Today’s Daytona is something special as well, but unlike those above, you really have to pay carefull attention to realize what makes it so. This Rolex looks like your typical modern-era stainless Daytona with a black face, but actually it features a very rare trait. You’ll notice that the word “Cosmograph” is actually a few milimeters below where you’d expect it to be. This is referred to as a “floating face”. As with so many other watches we’ve brought you, it is these little oddities that make this item considerably more valuable than it’s “normal” brothers.

One thing of note with these floating cosmograph Daytonas is that the sub-dials are actually subject to corrosion far more easily than your average Rolex. That said, this one appears to be in excellent condition. Our friends at 10 Past Ten Timepieces (who have a really knock-out inventory of Rolexes, btw) are asking $17,000 for this particular example. We think the price is fair, especially for such a unique Rolex. This one may not attract the attention of too many people as anything special, but just knowing that it is anything but your typical Daytona is half the fun.

Rolex Watches Are Incredibly Expensive! Why Do You Collect Them?

You’ll certainly hear no objections from me regarding criticisms as to the price of Rolex watches. When I started collecting watches many years ago, the idea of purchasing one, let alone several Rolex watches just didn’t seem feasible, or make sense. It seemed there were always other choices to consider that were less expensive. In fact, even today when people ask me for help when buying a watch, I generally always point them toward a good value brand like Seiko, or even Omega, which I feel represents about the best “bang for your buck” you can get in a luxury time piece. For most people, value is an important consideration when buying anything. Value is of course a relative concept.

Realizing that collecting watches (collecting anything really) is a considerable expense, I decided early on to do “work on the side” to support my watch habit. I started doing freelance writing and photography, wrote articles for magazines, and even wrote a book. It was during this time that my attentions turned back to Rolex watches. Surprisingly, these freelance ventures I undertook were quite successful for me, and soon I had several examples of watches I considered excellent and really enjoyed, but still found myself drawn to Rolex. I can’t entirely explain it in rational terms why this would be, but it just was. So I decided that my modest collection (which will never contain more than 10 watches) will include a few Rolex models that I like for several reasons:

History/Tradition – one of the things I respect most about Rolex is the place they hold in watch history. They virtually invented the modern day wristwatch, the water resistant case, and the self-winding mechanism among other innovations and contributions. They also produce more COSC certified watches then any other watch maker, and have done so for many years.

In House Movements – Rolex is one of the FEW watch houses that produces their own movements (most other brands of mechanical watches buy movements made by other companies). In fact, Rolex meticulously controls the production of nearly every last part, in every last component that are used in their watches. It’s one of the reasons why their watches cost more, and one of the things that makes Rolex so special.

Resale – You never know when a financial disaster will hit. The nice thing about buying a Rolex is, they can be sold quickly and at minimal loss.

Aesthetics – this plays a role in any watch I buy, and I’ve always liked the Rolex sport watch look and feel.

Brand Name Recognition – believe it or not, this a neutral point for me. In my experience, painfully few people notice or even care what kind of watch you’re wearing. Of those that do, for every person that says, “Hey cool you’re wearing a Rolex!” there’s someone that thinks, “oh, you’re wearing a Rolex…you must be one of THOSE kinds of people.” In the end, all the watches I buy and wear are because I like them. I don’t really care one way or the other what others think. I think you’re always better off when you buy things based on what it means to you, and irrespective of what others think.