In this episode of our series What Is On My Wrist, Craft + Tailored’s always colorful CEO Cameron Barr takes an astoundingly cool 2001 Daytona “Beach” ref. 116519, which is rendered in white gold and features a stunning green chrysoprase stone dial, for a spin. While this watch makes a wildly bold and fun statement on-wrist, its precious metal case and stone dial make it a true hitter of a Daytona that’s more than just a pop of color. These watches represent a rare moment in Rolex history where the famously stringent brand saw fit to release a series of pieces that were loud, proud, and provided a classic and beloved form factor with a wholly unique visual. These pieces have always been polarizing in the community and have a lot in common with the more playful releases Rolex has started experimenting with this year, like the “Celebration” dial Oyster-Perpetuals and the tremendously divisive “Puzzle” dial Day-Dates. These are watches that you either love or hate, and in a sea of similarity and nuance, a watch that has a personality this distinct will always be an exciting proposition to certain collectors. 

While these watches aren’t for everyone aesthetically, we think they’re extremely interesting as not just a moment in time when Rolex decided to shake things up, but a watch that we think we be increasingly sought after by vintage collectors and will enjoy the increased interest the vintage world has in stone dial Rolexes. This particular example is ideal for the serious collector as its condition is truly impressive and it retains its original factory lizard-skin deployant clasp strap, and comes with its original punched and serialized guarantee paper from Rolex.