistance. The screw-down chronograph pushers remain—with the addition of a crown guard—but the 12-hour and small-seconds chronograph subdials at 3 and 9 o’clock have swapped positions and been nudged up the dial slightly. This change happened during the 1980s when Rolex switched to an automatic Zenith-based movement, but the layout has barely changed since. The 116500 is fit with the in-house calibre 4130, which boasts greater resistance to shocks and temperature variations.
So, what do you think? Are you swayed by the vintage charm of the 6263 or are you drawn to the modern prowess and technology found in the 116500 Daytona? One thing we know for sure is that it’s a tough call to make. But whatever version of the Rolex Daytona you do go for, you’ll be set with a classic chronograph and become the envy of any watch nerd out there.
