The Rolex Daytona Platinum model is a tremendous timepiece and a stellar addition to the white-hot Daytona brand. Much has changed since 1963, when the world laid it’s eyes upon the first Rolex Daytona. In celebration of such an iconic heritage, Rolex released the Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona in platinum at the 2013 Basel World party.
Donning a chic chestnut brown mono bloc ceramic Cerachrom bezel and it’s icy blue dial, this Daytona exudes it’s own unique Haute Couture, Prada-esque Italian flare. Rolex is obviously turning an appealing eye towards more open-minded design trends.
Traditional Rolex Daytona models were very basic. They had stainless steel case cases and the early Daytona required you to hand-wind the timepiece. The tachymetric scale that appears on the bezel has been updated to support 400 mph/kph, which is an enhancement over its 200 mph/kph notations on the models made in the 1960’s.
Platinum is a rarity indeed. In fact, there were only a couple instances of Daytona timepieces made in gold in the 1970’s. A white gold Rolex was such a rare timepiece that it was dubbed, “The Unicorn.” It sold for over $5 million at auction 10 years ago and would probably fetch even more if resold today.
Platinum and white gold are similar in their silvery coloring. However, at closer look, they are quite different. Platinum is more durable than white gold. It has a whiter overall look and is actually significantly stronger than white gold. 18k white gold is actually fairly soft and is more prone to damage. Often craftsman will either drop down to 14K gold or add other materials to the white gold mixture in order to increase the strength and add more dazzling shine. Rhodium is an element often used to improve the look of white gold over time. Sometimes it is mixed with nickel, zinc and copper.
18k gold generally has only 75% gold inside of it. From a purity perspective, Platinum is far purer with a 95% purity. Platinum is 20% more dense than white gold. Since platinum is more durable, it requires less polishing. It is also heavier than white gold and tends to be more hypoallergenic than white gold. It takes more work to mold and fashion due to its hardness. It is also traditionally more expensive than white gold, generally bumping the price of a timepiece by 50% or more.
Rolex Daytona Platinum
The Reference 116506 Rolex Daytona Platinum is a gorgeous timepiece. The ice blue and chestnut brown elements on the dial and bezel are a perfect combination. Rolex has hit home runs with several new color combos in recent years. I would have to add that the Daytona with Everose gold and black dial and black band is another stunning color combination, though less aggressive than this timepiece. Rolex has 2 platinum models. One comes with the chestnut inner dials, and the other one has the ice blue inner dials. Both options are pictured above. Both models are going for approximately $144,000 today due to a combination of rising metal prices, and the meteoric rise in Daytona prices.
These two models have all of the stellar features of the Rolex Daytona including the new caliber 4130 which has a power reserve of 72 hours. It is water resistant to 330 feet and is protected by a scratch resistant sapphire crystal. Both the case and Oyster bracelet are made from a block of pure Platinum. The bracelet features a folding Oysterlock safety clasp with the Easylink 5 mm comfort extension link system for easy adjustments.
The caliber 4130 historically comes from the original Zenith El Primero which Rolex adopted in 1988 and then heavily modified it to improve performance. It has 201 separate components, which is far less than were in the original El Primero caliber. The larger tension spring helped increase the power reserve to 72 hours, up from 50 hours.
Everything is more efficient in this in-house movement including a nearly 70% increase in winding efficiency. The Parachrom hairspring and Paraflex anti shock system makes this Rolex Daytona 10 times more resistant to shock than older models.
It beats at a frequency of 28800 and has 44 jewels. The seconds have a hacking mechanism. There is a small seconds hand at 6 o’clock. Chronograph (centre hand) accurate to within 1/8 of a second, 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock and 12-hour counter at 9 o’clock.
Rubber B has an extensive array of watch bands for the Rolex Daytona timepiece. There are tang buckle models, and ones that support the original Rolex Clasp. In addition, Rubber B launched the Swimskin model which comes with several variations including a Vegan Friendly alligator leather (Made from pure rubber rather than animal skin), a new Swimskin Ballistic series which looks like real fabric like Kevlar, and the Rubber Cuff Series which looks like a true combat strap.
