Cosmograph Daytona
Their own path, their own rules
Since its launch, the Cosmograph Daytona has been the watch of choice for motor sport enthusiasts. Like the legendary actor, experienced racing driver and pioneering social entrepreneur Paul Newman, many have adopted the timepiece in their everyday lives beyond the racetrack. It symbolizes the determination and conviction of those with the courage to follow their own path according to their own rules.
Born in Scotland in 1939, Sir Jackie Stewart is a highly respected figure in motor racing. His achievements make him one of the most celebrated Formula 1® drivers of the past 50 years. His commitment to driver safety has revolutionized the face of the sport. Sir Jackie took part in 99 Formula 1® Grand Prix races, winning 27, carrying off three world championships (1969, 1971 and 1973) and finishing 43 times on the podium. He has been a Rolex Testimonee since 1968. In tribute to his exceptional career, in 2012 he was designated Grand Marshal of the 50th-anniversary edition of the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA.
Jenson Button’s long Formula 1® career – from the 2000 Australian Grand Prix to the 2017 Grand Prix de Monaco – is a chronicle of achievement. The British driver, renowned for his prowess in wet-weather conditions, secured the world championship title in 2009. The victory was the highlight of an incredible journey that began with a go-kart from his father for Christmas when he was eight years old. In his 17 years in Formula 1®, Button achieved 15 Grand Prix wins and 50 podium finishes. He still competes in endurance races and other racing disciplines. In 2023, he is competing in three races of the NASCAR Cup Series, including a drive in a stock car at the 100th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. A Rolex Testimonee since 2021, the driver has a special connection with the Cosmograph Daytona: he bought one for himself at the age of 20 and today wears the watch that he gave his father for his 70th birthday.
Jamie Chadwick was not yet 16 when, in 2015, she took the chequered flag at the Silverstone 24-Hour race. The victory helped her to become the first female winner of the British GT Championship and the youngest person ever to secure the title. Three years later, at Brands Hatch, the young British driver also became the first ever woman to win a race in British F3®. Three-time champion of the W Series, the all-female Formula 3® championship, Chadwick is a development driver for the Formula 1® Williams Racing team. In 2023, she competed in the Indy NXT championship, the Indy Car feeder series, on the Andretti team. She has been a Rolex Testimonee since 2022, and the Cosmograph Daytona is one of her favourite watches.
Between 1997 and 2013, the Danish racing driver clocked up a record nine victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the oldest and one of the most prestigious automobile endurance races in the world. Dubbed “Mr Le Mans”, this emblematic figure in the sport also triumphed six times at the 12 Hours of Sebring, held each year in Florida. A Rolex Testimonee since 2010, Kristensen was endurance racing’s world champion in 2013 and officiated as Grand Marshal at the 2016 Rolex 24 At DAYTONA. He says: “This chronograph has a history and class around it that everyone trying to aim for the top in motor sport understands and respects. Each driver wants to win ‘their’ Rolex Daytona.”
