Perhaps one of the most iconic timepieces to have ever hit the market, the Rolex Daytona is widely recognized as one of the most desirable watches there is. Distinguished by its three generations, what we have here is the 2nd generation 5-digit reference, known as the "Zenith" Daytonas due to their movement (the Rolex cal. 4030) being a heavily modified version of the Zenith-supplied El Primero movement. Forgoing its date function, slowing the movement's frequency down to increase the power reserve, and featuring fewer parts to improve reliability, the cal. 4030 found within the Zenith Daytonas is one of the finest pieces of horological engineering to come out of the late 80s and 90s (1988-2000). Still a mechanically astute timepiece to this day, the Zenith Daytona exists through a wide variety of references, of which, the ref. 16520 is the purest. A wonderful expression of Rolex's engineering capabilities and the consistency in their iconic design language, the Zenith Daytona is the unsung hero in the Daytona's lineage. Still, it won't be for long when collectors begin to unravel the story and see the value these incredible timepieces hold.

Watch is in overall very good condition. The case retains sharp crisp edges and full lugs, while the bezel has most of the enameling intact. There are minor scratches and abrasions along the edge of the bezel and case. The dial has even spotting through the black surface, and it exhibits subdial rings that have aged to a brown color. (In the collector's lexicon, this is referred to as a Patrizzi dial.) The bracelet has 12 links total, two of which are removable. It exhibits minor stretch.

A legendary timepiece for all the right reasons, the Rolex Daytona exists in a world of its own, unrivaled by most other sports chronographs. Positioned within its lineage as the original 'modern' Daytona, the "Zenith" Daytona will certainly prove to be an important piece of the Daytona's history for a very long time yet.