Rolex Daytona Owner Review : Precise, iconic and rigorous

Around 2006, I was asked to consult the brand's catalog to identify a watch style I would like. Not knowing much about the models, materials, or technical specifications, I had a hard time projecting myself and understanding the price. Having been well advised or influenced, I really liked the chronograph style. It was in the same vein as my previous watch. The following year would be my 20th birthday, and a beautiful, timeless gift was taking shape. The notion of investment was also present; my father knew this model already had a history, and everything indicated it would continue to do so. In 2007, the watch arrived. Dazzling in its box, shining on my wrist! I quickly put it back on its stand for fear of damaging it. For the first two or three years, I only used it for safe events: birthday meals, Christmas, and the auto show. Then came two complicated years, where it wasn't practical to have a watch. Around 2011, I started wearing it more regularly during my studies and outside of school. It's beautiful and practical in all circumstances. I noticed that no one noticed it, which suited me perfectly. It truly became my daily wearable when the battery in my previous watch died. An anecdote that really stuck with me, probably around 2015-2016, was during a party with a group of friends. During a conversation between eight people, I noticed that a person (whom I didn't know) kept their eyes fixed on my wrist. I analyzed it for a long time, finally asking him, "Do you know it? Do you want to see it?" Maybe he knew more than I did. He replied with astonished eyes, "A little, it's magnificent!" Go ahead, try it. That day, I saw eyes light up over a watch. It was beautiful. In 2019, I was able to benefit from an upgrade: getting the ceramic bezel. I knew little about this material, but since insiders told me it would be the next revolution, I had to believe them. I put it together and continued my life with it. I felt like I had a different watch, like I could appreciate it again, and differently. It seemed bigger, especially with the same dial color. At that time, I had two watches: this Daytona, used continuously for the seven months in daylight saving time, and a Tudor for the five months in winter time. Simple and effective. That year, I had a visit to the notary for a real estate project. During the final appointment, I noticed the notary holding onto my wrist. Since the documents weren't properly completed, the notary decided to cancel the signing that day and ended up exclaiming something like this at the end: "Although the sales contract isn't finalized, unfortunately, I was able to see a very beautiful watch during this meeting. I don't know how you managed to get this model!" I was surprised (and flattered) that someone could love someone else's watch so much. In 2021, I placed another internal order for the latest model, just to "reserve the space." Later, the time would come to decide whether I would pay for it and keep it. When I received the information that it was available and that I could pick it up from the factory, I remained skeptical about the pointlessness of having two of the same model. In the height of the current speculative bubble, I made the sensible decision and declined the order. It would have been quite easy to resell it for 3x the price, but I preferred to keep the possibility of another purchase with an internal discount to myself. This gave me time to delve into the brand's catalog again and better understand the world of watchmaking to find what would suit me best to truly begin my collection. In short, a watch that has delighted me for the past few years. I recently put my steel bezel back on. We've been seeing too much ceramic on people's wrists for a few years now. I also varied it with a rubber strap for a unique configuration.