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Rolex Two-Tone Mother Of Pearl Daytona, ref. 116523, 2003 — view 1 of 6
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Rolex Two-Tone Mother Of Pearl Daytona, ref. 116523, 2003

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Rolex (maker)
Date
2003
Country of origin
Switzerland
Object type
Wristwatch
Materials / technique
Two-tone
Dimensions
Diameter 40 mm
Stock no.
F361426
Credit line
Dealer listing, Grey & Patina (F361426)
Catalogue title (original)
2003 Rolex 116523 Two-Tone Mother Of Pearl Daytona W/Paper & Tag (English)

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Record summary

Catalogued by Grey & Patina (dealer), Los Angeles (stock number F361426), this is a wristwatch by Rolex, made in Switzerland, dated 2003. The Atlas places it in the Mechanical Renaissance period (1990 – 2010) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: Two-tone. Recorded dimensions: Diameter 40 mm. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Dealer description — Grey & Patina

Case : 40mm Two Tone Steel / Gold Insert : Smooth Yellow Gold Bezel Dial : Mother of Pearl with Diamonds Bracelet : Two-Tone Oyster Accessory : n/a

Historical context

Mechanical Renaissance (1990 – 2010)

Mechanical watches return as cultural objects; independent watchmaking flourishes.

Mechanical watches returned as cultural and luxury objects. Complications, tourbillons and new materials proliferated; independent watchmakers such as George Daniels, F.P. Journe and Philippe Dufour revived artisanal watchmaking; collecting vintage watches became a major field.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Quartz Revolution

Atlas type guide

Wristwatches

Bracelet watches were worn by women from the early nineteenth century — Breguet made one for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, in 1810–12 — but the wristwatch only became a man's instrument with military use and aviation in the early twentieth century. Between the World Wars it overtook the pocket watch; the 1920s and 1930s brought rectangular Art Deco cases, water-resistant cases and the first automatic winding systems.

After 1945 the wristwatch became a carrier of identity — dress watches, sports and dive watches, chronographs, calendars — produced by Swiss, American, Japanese, German, Soviet and Chinese industries. The quartz revolution after 1969 and the mechanical renaissance since the 1990s, including the rise of independent watchmakers, complete the story.

What to look for

  • The reference number (between the lugs or inside the case back) and serial number, the starting point for dating.
  • The calibre: its maker and number are often stamped under the dial or on the bridge.
  • Originality of dial, hands and crown — refinished ('redial') dials are common.
  • Case material marks: 18K/750, 14K/585, stainless steel, gold-filled, plated.

Dating clues

  • Wire-lug cases: before c. 1925.
  • Water-resistant screw-down cases: from 1926.
  • Quartz movements: from 1969; sapphire crystals widespread after c. 1980.

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

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