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, such as the ref. 16523 that we have here. With numerous references within the collection, the Zenith Daytona has also featured some exceedingly rare jeweled variants like the ref. 16589 and so on. A wonderful expression of Rolex's engineering capabilities and the consistency in their iconic design language, the Zenith Daytona is perhaps the unsung hero in Daytona's lineage. However, it won't be long before collectors begin to unravel the story and see the value these timepieces hold.

Watch is in overall excellent condition. Minor surface wear is evident, some small lightening in the enamel on the bezel. Light signs of wear evident all along the case. The dial is in near-mint condition, with very light signs of oxidation at the periphery of the 6 o'clock sundial. The band has 12 links total, 2 of which are removable. There is little to no stretch in the band.

Adding a luxurious element to the Daytona's otherwise tool watch construction, the two-tone ref. 16523 is a brilliant watch that could just as easily handle the beach as it could a black tie event.