Rolex

Hello to Daytona Fans,

What will become of the Rolex SS Daytona (116520) Now that the price is at $9825.00 List. The Rolex AD's seem to have the 116520 SS and are holding onto them for the big customers that step up with the cash on other nice watches. The great customers get the pick. We all know this. But now something feels funny. I was in to see a Rolex AD; the manager of a very well known and high volume watch company. He told me that he had four 116520's in the back room of his store to sell at LIST price. Mind you that this was a private show for this Rolex AD's very best customers. He extended the offer to only five of his best customers in the back room of the store. Not one of the big fish wanted this hard to find, famous Daytona. Is the hype dead? Times are hard on Wall street (what is left of it). The Wall Street boys like to set the trends and love to have what Joe the watch guy can't have. Now that Wall street is down and out so goes the Daytona?

Will Rolex keep holding back on production for this watch? Will all the AD's be sitting with this watch when they do get one from Rolex to sell? The LIST price has gone up up up and is now at $9825. Can the 116520 still catch the big whale who is willing to pay $12,000 to $15,000 for this watch? I think that over time Rolex's LIST price will catch up to the pumped up after market price and Rolex knows this. Is Rolex just milking the cow on this watch till they price the watch out of the market? For $30,000 to $35,000 you can have the All gold in white, yellow or "Everose". Everose is very nice however, Some people may think that you have a copper watch on. If this happens to you then you will know how small a club you are in.

Paul Newman is gone ..God will bless him for all he has done for Race fans, movie fans, and most of all charity. Did Paul care that much for the watch? The Daytona is hot because of Paul Newman's love of sports car Racing.

I would love to hear anyones thoughts on this Watch and if anyone thinks I'm wrong please let me know as I very well could be!

Regards

CDW66

I think that the Daytona decline has to do with a lot of factors. I have owned 3 (modern) in my life, the first 2 were sold because I was offered crazy money for them. I was only fortunate enough to purchase the 3rd because I also had purchased a number of other watches from this perticular AD. I honestly think that Rolex has upped the list price too much. At $10,000, the list is just too high for the watch. Just because you can charge that much doesnt mean that is the best for the piece in the long run.

Even the vintage market has lost its share of fans, including myself. I love the "Paul Newman" Daytona, I think that it is a great looking watch with a fantastic line of history. But the chances of getting a Fake model are just too high. I was once in the market for one, but I am now so scared of paying for a fake that I just cant bring myself to make that kind of investment in it.

Its a great watch, and my favorite every day watch, but it seems that Rolex has gotten too greedy about the price at the wrong time.

Thanks for your thoughts bakerb22. One thing that I see is that for the high end Swiss watches market $10,000 isn't much when you see what you could spend. At the end of the day if you add a bit of "hard to get" on the side...it makes it more fun for the people that want to play the Daytona game. Just the same..it is a great watch with it's 72 hr. power R. and it is spot on. You don't see people with the SS Daytona's that much. I have seen maybe four people with one. One guy was 85 years old. However he had a new one. Now that's cool but would have been better if it was a Daytona from the 70's..(first owner).

one two-tone, and two SS with the 4130 mvt.  I loved and admired the timekeeping on the 4130, but when a simple SS watch reaches $10K, it had better be everything I want in a watch, including size, cosmetics, everything.  I like the Daytona, but to me the dial is too small in comparison to the case, and the watch is not overly large to begin with.  Rolex is smart enough to realize these things have been going in the resale market for $9.5-10K anyway, why should they leave money on the table?  But, with the present market conditions, it may be premature and inappropriate.

The Daytos belong to this category of watches that you don't have to pay over the retail...

You love them, you buy them, you don't love them and just hope to see their price or value increase, and you take the risk...

So the possiblity to see many Daytos on the market, much more than before is not a problem, but a possibility...

It will clean the market, and this will be a good thing.

The True lovers of this watch will be able to afford it..;Excellent news..;If TRUE.

My 2 Weak Euro Cents.

Nicolas

and that is the "market" price for the 116520 has already been lowered to about the same level as its MSRP.

supply of the 116520 has never been scarce on the market; it was just difficult to get at MSRP from ADs.

the price of the 116520 will continue to go down is how i see it.  its price was always inflated due to ADs holding on to them to generate sales of their less popular pieces.  now that the price advantage has eroded, it is only natural for them to start releasing them to even their non VIP customers. 

i will not be surprised to see ADs to start offering discounts on the 116520s soon, if they are not already offering discounts to their VIP customers.

 

g



regards Philipp

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First the Daytona was never a limited production item.  It was merely as other have said hard to get at list price.   The new list price has frightened off would be flippers/speculators.  So the demand has dropped off a bit.   The early 116520s were only $6,000.  That was well under the market value.  What else could you buy with an in house movement  for $6,000 that also is highly coveted and recognized in many countries ,especially Asia.  The basic RO Chrono was more than twice the price, the VC Overseas chrono was in excess of $11,000, and neither had in house movements.  Don't get me wrong, I am sure the finish on the movements is significantly finer in the RO or Overseas, but those are also watches that are only recognized and maybe shopped for by WISs.

Also the 116520 has been in production for nearly 9 years.  I myself have owned two 116520, two 16520, a 16519, a 16523, and a 16528.  Now I'm down to a black dial 116520, 16520, and 16528.  But now I am not as interested in Daytonas.  Maybe one can reach a point when you are "Daytona'd out."  Although, I still like the new rose gold Daytona and would consider one some day, but at 30,700 there are other watches I'd probably consider first. 

I'm not sure the Daytonas will be selling at a discount, but maybe ADs will be less likely to hord them for super customers, or make people buy them with a few other watches.  Its still a great watch, just not a watch that people can easily flip, and its still about half the price of a RO.

Best regards,

Dino