Why I turned down the Rolex Daytona 116520 

You followed your own taste and your intuition. Nothing wrong with that. I ’d hope more people would buy what they like. Instead of what the marketing made them like.

I don't have a Daytona. My collection are 1960s sports icons. A 67 Sub, a 67 Speedy, a 66 Autavia, a 63 Seamaster300 and more. But they are not watches. I was born in 1961, and those pieces are memory enhancers, like a live, very powerful connection with my own childhood, magnifying the milestone moments of then, the memory of the lost loved ones, moments of joy, of childhood stays overseas, the magic of what it was like. And those 1960s watches were alive then, and they are still today. There, on my wrist. The magic of nostalgia and the powerful emotion feel intense with those pieces. They're who I am, they're what I feel is important emotionally. No 2022 Daytona, Nautilus or Royal Oak can do that. A 1960s Daytona would.

ive seen two of your videos and you instantly ran up to top 3 content creators around watches. very well articulated, very good ideas. thanks a lot.

I just don't like overly flashy watches so that Breitling won't be for me. In my 50s now I prefer more classic, understated pieces but I certainly had some flashy pieces in the past. I remember my TAG mercedes mclaren watch in late 90s with that super flashy bracelet with fondness but couldn't imagine wearing it now. Great channel and great video

I enjoyed your watch journey Mike. I still remember the look on my dads face when he wore his steel watch with rally racing bracelet. He often wore the gloves driving too expressing his inner Paul Newman. Now I know my watch journey is not finished but Im enjoying learning what I like.

I started your video thinking "here we go, yet another guy's watch journey". Was I ever wrong; what a compelling tale, very well told. If there was a way-back machine, and you could go back knowing what you know now, would you make the same decision? I don't care for Daytona's either, and if I could afford a Rolex it wouldn't be my first choice. However, if an AD set one in front of me and said it could be mine...I don't know. I really enjoyed your video, thank you!

Great subject, admire your honesty, keep up the good work 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻🇬🇧🇦🇺

A very well made video, informative as well as fun to watch. As far as your story goes, I don’t see much difference between the Breitling & the Rolex if considered as a tool and of course ignoring what the market dictates. Enjoy what you own 😊

Like a good wine Mike has aged well! I am a dial man myself. A beautiful dial just attracts my attention and won’t let go. I had a similar experience and chose my Breitling Transocean Day-Date for my 20th anniversary. I still enjoy wearing it to this day.

Great story, thanks so much. I also purchased my first luxury watch because I liked it, not because everyone likes it. It turned out my first luxury watch is Rolex. I wanted a platinum watch, so I looked into different brands. It just happened that Day-date 36mm Ref. 118206 was the cheapest out of the bunch. Then when I compared the prices of 36mm vs 40mm it was clear to me that 36mm was the way to go. I just couldn’t justify paying double for extra 4mm, even though my wrist size is 7.25 inches. To make it story short, I still own this watch and proudly wearing it every day. Later I learned more about watches. I could also buy a stainless steel Daytona for the price I paid. I don’t regret a bit of a decision I made.

Thanks for the insightful anecdote. I really enjoyed that.

The first time I held the Daytona I wasn’t impressed and questioned my self why it didn’t move me like the omega did.

Watching from Brazil 🇧🇷 Nice video 👍

Choose what you like and what make you smile, that's all about it.

Solution: Anytime you’re on edge about a Rolex Steel Professional Model. Buy it. Then have your watchmaker remove the bracelet and you intern fit with a high end croc strap with soused Rolex tag buckle. Now you’re not following the heard (and preserving the bracelet) at the same time.

I'm with you. I'm not nearly as wealthy, but I resonate with your choices. I found myself recently pondering between a Seiko Baby Alpinist and a Tissot Gentleman. Similar price, vastly different movements. The Powermatic 80.811 is in a different league to the 6R35 and it can be argued that one or both of those watches doesn't cost its real prouction value. However, the Seiko is smaller, it's lighter, and most important it just looks so nice. The Tissot is a perfectly good daily watch. But it's too serious for my personality.

Love the fact that you bought what you loved instead of what the culture dictates. That’s that it is all about in the end.

Recently I have been offered to signup for a Submariner with a green bezel. AD's argument was, that not many people know it got an update in 2023 and majority goes for bubbles and the wait would not be long. I turned that down, the watch I really, really wanted, was a Milgauss z-blue, the one I adored and did not care it had outdated movement in it, or that it did not look like a luxury watch. I did not care. The watch that was discontinued. Maybe they will bring it back, then, if I like it, I will buy it. Buy what you like.

Really enjoyed this vid! Thanks 😊

I tried a 2009 steel Daytona with the white dial, and it looked incredibly plain. I was really disappointed. ( I was wearing my NTTD 300m Seamaster, which looked better, in my opinion) I already own a Saphire sandwich Speedmaster on a leather strap, so I was looking for a watch that felt a step up, and this Daytona did not feel special. However, I saw a Rose Gold Daytona Oyster Flex. That looked like a totally different watch from the one I had originally set my heart on. So, it's back to saving up, hoping that prices continue to fall and that, hopefully, we will one day be united. A tool watch in rose gold?(or possibly white gold) The only tool watch I own is an Apple watch worn to the gym and then hastily removed. These watches have to make me feel good and match my outfit. Also, look good on my small wrists and maybe occasionally inform me of the time. It also helps differentiate the Daytona from my Speedmaster. I think they are both beautiful watches, with enough colourways/special editions to have completely different-looking watches. (both offer plenty of variety.) I don't choose watches for technical specs or accuracy, purely on aesthetics, influenced by the brand, the story behind the brand or watch, and how they make me feel.

Id never pick this breitling nor daytona. I did however pick toyota prius for my daily driver. In my demographic everyone drives bmw/audi. Cheers to You sir.

The Daytona is such an excellent watch. It is almost as accurate as my cell phone clock.

Wow! A very different perspective. Buying what you like not what people think you should like.I have a daytona and bought it because my brother had 1.I also have other watches but no more rolex.

I would have chosen the Breitling too.

At the end of the day you get the watch you like.

That story actually hurt me 😂

I am lucky to have gotten a Rolex Daytona 116520 for my 50th birthday. At around the same time Breitling came out with the new B01 movement. I bought the chronomat black dial, with silver subdials. Which one do I love more? The Breitling is huge and chunky, while the Daytona fits my wrist perfectly and more comfortably. The Daytona fit and finish is incredible. The Breitling Chronomat is very flashy, but robust and feels good on the wrist. Accuracy goes to the Breitling Chronomat hands down. It keeps time like a quartz watch. The only thing I dislike about the Breitling is the bezel with 240 MICRO clicks. I love both watches, but there's one that I love to just take off my wrist at home, and admire every bit of, and that's the Daytona. I love mechanical watches, because of all the intricate parts that goes into building them. I say buy what you love, and not what's the trend of the day.

Just because it is a Rolex. Michael Schumacher is more famous and a better car racer. Even a "Lego" Daytona watch can ask for more than a million, and thanks to the service center exchanged the original parts with new ones without returning the old ones but bring out of the backdoors to make profit and create the hype of genuine "Tropical Dials", "Faded Bezels", etc.

I love my Rolex but I’m not a fan of the Daytona 🤷🏼.

OOOOOF