Continuity (Day-Date) und Change (S-class dashboards)
Dear Rolex-Fans,
following please find a little journey through the times from the 50ies until today showing the evolution of the Mercedes S-class dashboards and the Rolex Day-Date. You can see, that the dashboards of the S-class has changed completely through the years, but the Rolex Day-Date shows continuity.
The 50ies:
Mercedes W180 (Ponton):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...nton-tacho.jpg
(Source: mirbach.de)
Speedometer in lying position with a hand moving horizontally.
Rolex 6611:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...tches/6611.jpg
(Source: vetroplastica.it)
The Day-Date in their first version with Dauphine-hands.
The 60ies:
Mercedes W111 (Fintail):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...osse-tacho.jpg
(Source: mirbach.de)
Vertical speedometer with vertical moving band (the notorious “clinical thermometer”), Band up to 50 km/h yellow, between 50 and 100 km/h yellow/red striped, over 100 km/h red.
Mercedes W 108:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...w108-tacho.jpg
(Source: mirbach.de)
Round instruments in “pinstripe-look”.
Rolex 1803:
http://hannes.r-l-x.de/fotos/1803WG/DDWG1.jpg
(Quelle: Hannes, RLX-Gallery)
The Day-Date now features new hands and a new caliber.
The 70ies:
Mercedes W116:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...w116-tacho.jpg
(Source: mirbach.de)
The introduction of the “Orange Hands”, which were used in Mercedes dashboards for nearly 30 years (in contradiction to Rolex).
Die Day-Date 1803 remains unchanged.
The 80ies:
Mercedes W 126:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...w126-tacho.jpg
(Source: mirbach.de)
The „Orange Hands“ are now located under a common crystal.
Rolex 18038 (following my own 18038):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4.../18038dial.jpg
The Day-Date is now equipped with a sapphire crystal and a new caliber, which allows the quickset of the date (but not of the day).
The 90ies Jahre:
Mercedes W 140:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...w140-tacho.jpg
(Source: mb-w140.de)
The number of „Orange Hands” and also the size of the s-class herself reaches their maximum.
Rolex 18239:
http://pics.r-l-x.de/picserv/files/3/Galerie/ddk11.jpg
(Quelle: RLX-Galery, the watch is equipped with a dial of a later reference)
The Day-Date now features also the quickset of the day, but remains unchanged on the outside.
The beginning of the new century:
Mercedes W 220:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...w220-tacho.jpg
(Source: benzworld.org)
Electronics becomes more and more important, which now can also be seen on the dashboard.
Rolex 118206:
http://pics.r-l-x.de/picserv/files/3...al118206_0.jpg
(Source: RLX-Gallery)
The Day-Date gets a new case with polished lugs and a slightly domed sapphire crystal, the caliber remains unchanged.
Today:
Mercedes W221:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...w221-tacho.jpg
(Source: mercedes.de)
Dashboard with completely electronic instruments. Interestingly in conjunction with the optional „Nightvision“ a speedometer with a band can be seen again 40 years after the “Fintail”.
The Day-Date 1182xx remains unchanged……..
Best Regards
Matthias
