Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona Luxury Watch Review

http://www.thewatchbox.com Among sports chronographs, this Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ref. 16519 is the gold standard... in 18-karat white gold. Forever linked with the annual Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, the famed "Cosmograph" is a classic. Add the legendary Zenith "El Primero" chronograph movement to the equation, and you have a perfect storm of collectible charisma. Rolex built the El Primero-powered Rolex Cosmograph Daytona from 1988 until early 2000, and the model is revered by collectors for its rarity, durability, and pioneering role as the first "modern" Rolex Daytona. Before the 16520 Daytona (and the 16519 variant shown here), the Rolex Daytona was an oddball: too small, manually-wound, and widely considered to be ugly. All that changed with the El Primero-engined Cosmograph. Rolex redesigned the watch around a 40mm Oyster Case, and the El Primero added automatic winding to ensure ever ready power during epic races and office epics alike. For the first time, a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal replaced the old plastic unit. To this day, 40mm, automatic, sapphire, Oyster case remains the winning formula for racing's "winningest" watch. While the El Primero ranks among the greatest chronograph calibers of all time, the Rolex philosophy always calls for upgrades. Rolex added its own shock-resistant free-sprung balance, ultra-durable 28,800 VpH oscillation rate, and COSC-chronometer grade refinements to achieve unprecedented precision from the already outstanding E