This is the Rolex Daytona Ref 116520. It is the last all-steel Rolex Daytona. It is also the most accessible. Both in terms of price and availability. And, dare I say it, it is the least collectible of the modern steel Daytona. Which is actually a good thing. It means you can buy and enjoy wearing your Ref 116520. Instead of keeping it in a safe somewhere like a museum. Don’t worry, as long as you keep it in good condition, it may still see some price appreciation. Albeit at a slower rate than its counterpart. But does all this make the replica Rolex Daytona Ref 116520 a good value? Read on and decide for yourself.
When Ref 116520 was introduced in 2000, it was a big deal for Rolex. It replaced the outgoing Ref 16520, better known as the Zenith Daytona. (It’s a legendary model in its own right, and you can read all about it here). It debuted the brand’s first-ever in-house self-winding chronograph. The Calibre 4130. Considered one of the best mass-produced chronograph movements ever made.
Composed of 290 parts – far fewer than the standard chronograph movements of the time – the Calibre 4130 set a high standard. The reduced number of parts made the movement easier to service. And more reliable. But it also freed up space, allowing Rolex to include a larger mainspring. This increased the power reserve of Ref 116520 to 72 hours (compared to 54 hours for the Zenith Daytona). All whilst still offering a chronograph accuracy of -2/+2 seconds per day.
This movement was also the first to feature fake Rolex’s proprietary Parachrom hairspring. (It is now found in all Rolex movements.) And it also introduced a stop-seconds function. In fact, the 4130 movement is so good that Rolex is still using it more than 20 years later. The mythical Ref 116500LN – aka the “ceramic Daytona” – still uses Calibre 4130. The same is true of all other current Daytona models.
When Ref 116520 came off the production line in 2000, the Daytona already had a clear identity. It was – and still is – the replica watches 2023 you’d recognize from across the room. Although from this distance, you may have difficulty distinguishing it from its predecessor. In fact, even side-by-side, it would be hard for a novice to tell it apart.
But that’s not an oversight on Rolex’s part. They knew that they had a successful design on their hands. Making too many changes to it would be foolish. But there are several subtle differences between Ref 116520 and Ref 16520. Most of them are the result of the new movement construction. Let’s start with the changes to the dial.
