A few months ago I posted here about trying to pinpoint when Princess Madeleine first acquired her white-dial Rolex Cosmograph Daytona (ref. 16520, Zenith movement). Since then, I’ve continued researching and wanted to share an update.
I contacted the Swedish Royal Court Marshal’s Office to ask if they had any information about when she received the watch. They replied that the watch is considered private property and that they don’t have any details to share. I also reached out to Swedish journalists Jenny Alexandersson and Sara Ericsson, but unfortunately never received a response.
Through further photo research, I can now confirm that Princess Madeleine was not wearing the Daytona prior to October, 2010. Photos from August and October 2010 show her wearing a Swiss Legend Karamica, and earlier in 2010 she was still occasionally wearing her black Submariner. There are also photos from February 2011 where she is wearing a watch, but the image quality is too poor to identify which one.
The earliest confirmed sightings of the Daytona remain April 2 and April 4, 2011, both in Florida, where the watch is clearly visible. After that, it appears as a regular piece of her wardrobe.
At this point, the most accurate conclusion is that she acquired the Daytona sometime between October, 2010 and April, 2011. I’ve followed just about every public lead I can find. If anyone here happens to know who else I might contact, a photographer, journalist, archive, or anyone familiar with royal coverage from that period, I’d really appreciate being pointed in the right direction.
Posted by JoeStartFight