For more than three decades, thousands of drivers from all corners of racing have descended upon Daytona International Speedway, lured by the chance to conquer one of motorsport's most grueling tests: the Rolex 24. But standing on the top step of the podium earns the best drivers more than bragging rights or having their name etched in history. It also comes with the most coveted, and wearable, prize in racing: the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona.
The Rolex Daytona is maybe the Swiss brand's most revered piece of wrist candy; a five-figures (or more) chronograph that makes watch aficionados and endurance racers alike go a bit gaga. Rolex’s history with Daytona — formerly known as the 24 Hours of Daytona — actually goes back further than the race itself. Sir Malcolm Campbell broke the World Land Speed Record on Daytona Beach while wearing a Rolex in the 1930s. When Daytona's speedway was built in the late 1950s, the Swiss watchmaker became the official timekeeper of the track. In 1963, inspired by the venue, it brought the Daytona model to market.
