Penelope Andrews
Head of Department
Lot 44
Rolex. A fine and rare stainless steel automatic chronograph bracelet watch with 'floating' Cosmograph 'Floating' Cosmograph 'Zenith' Daytona, Ref: 16520, Circa 1988
19 June 2025, 14:00 BST
London, New Bond Street£25,000 - £35,000
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Jonathan Darracott
Global Head
Charles Dower
Head of sale, Knightsbridge
Sarah Fergusson
Senior Specialist
George Kidwell
Senior Cataloguer
Edith Chong
Cataloguer
Joselyn Sizer
Sale Coordinator
Rolex. A fine and rare stainless steel automatic chronograph bracelet watch with 'floating' Cosmograph
Model: 'Floating' Cosmograph 'Zenith' Daytona
Reference: 16520
Date: Circa 1988
Movement: 31-jewel Cal.4030 automatic
Dial: Black, 'floating' Cosmograph beneath 12, red Daytona, polished bullet hour markers with luminous inserts, white outer 1/5th second division, silvered bordered subsidiary dials at 3, 6 and 9 for constant seconds, 30 minute and 12 hour recording, polished baton hands with black and luminous inserts, centre chronograph hand
Case: Brushed and polished tonneau form, screw down back, screw down shouldered crown flanked by twin screw down pushers, fixed calibrated bezel, No.R787006
Strap/Bracelet: Fitted 78360 Oyster link
Buckle/Clasp: Signed folding clasp stamped PG
Signed: Case, dial & movement
Size: 39mm
Accompaniments: Rolex box, outer card, brochures, 1987/1988 calendar card
Reference: 16520
Date: Circa 1988
Movement: 31-jewel Cal.4030 automatic
Dial: Black, 'floating' Cosmograph beneath 12, red Daytona, polished bullet hour markers with luminous inserts, white outer 1/5th second division, silvered bordered subsidiary dials at 3, 6 and 9 for constant seconds, 30 minute and 12 hour recording, polished baton hands with black and luminous inserts, centre chronograph hand
Case: Brushed and polished tonneau form, screw down back, screw down shouldered crown flanked by twin screw down pushers, fixed calibrated bezel, No.R787006
Strap/Bracelet: Fitted 78360 Oyster link
Buckle/Clasp: Signed folding clasp stamped PG
Signed: Case, dial & movement
Size: 39mm
Accompaniments: Rolex box, outer card, brochures, 1987/1988 calendar card
Footnotes
The Daytona is one of Rolex's most successful models with both vintage and newer models highly sought after at auction. The model made its debut in 1963 and the 16520 specifically was released in 1988. The 16520 is significant as it was the first Daytona to feature an automatic chronograph movement. Its predecessors all featured the Valjoux 72 manual wind movement whereas this new iteration housed a modified Zenith El Primero automatic movement.
This example, a 'floating Cosmograph,' is a very rare iteration of the 16520, known to have been produced for only around a year during 1988-89 with the serial number "R" and is the first series of the reference. It is pursued by collectors due to the unusual spacing between the third and fourth lines of text on the dial; 'Cosmograph' is set noticeably further from the other lines.