A yellow-gold Rolex Cosmograph, formerly owned by rockstar Eric Clapton, just sold for a record $1.74 million. Here's a visual history of the Daytona.

• The Cosmograph Daytona is one of the most sought-after Rolex watches, fetching $48,000 on average.
• The largest sale on record was $17.8 million for Paul Newman's original steel Cosmograph Ref. 6239.

A year after the inaugural running of the grueling Daytona Continental motor race, Rolex introduced a new model of the Cosmograph, which it dubbed "Daytona."

The Cosmograph's defining feature — a tachymeter complication, which allows the user to clock speeds over a given distance — stood as an homage the long history of automotive accomplishments on the hard-packed sand of Florida's Atlantic beaches.

Ever since Rolex became the official timepiece of Daytona, winners of the 24-hour race — now known as the Rolex 24 — have been awarded with a specially engraved Cosmograph.

Here's a look at how the iconic watch has changed over the years to become one of the most coveted timepieces in the world.

1963 – The Original

The original Cosmograph Daytona featured a high-contrast face for better legibility. The tachymetric scale was moved to the outer bezel, enabling the wearer to use the second hand to measure average speeds over a given distance.

The Crazy Doc

A Cosmograph once owned by rockstar Eric Clapton sold at auction for $1.74 million in May 2022, setting a new world record for the yellow-gold version of the Ref. 6239. Adding to its rarity, the auctioneers at Phillips say this watch, nicknamed "The Crazy Doc," is the only yellow-gold 6239 they know of that has a pulsations dial. The dial simplifies taking a beats-per-minute measurement for medical professionals (and musicians), in this case by counting 15 beats and reading the corresponding number.

The Paul Newman

No history of the Daytona would be complete without a mention of the most coveted model of all, a special edition favored by Hollywood actor Paul Newman, an accomplished racing driver in his own right.

One collector made history in 2017 when they bought one of Paul Newman's personal Daytona Reference 6239 watches for a jaw-dropping $17.8 million.

1965 – The Oyster

In 1965, screw-down pushers replaced the simple press-down ones on the original, preventing accidental bumps and securing the case against water, earning Rolex's "Oyster" designation. A black plexiglass bezel was fitted to improve legibility.

1988 – The Perpetual

In a rejection of the move toward quartz in prior decades, Rolex doubled down on its commitment to mechanical perfection. For the 1988 edition of the Cosmograph, Rolex added a self-winding movement, earning it the official Swiss designation of chronometer, attesting to its superior precision. The designers also increased the case size from 36mm to 40mm, added a set of "shoulders" to protect the stem, and returned to the original metallic bezel.

2000 – A New Movement

The 1988 version proved so popular that Rolex left the design unchanged in the 2000 series – on the outside, at least. Inside, the engineers had replaced the 4030 mechanism with a completely redesigned 4130 movement, which required 60% fewer components and added the ability to increase the power reserve from 50 hours to 72. For an additional flourish, the name Daytona was engraved on the oscillating weight.

2016 – A Modern Masterpiece

Rolex unveiled the current iteration of the Daytona in 2016. The aesthetics harken back to the 1965 version, but instead of plexiglass (which was known to fade under UV exposure), Rolex engineers developed a process to bind platinum on a ceramic bezel.

A Trophy to Wear

Scott Pruett, who is tied with Hurley Haywood for the most wins at the Rolex 24 with five apiece, summed up the significance of the Rolex Daytona for drivers:

"My Daytona watches will always bring back many fond memories," he said. "Rolex and Daytona are inextricably linked. To be presented a watch engraved with the word 'Winner' after 24 hours of intense racing is a moment that lives with you forever."