Artisans de Genève has unveiled the Kraft Signature, a highly personal commission for Alexander Kraft that turns his Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ref. 116500 into a compact, patinated, manual-winding chronograph with a strong vintage current.
Kraft, the director of Sotheby’s International Realty France–Monaco and founder of Alexander Kraft Monte Carlo, wanted a watch that reflected three decades of collecting across vintage watches, classic cars and art.
The result is not a simple cosmetic exercise, but a full reinterpretation of the Daytona around proportion, material, color and aging.
A 37mm Titanium Daytona With Vintage Proportions
The most consequential change is the case, which has been rebuilt in Grade 5 titanium and reduced to 37mm.
Rather than reproducing the modern 40mm Daytona profile in a lighter metal, Artisans de Genève reshaped the watch around the dimensions and stance of earlier hand-wound chronographs.
The lugs were refined to suit the smaller diameter, while pump-style chronograph pushers add another period-correct cue without making the watch feel like a replica.
Kraft also wanted the titanium to sit visually closer to vintage steel, so the case received a proprietary finish developed to give the metal a softer, more lived-in character.
The Rusty Dial And A Copper Bezel Built To Age
The dial is the emotional center of the Kraft Signature.
Its caramel-orange tone was inspired by the cognac leather interior of Kraft’s Ferrari 550 Maranello, giving the watch a warmth that feels more automotive than archival.
To achieve the final shade, the dial was left to oxidize naturally for six months in an extremely humid tropical environment, creating the warm “Rusty Dial” effect that defines the project.
Black and red printing on an off-white ground preserves the graphic punch associated with exotic-dial chronographs, but the palette is softer and more personal than a conventional vintage homage.
The copper bezel continues the same idea, as it is designed to develop its own patina with time.
It is paired with a dark brown insert and white tachymeter scale, a combination that makes the watch feel cohesive rather than merely aged for effect.
A Modern Daytona Caliber Reworked For Hand Winding
Inside, Artisans de Genève modified the automatic Rolex caliber 4130R into a manual-winding chronograph movement.
That decision is a clear nod to the Valjoux-powered Daytonas of the past, but the technical performance remains contemporary, with a 28,800vph frequency and a 72-hour power reserve.
A sapphire display back in the titanium case allows the owner to view the reworked movement, which is a meaningful shift for a chronograph family usually associated with solid case backs.
A Riveted Titanium Bracelet Completes The Commission
The Kraft Signature is fitted to a lightweight titanium riveted bracelet with screw-fastened links for practical sizing.
Brushed and polished surfaces give the bracelet some visual lift, while the rivet-style construction reinforces the 1970s-leaning mood of the watch.
As with all Artisans de Genève projects of this kind, the work is carried out by an independent customization atelier on a client-owned watch, and the workshop is not affiliated with Rolex.
For collectors drawn to vintage Daytona codes but unwilling to give up modern reliability, the Kraft Signature is a compelling example of how personal a contemporary chronograph can become when proportion, patina and biography are treated as seriously as mechanics.