Steel from end to end with not a speck of ceramic, the 116520 was the final stainless steel Daytona to wear a steel engraved bezel before Rolex switched to Cerachrom in 2016. For the collector who still quotes Days of Thunder and never misses race day, it lands right in the sweet spot of speed and style. Hunted by collectors since it left production, it brings real racing pedigree in a look that moves easily from pit lane to dinner reservation.

Presents itself in mint condition with little to no signs of wear. Set against glossy black, three silver-ringed counters and a red DAYTONA script give the dial that crisp race-car contrast, with markers that glow green after dark. Carved from 40mm of stainless steel, the case flashes mirror polish along its sides and soft brushing across the lug tops. Draped across the wrist, the Oyster bracelet mixes polished center links with brushed outer links and closes on an Oysterlock folding clasp with a 5mm Easylink extension for warm days.

Functions include hours, minutes, small seconds, chronograph, tachymeter. Sitting at 3 o’clock, the screw-down Triplock crown turns counterclockwise to pop into the winding position, where about 30 turns clockwise get the self-winding Calibre 4130 running after a long rest. Pull it out one more step to stop the small seconds at 6 o’clock and set the hours and minutes, then push it back in and screw it down tight to keep everything sealed to 100 meters. On either side of it, the two screw-down pushers unlock with a few counterclockwise turns, then the top pusher starts and stops the chronograph and the bottom pusher resets it, while the 3 and 9 o’clock registers track up to 30 minutes and 12 hours. Screw the pushers back down when you are done, read average speed off the tachymeter scale after timing a mile, and count on about 72 hours of power reserve from a full wind.

Comes as a full set, boxed with warranty documentation.

Every January, the winners of the Rolex 24 at Daytona are handed a Daytona of their own, and few prizes in motorsport are chased harder. Bringing that podium feeling home is a lot easier than winning a 24-hour race, and clean examples of this reference never sit still for long. If your collection has an empty parking spot for a true racing legend, this one is ready to pull in.