How to win a Rolex Daytona
Despite the willingness to spend millions on a watch there are some special watches that money cannot buy, but can be won instead. I am talking about a special Rolex Daytona awarded to a select few with the need for speed, more specifically the winning drivers of the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
Racing legend Hurley Haywood is an ambassador for Rolex and directly relates to the phenomenon of Racer Watches and their legacy within the motorsport community.
The race winner watch is a Rolex Daytona, similar to what’s available to retail customers, though some years feature unusual color combinations.
I really resonate with the idea of a trophy that you can wear, a way to flex your achievements since walking around with a trophy in your hands is a bit strange and impractical. As well as no one will ever see your trophy if you keep it in a cabinet in your mansion.
Medals have the right idea of a trophy you can wear but imagine walking down the street with a heavy bit of gold round your neck, there are not many outfits it can go with.
The watches featured gold styling on the front, and a custom engraving of Rolex 24 and ‘Winner’ as well as year. Which means that every winner’s watch is unique despite the minute differences.
The watch feels like the ultimate reward for the hours and dedication for the race of the driver and crew. A lot of the racers are very wealthy and could easily buy their own Rolex Daytona whenever they feel like it and they probably already have a few in their collection. But WINNING the watch feels way better than scanning your card and on a machine.
The sheer exclusivity of the watch means you will probably never really find one for sale or resale. Since each watch is a one-of-one with their personal engravings.
Haywood has received some crazy amounts of money for his watches. But can you really put a price on something that you won, can you put a price on the work, exhaustion, and effort Haywood and his crew went through to win the Rolex 24? It is only right that he never sells it.
The excitement of winning the race and winning the watch, the amount of money some racers must spend probably cost more than if they just bought one outright. But as Haywood has put it, winning is just not the same as buying. The sentimental value that comes from the watch, the memories he has associated with it and the fact it is a testimony to his accomplishments makes it all the better.