As the final minutes ticked down, I found my excitement for the winners building. The gruelling 24 Hours of Le Mans was coming to a conclusion, and the three-driver team of the No. 51 AF Corse Ferrari 499P were about to have their names — Antonio Giovinazzi, Alessandro Pier Guidi and James Calado — immortalised by the racing gods. But forget lifting the trophy in front of the 235,000 spectators who descend upon this otherwise sleepy part of France, or the bragging rights that attend victory in this legendary race. The real prizes were the watches they would each be gifted. Le Mans’ timing partners, Rolex, bestow new Daytonas on the winners every year — perhaps the best prize in sport — but this year was special, as it was the centenary of the first 24- Hour race, and on this very track. It’s hard these days to imagine the heroics of the drivers in those early decades of the race, with Woolf ‘Babe’ Barnato and Sir Henry ‘Tim’ Birkin piloting their huge four-and-a-half-litre Blowers for thousands of miles, day and night. Eddie Hall even completed the entire race on his own in 1950, an achievement that has not been equalled.
Le Mans started before me, and it is something that will live forever… It makes me feel part of something greater.
We carry a victory at Le Mans with pride for the rest of our lives, and winning a Rolex Daytona in the centenary year will be a proud moment
Rolex’s association with the race began a decade after that. Early, pre-Daytona chronographs were marketed as racing watches, designed to time laps and measure speed with their integrated tachymeters. A Rolex chronograph was featured in a 1963 advertisement, unofficially tying itself to the French race. “This is the new Rolex Chronograph,” it read. “It’s called Le Mans. Its tachometer is engraved on the bezel for easy mph reading… $210 including federal tax.” The name didn’t stick, though, and after Rolex sponsored the 24-hour race at the Daytona International Speedway in Florida, the distinctive chronograph was given its new moniker. The Daytona would undergo a series of changes over the years movement bounced between the early model’s Valjoux 72 and Zenith El Primero movements and contemporary in-house designs. The dials featured different lettering, and the bezel was acrylic, then steel, and now ceramic.
The Daytona is also seen by Formula One champions as a badge of honour. Jenson Button bought one in his debut F1 season to mark his rise to the top of motorsport. He also got one for his dad, who would later put it in the washing machine by mistake. Sir Jackie Stewart was given one when he won the 1971 Monaco Grand Prix — he ranks it among his greatest possessions — while Tom Kristensen, the Danish former racing driver, is rarely seen without his.
Kristensen won Le Mans a record nine times, so it’s fair to say his watch collection is almost as impressive as his trophy cabinet. “We carry a victory at Le Mans with pride for the rest of our lives, and winning a Rolex Daytona in the centenary year will be a proud moment,” he says. “It will forever tell the story of the race, and seeing Le Mans engraved on the watch gives it even more meaning. This year a driver will not just be a Le Mans winner — [he] will be the centenary Le Mans winner, which is a once-in-a-lifetime achievement.”
Indeed, the winner’s watch this year has a unique engraving on the rear, signifying the centenary (etched alongside a laurel wreath and the Le Mans logo). It is a watch you won’t be able to buy, but for the lucky few there is a new addition to the Daytona stable. To celebrate 100 years of Le Mans, Rolex released a new take on the Daytona. It’s made from 18ct white-gold, with details including a red number 100 on the tachymeter; white sub-dials inspired by classic Paul Newman Daytonas; and a new calibre 4132 movement, which can time up to a period of 24 hours instead of the usual 12. It’s a stunning rendition of the Daytona, which itself is celebrating its 60th anniversary. “When we see this unique Rolex Daytona, we see 100 years of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in one chronograph,” Kristensen says. “It represents dedication and teamwork, which makes me feel part of something greater. Ultimately, what brings us to these racetracks has remained the same throughout generations — passion, persistence, performance, perfect lap times, and perfect timing. Le Mans started before me, and it is something that will live forever.”
Text with Solid Background
Indeed, the winner’s watch this year has a unique engraving on the rear, signifying the centenary (etched alongside a laurel wreath and the Le Mans logo). It is a watch you won’t be able to buy, but for the lucky few there is a new addition to the Daytona stable. To celebrate 100 years of Le Mans, Rolex released a new take on the Daytona. It’s made from 18ct white-gold, with details including a red number 100 on the tachymeter; white sub-dials inspired by classic Paul Newman Daytonas; and a new calibre 4132 movement, which can time up to a period of 24 hours instead of the usual 12. It’s a stunning rendition of the Daytona, which itself is celebrating its 60th anniversary. “When we see this unique Rolex Daytona, we see 100 years of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in one chronograph,” Kristensen says. “It represents dedication and teamwork, which makes me feel part of something greater. Ultimately, what brings us to these racetracks has remained the same throughout generations — passion, persistence, performance, perfect lap times, and perfect timing. Le Mans started before me, and it is something that will live forever.”
Full Width Elements
Le Mans started before me, and it is something that will live forever… It makes me feel part of something greater.
Text with Solid Background
Indeed, the winner’s watch this year has a unique engraving on the rear, signifying the centenary (etched alongside a laurel wreath and the Le Mans logo). It is a watch you won’t be able to buy, but for the lucky few there is a new addition to the Daytona stable. To celebrate 100 years of Le Mans, Rolex released a new take on the Daytona. It’s made from 18ct white-gold, with details including a red number 100 on the tachymeter; white sub-dials inspired by classic Paul Newman Daytonas; and a new calibre 4132 movement, which can time up to a period of 24 hours instead of the usual 12. It’s a stunning rendition of the Daytona, which itself is celebrating its 60th anniversary. “When we see this unique Rolex Daytona, we see 100 years of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in one chronograph,” Kristensen says. “It represents dedication and teamwork, which makes me feel part of something greater. Ultimately, what brings us to these racetracks has remained the same throughout generations — passion, persistence, performance, perfect lap times, and perfect timing. Le Mans started before me, and it is something that will live forever.”
Widget Elements
The star of Stranger Things talks to Tom Chamberlin about small-town America, tension on set, and the very true but very crazy story behind his new film, Gran Turismo.
Subscribe