As of this writing, if you were to conduct an informal office straw poll on people’s general satisfaction with 2016 and the events that have come to pass during the year, the consensus would probably reveal that it will end up going down as one of the worst years in recent memory. We’re talking single-digit approval ratings.
It was, by most accounts, a lacklustre year at best. A year in which pop music lost a Starman and a Prince, the Internet lost Harambe the gorilla, iPhones lost their headphone jacks, a Union lost its Kingdom, and a presidential election lost its dignity and arguably its mind — leaving many of us at a loss for words. And that’s with two months left to go.
But while any number of us probably wouldn’t mind building a Trumpian mental wall — the greatest, biggest, most amazing mental wall you’ve ever imagined — to banish 2016 and all its spirit-crushing memories from our minds, we’d be remiss not to highlight some undeniably bright spots. While much of 2016’s events could be resounding ticks in the “loss” column, the year wasn’t without its key wins.
Or star additions, in the case of the watch industry. One of the most momentous of which is the new, lustrous, steel-and-Cerachrom Rolex Daytona — the latest evolution of perhaps the industry’s most iconic watch, produced by its most iconic and influential brand.
If ever there were a timeless watch, the Daytona is it. It’s the quintessential chronograph in terms of both guts and appeal, and the culmination of a history that’s, refreshingly, much brighter than our depressing 2016 recap.
But before we get into that, it would behoove us to start at the very beginning. Which, interestingly enough, begins on a beach.