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 vintage watches that have been worn for decades.

Sunlight can fade pigments over 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 over the course of many years.

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

Watch Technical Data

BASE: Rolex Daytona 116509
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 synthetic Bakelite 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 detailed elements that we find on that of the Daytona 6240 Paul Newman; the 20 mm handle differs from the 19 mm handle of the 7205 model, just as in the case attachment of the new Rolex Daytona reference 116509 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 links are reworked by giving them a stair-like shape exactly as in the Rolex 7205/7206. The plates with the rivets are added without neglecting the ends, which are also hollowed out on the visible part to connect with the preceding slots in order to release the bracelet. They are no longer needed in the casing with the side holes.

Case and Case back processing

The case of the Rolex 116509 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 external side, bringing it to .8 mm versus the standard 1mm. This is done to make the satin finish identical to that of the caseback of the 6240; subsequently a laser removes the excess metal, as in creating a beautiful sculpture, to bring to light what was already written in this wonderful creation.

"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 truly challenging feat, and currently only made by MattSpirit.

Bezel

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

Pushers

In 1971 Rolex added the MK1 “thousand-line pushers” in white gold, referenced for the first time by the 6263 model in 1969. Matt Spirit created the same wonderful and sinuous chronometer start and reset systems for the Daytona Tropical “Six”.

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