On 30 June, Asteroid Day is celebrated, by looking to the skies, considering meteor showers, and shooting stars.
Ahead of Asteroid day, we celebrate the Cosmograph Daytona. With its origins in the far reaches of the solar system, the material which adorns the dial of these Cosmograph Daytona watches – metallic meteorite – comes from an asteroid that exploded millions of years ago.
The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona is the benchmark for those with a passion for driving and speed. The latest model offers three options, all featuring a dial made from metallic meteorite – a rare natural material from outer space – with black chronograph counters at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock.
On the voyage between planets, fragments of this natural extra-terrestrial material, primarily composed of iron and nickel, cool by a few degrees Celsius every million years, creating unique, distinctive crystallization within the material that is impossible to recreate on Earth. Metallic meteorite is rare and challenging to work with, but once it is cut into thin sections and a chemical treatment is applied, the great beauty of its interwoven internal structure is revealed. These fascinating and varied formations are known as Widmanstätten patterns.
For its dials, Rolex works with leading experts in the field and selects only the sections of meteorite with a particularly well-formed surface rich in different shapes and reflections.