A novelty dedicated to 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The Daytona collection stands out in the Rolex line: steel models from the current collection are said to be the most coveted watches on the market, you certainly won't find them at retailers, and historic editions set records for the most expensive watch lots at auctions.

The most famous member of this range is Ref. 6263, which was produced for a 15-year run with "Panda" dials (white or silver-tone with black counters or the opposite way around for "Reverse Pandas"). And within the series, models with so-called "Exotic" or "Paul Newman" dials are the cream of the crop.

They're distinguished by the special composition of their counters with "little lollipop indexes with square tops" instead of "stick" indexes. These counters work their magic: a Rolex Daytona Ref. 6239 "Paul Newman" with a standard "Panda" dial sold for USD 17.8 million, and a second model named after the actor and race car driver sold for USD 5.48 million.

The most active collectors monitor the lots offered by auction houses while the rest put their names down on waiting lists, but Rolex surprised everyone by launching a steel Daytona with the very same "Paul Newman" "square lollipop" counters.

The appearance of the novelty with three counters and no date aperture wasn't made for an exhibition or a group launch — it's been timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans race.

The Daytona has foregrounded the connection with the French race's centenary with the number "100" highlighted in red on the bezel's tachymeter scale. Apart from that, the 12-hour counter has been replaced with a 24-hour one to reflect the duration of the endurance race.

While its creators may have borrowed some DNA from the design of historic models, they didn't forget to give the new Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 126529LN a few updates.

Firstly, like the platinum Daytona unveiled at Watches and Wonders to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Rolex Daytona, the novelty in the racing series has been given a transparent caseback — a stunning brand innovation for 2023.

Secondly, the watch in a 40-mm steel case is equipped with an exclusive 4132 movement with a version of caliber 4131 that has the extended 24-hour counter.

The skeletonized rotor is made of yellow gold, and the bridges are specially decorated with the Rolex Côtes de Genève pattern. Its key specs are the same as cal. 4131: it's a certified Superlative Chronometer, accurate to -2/+2 seconds per day, and has a 72-hour power reserve.