marcello pisani
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you are right Miranda ....
the white 5 lines floating porcelain ( or " porky " ) dial is rarer than the black , and the black is far rarer than the standard white .
however the rarest 16520 dial ( " world record " .. LOLL ) is the " pre-series " ( or proto ... or whatever you want to call it ) :
another extremely rare version ( by far rarer than the " porky " ) is the yellow faded black :
Rolex: Event Horizon, the birth of Rolexmania and the Daytona 16520
It was in 1989, I bought my first luxury timepiece, a Rolex, a Datejust to be precise, the ref 16210 on a Jubilee bracelet. Salary about 4600, watch 1100 But back in 1989, things were very different today, Rolex collecting, or Rolexmania, was in its inf...
Superb exposition of this iconic watch....
.. ...and a new blog feature for Rolex. Miranda.....thanks for posting some fantastic shots and also some of that personal history. To pick up a mint 6542 and a 6200 for under £1200 total....mind-boggling. As is a 4yr waiting list! Great personal history....
great review Miranda...
...the MK2 dial is also my fav one...in black as you said. i prefer, instead, a floating MK1 with white dial (3D or not). in Rolex madness, everything is started with the 16520, that's not the only good reason to keep it safe...or wrist ... ciao, chris
I'm not a Rolex purist but the white dial version is indeed gorgeous.
I love these white dial/black font Rolexes and this particular one looks fantastic. Thanks for the little lesson Imran ;) Mark
Excellent review, my dear Miranda. Very educational.
Yes, I agree on both things: Porcelain dials are to die for, and the first black dials are very appealing, too. Thank you so much for this article, my friend. Great read! Best, Nicolas
you are right Miranda ....
the white 5 lines floating porcelain ( or " porky " ) dial is rarer than the black , and the black is far rarer than the standard white . however the rarest 16520 dial ( " world record " .. LOLL ) is the " pre-series " ( or proto ... or whatever you want ...
What about this ……
I have seen two at auction , one at antiquorum and one with christies However Rolex insist it is a white gold 16519 dial I am not convinced, firstly it is inverted 6 and they are not silver sub dials Interested in your opinion Here are more from auction: ...
interesting question ...
without having the dial in my hands .... however Rolex is right for more than a reason : 1) I know for sure that their records about these modern watches are far better than those for vintage ones ; 2) the " inverted 6 " can be seen also in other dials fo...
hmmm
talked about this one elsewhere, to be honest, for me it's good..but never released by Rolex someone says it's been subjected to rhodium handling. imho, this is just a test a pre-series like the Rose/Salmon for 16519 (two MKs) or the No-Daytona at 6, etc....
I agree with your point of view , the 16519 came in 1997, inv 6 was gone by 1991/2 [nt]
And I have never seen a 16519 with this exact dial !
I'm pleased with my standard...
...my research was based on a piece old enough to have the brushed bracelet. not a first series, but a good balance between beauty and price. cheers, chris ...
I see...
...that's the feeling i have every day reading this forum and watching so much amazing pieces, and many are yours. ;) chris
no no no !!
in 16520 you can find the " inverted 6 " up to cases in the low S range ( S3-S4 ) !!!
S3 -S4 are cases produced ...
between the end of 1994 and the beginning of 1995. but yes the dial you have shared is certainly for 16520 with rhodium re-plated indexes ....this is my mistake !! ( edit for typo )
What an informative post. Great work Miranda ;)
Some of these sample you mention are so rare it's might seem as franken to most commoner (me) I think I have a version 16520 you mention. Let me dig out the photo Regard Tyler
Something tells me he will come back to the Rolex Forum with some strong watches...
My little finger is infaillible. ;) Tyler? Best, Nicolas
Excellent....
.....been out hunting and soon to return with prizes. Unveil, Tyler....it is your duty!
I never left. ;)
But I know I haven't been posting much I'll go prepare something Regard Tyler
Thank you but if you are a commoner, I must be a peasant LOL
No wonder Nico keeps offering me cake! And congrats in advance for 3000! Best Imran
Superb post.. Very educational.. Bookmarked already - Thx !! :)
.. what a review: for me, as a rel. Rolex Vintage Newbie, and having zero knowledge about the finesses of the Daytonas, a Must Read here .. Have really enjoyed this so nice contribution, with splendid pics as well.. - thank you very much and have a great ...
my 16528
I also have a daytona from that era. My R series daytona 16528, I tried a leather band for a short while, then a rubber b, now its back on bracelet. ...
I cross my fingers...
.... that you one day can convince him that you must be the next owner For the post, simply brilliant :-) Best Hans
Fantastic post Miranda! Cheers,
And to Marci---Love that yellow faded one in your post my Italian cousin! Ciao,
GREAT WRITE UP
i think the 16520 is an under appreciated model. it really is the genesis of today's Rolex collecting universe. So many things have stemmed from that watch. thanks for the write up.
GREAT WRITE UP!!!
Thanks for posting and totally agree....A porcelain white dial is a personal grail for me. Getting harder to find, especially in great condition. The real catalyst for modern Rolex collecting. I have other favorite grails...PP 3450, 2499, a grand complica...
Six months later...
and excitement is still strong ;) Yes one of great posts about Daytona of our missed Imran Sincerely Damjan