The Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona: It’s About Patience
Years of design and planning, decades of expertise, and thousands of parts, all made to the most exacting standards possible in modern manufacturing. Precision, timing, and commitment. What are we talking about? Endurance racing or fine timepieces? As we learned at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, there is not only tremendous overlap in the philosophies of endurance racing drivers and fine horology experts, but a shared passion and enthusiasm as well.
Five-time Daytona winner and Rolex Testimonee, Hurley Haywood, put it best. In a broader conversation about his Rolexes, Haywood said: “The discipline you need to win this race is the same that’s prevalent in the development of a watch. […] You need absolute perfection to do well. That’s why the association between Rolex and Daytona is very special.”
Perfection, patience, precision, and boldness were popular topics of discussion during our weekend in Daytona. In conversation with Haywood, as well as Jenson Button (F1 Champion), Tom Kristensen (9 time LeMans winner), and Scott Pruett (5 time Daytona winner) — all of whom are also Rolex Testimonees and great company, both on and off the track — these themes came up many times.
Some would call our introduction to Daytona Beach unexpected, but I’d say the contrary. The Brickyard Lounge and Grill is among the most authentic of American diners: Burgers, wings, jalapeño poppers, chips and queso, beer, and the like are Daytona comfort food. These dishes set the stage for the uniquely American 24-hour race. Kristensen and Button joined us for dinner, their natural and genuine mutual respect and camaraderie made for light and friendly banter. Two of the most accomplished race car drivers ever having a burger and a pint, reminiscing about their fathers’ similar backgrounds, their first Rolexes — this is Daytona.
A couple days later, Haywood talked about how, throughout the forty years he raced at Daytona, the drivers would gather at local watering holes and hang out. That’s the spirit of Daytona: competition and camaraderie.
Daytona has held a twenty-four hour race since 1966, but its history stretches even farther back to 1903. Basically, from the moment the first cars hit the road, drivers have been racing. Obviously. Rolex was present at Daytona nearly from the start, you might say. Wearing an Oyster, Sir Malcom Campbell drove Bluebird (an 8 metre long, 2,300hp monster of a car) to 445.5km/h in 1935 and Rolex became more involved from 1959 and ultimately presenting sponsor in 1992. In 2026, the field boasted sixty cars in eleven categories. As more manufacturers enter the race, Daytona crowds reach record levels.
From that point on, a win at Daytona meant receiving an engraved “Winner” Rolex Cosmograph Daytona. And, though Haywood, Pruett, Button, and Kristensen agree on many things, there’s one thing they most emphatically believe: Daytona is about winning the watch.
Pruett has been awarded eighteen Rolexes, five for overall victory, “For drivers: I can tell you, this race is all about the watch,” Pruett said. In a conversation the night before, Button echoed this sentiment, adding: “It’s all about the mechanical movement, that’s exciting!” Button’s comment led Kristensen to exclaim, “And elegance!”
Interestingly, Haywood, Button, and Kristensen each bought their first Rolex as a reward for personal accomplishments — though, in subsequent years, they’d each be awarded with a “Winner” Rolex Cosmograph Daytona from the brand for their victories.
In the background of many of these conversations was the gut rattling bass of nearly five dozen race cars, competing with massive crowds of fans and energetic track announcers. Combined with the Rolex suite’s vantage point (which offers a view over the entire track), it’s a very different energy to LeMans, where one can only glimpse part of the track at a time. Daytona is bolder, brighter, more colourful, and more casual, all at the same time.
Rolex’s resolve to support racing in so many capacities is a refreshing alternative to traditional, single-team alignment. On the part of the drivers, there’s a very real sense that Rolex’s enthusiasm for racing elevates the sport’s image and provides opportunities for drivers, as well as crew, track, and associated workers. On more than one occasion, Button and Kristensen were eager to point out how many dedicated individuals are required to make a race team a success. “It’s like a relationship,” Button said. “It’s about communication.”
As the Rolex clock counted down from twenty-four hours to zero, the stands filled with fans and, when the checkered flag came out, spectators rose to their feet to witness the sixty-fourth running of the Daytona 24 Hour come to an end. Through 705 laps, crashes, dense evening fog, mechanical failures, and near-misses, Porsche took the prize — and some very elated drivers joined the aforementioned Rolex Testimonees as very proud Rolex Cosmograph Daytona owners. Entering an elite club with some of the most famous drivers in history, the 2026 winners were perfectly symbolized by the qualities of their new timepieces: technical precision, evolutionary refinement, and commitment to excellence.
FEATURE PHOTO COURTESY OF ROLEX.
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