Juan Pablo Montoya’s illustrious racing career has been captured in a new skeletonised Rolex Daytona in rose gold by customisation specialist Artisans de Genève.
Columbian Mr Montoya raced for Williams from 2001 to 2004 and McLaren from 2005 to 2006, securing seven wins and multiple podiums.
His career, which also extended to race wins in the American NASCAR series, has worked with Artisans de Genève on a series of Daytona chronographs designed to highlight his most treasured memories in racing.
Previous editions in steel, platinum and yellow gold have led to a piece in rose gold that cradles an openworked dial with subdials in the blue, yellow and red of the Columbian flag.
A forged carbon tachymeter bezel has been framed with a ring of rose gold for the first time.
The eye of a Formula 1 engineer has been applied to every detail of the watch, right down to the sandblasting of its chronograph hand so that it doesn’t glare.
The ref. 116505 Daytona’s 4230 movement has been disassembled, beveled, sandblasted, and polished by hand and given a newly designed triangular rotor in 22ct gold — exposed, as is the current fashion for Rolex chronographs, by an exhibition case back.
“The more you look at it, the more you like it,” Mr Montoya says.
