

Introduced as the first self-winding Daytona in 1988, it marked the most significant evolution in the 55 years-history of the revered chronograph. Thirty years later, its influence is still very present in the current model.
The watch was produced in stainless steel, yellow gold and two-tone. In 1992, a gold version on leather strap was introduced (ref. 16518) followed by the white gold model (ref. 16519) in 1997.
Over its twelve years of production, the model went through several evolutions, most noticeably its dial. The present lot is an early 'L-series' from 1989 and is beautifully complemented by a Mark III 'inverted 6' dial with diamond-set indexes circa 1991. This could be easily explained by the fact that the watch wasn't purchased before 1992, as confirmed by the original Rolex guarantee. Following Rolex's drive to offer their clients the latest innovation, the piece was fitted with this precious dial.