Tropical Sei

Dream Tropical

Tropical dials are highly sought after by collectors. Their color change is due to a combination of factors, mainly exposure to sunlight and humidity over the years.

Here’s how it works:

Tropical dials are often associated with watches vintage that have been worn for decades.

Sunlight can fade paint pigments in the time causing a color change. This process is gradual and can take many years.

The materials used such as paint or lume (substance luminescent), can react chemically with the surrounding environment. For example, oxidation can affect the color of the dial over time.

Humidity and temperature variations can accelerate the aging process. Humidity can infiltrate through the seals and interact with the materials, causing color changes.

Some dials that have become tropical have been produced with materials different from the standards. For example, some Rolex Daytona have had dials made with a special paint that reacted uniquely in the course of the years.

In short, color change is a combination of environmental factors, chemical reactions and original materials.
These dials are highly prized by collectors for their uniqueness and history.

Watch Technical Data

BASE: Rolex Daytona 116520
DIAMETER: 39 mm
GLASS: Superdome domed sapphire glass;
DIAL: Plate in 18Kt gold with polychrome enamel in typical tropical colours, Daytona graphics Paul Newman 6240 from 1971
HANDS: Solid Stainless Steel
BEZEL: Shaped with rounded profile and Angelite stone insert

CASE: remodeled using a sander
MATERIALS: Solid Stainless Steel
BRACELET: solid stainless steel – The links were modeled to visually recreate the articulation typical of the Rolex 7206 and Rolex 6636
SEALING: 200m waterproof
MOVEMENT: Rolex caliber 4130
BACK: solid gold customized for the customer

Bracelet manufacturing

The workmanship of the bracelet is characterized by details elements that we find on that of the Daytona 6240 Paul Newman; the 20 handle differs from the latter mm, against that of the 7205 which is 19 mm, like after all, it is the case attachment of the new Rolex Daytona reference 126509 in white gold.

Starting from the clasp this is reworked eliminating the kinematics while maintaining the long tail of the same to which the big crown is applied using a system where there are no welds in the visible upper part.

All the stitches are reworked, bringing them into steps exactly as in 7205/7206 and added the plates with the rivets without neglecting the ends which also come carved into the visible part to reflect the designs of the time, then closed in the back one as the slits previous steps to release the bracelet would no longer be necessary the case having side holes.

Case and Case back processing

The case of the Rolex 126509 is reworked by eliminating the shoulders to protect the crown, then drilling the side holes and, a complete the classic circular satin finish on the lugs projects the watch into a dimension that goes towards perfection.

The caseback is reduced in thickness on the side external, bringing it to 0.8mm against the measurement of 1mm this is to uniform the satin finish exactly as in the case back of the 6240; subsequently an incision removes the excess metal in a negative way, leading to light what was already written in this wonderful realization.

"Superdome" glass

The glass deliberately reproduces the curves of the first glasses vintage Daytona lens but this time in very robust sapphire with a hardness level of 9, a feat really challenging at the moment only made by Matt Spirit.

Bezel

As in 1971, the bezel in a “modern Bakelite” housed in a white gold ring recalls the elegance of famous Daytona Paul Newman Tropicale.

Pushers

In 1971 Rolex mounts the thousand buttons MK1 lines in gold white, also mounted the first time on reference 6263 in 1969, Matt Spirit has made for Daytona Tropical six the same wonderful and sinuous systems start-up e resetting the stopwatch.

The dial, the protagonist of this timepiece

The protagonist of this unique and marvelous timepiece, a silver plate 0.6mm thick, with a 0.45mm relief on the edge, collects marvelous polychrome enamels of the colors that we find in the splendid Gulf livery of the Porsche 917, Paul Newman Daytona graphics reference 6240 of 1971 complete this small author’s picture. An exclusive design that makes it unrepeatable this watch.

TROPICAL SEI