Top 20 Best Rolex Daytona Homages & Affordable Alternatives

Rolex first to use the name Daytona on its chronograph range of watches in 1964, and since then, it has become one of Rolex’s most popular models. These days, with scarcity in the supply of Rolex sports models, you’d either have to hunt high and low or be added to a long waiting list to get your hands on the latest ceramic bezel version. You can also scour the resale market where you will be paying almost double or triple the retail price if you want to get one. It is fair to say that for those of us saving up for one, it could take a little longer than we anticipated, and that’s also dependent upon when we’ll be able to visit the high street.

While you are saving up for a Rolex Daytona, you’re going to need something to wear on your wrist as a temporary substitute or as motivation to keep going for your Daytona. So, In this blog post, I have put together a list of 20 Rolex Daytona homages that I think can act as great alternatives. Without further ado, let’s begin our countdown.

Best Rolex Daytona Alternatives

Orient Neo Panda

Those of you who are not familiar with this brand, Orient is a Japanese watchmaker established in 1950 but can trace its roots back to 1901 when watchmaker Shogoro Yoshida opened up a watch shop. Today Orient is owned by Seiko and is still one of the few companies at this price point that make their in-house movements. Here we have the white dial version of their Neo 70s Panda model. With its three black sub-dials, the watch bears a striking resemblance to the Daytona and also has some unique design twists to make it stand up on its own.

It is also available with a grey dial, and both models have a unique solar-powered movement. This watch is 42 millimetres in diameter and strikes the right balance between dressy and sporty. The crystal is made of glass with a 10 bar water resistance, and it also features a date displayed at the 4:30 position which the Daytona doesn’t have.

Invicta Speedway

INVICTA creates great-looking watches at knockdown prices. At first glance, the Invicta Speedway bears a striking resemblance to the Rolex Daytona, and even a closer inspection it doesn’t give away its price segment. The watch has a 39-millimetre diameter steel case and so will look even on those of us with small wrists. Mineral glass covers the textured dial, and the tachymeter scale is on the bezel. It has a Japanese quartz movement, and the crown is a screw-down variety, which is a fantastic feature to be found at this price. Finally, the watch has a 20 bar water resistance and comes with a two years manufacturer’s warranty.

Zenith El Primero

Zenith is a venerated Swiss watch brand and was incorporated in 1911. The El Primero was released in 1969 and is often credited as being the first automatic chronograph in the world, narrowly beating another automatic chronograph movement developed by a rival consortium. An automatic chronograph movement was a significant engineering breakthrough back in the day. It was because of the extra power required for the additional complications and also to make it small enough to fit inside a watch case.

Zenith’s automatic chronograph movement beats the Rolex Daytona by over 20 years because Rolex has been using manual winding mechanisms in the Daytona right up until the end of 1988. Here we have the modern version of the Zenith El Primero, the 36000 VpH silver dial. The case size is a very sensible 42 millimetre, so it’s classy without being brash. It has a 50-hour power reserve, and the dial is made of sapphire crystal. The watch also features a clear display back so that you can view the beautifully decorated movement.

Timex MK1 Chronograph

Here we have a watch for those of you that are saving up your Rolex Daytona but don’t want to spend too much on their interim watch but still want something of quality and character. Timex has been producing watches for the public since 1950 and can trace its roots back to even before that. This watch can often be found for around $100. It features a quartz mechanism, so the accuracy is going to be very high, and of course, it also has the chronograph functionality. The crystal is mineral glass, and the leather strap and black colored 41-millimetre case helped to give it a rugged look. It is also legible at night time because it is equipped with Timex’s Indiglo backlight technology and has a two-year warranty. What’s not to like about this watch?

Seiko SSB025 Chronograph

This one is for all the Seiko fans. Seiko watches are always a great and affordable alternative to any dream watch that you may be thinking of, and this chronograph is a worthy stand-in. Here we have the Seiko SSB025, which is the white Daytona version of this chronograph. It has a tachymeter scale around the bezel and three sub-dials. The large push buttons are on the right-hand side of the case to operate the chronograph. The dial is legible and laid out with blue accents on three, six, nine, and twelve o’clock positions. There is also a date window between a four and five o’clock position.

Seiko SSB025 also comes in a black dial version, which has red accents instead of blue, and this helps to give the watch a more sporty feel. Whichever version you choose, they come with a 40-millimetre steel case and a scratch resistance Hardlex crystal. The movement is quartz and is accurate to within a few seconds a month. When it comes to the lume the hour markers and hands are applied with Seiko’s famous Lumi Brite, which gives off a beautiful green color in the dark. The watch also has a 10 bar water resistance.

Citizen Eco Drive ‘BRYCEN’

When it comes to chronographs, Citizen is a brand that should at least make an appearance on everyone’s list. Citizen has a long history of making chronographs. If you want your Daytona stand-in to be a decent size and for it to be clear and legible, then Citizen ‘Brycen’ is the right one for you because it measures 44 millimetres across the case. The unique feature of this watch is that it uses citizens proprietary eco-drive as a power source, which means that there is a solar panel just underneath the dial that can charge a power cell using both natural and artificial light. Citizen claims that you will never need to change the watch’s battery. Still, in reality, you should be good for at least ten years before you need to replace the power cells.

In terms of design, the watch is reminiscent of the 1970s Rolex Daytona 6263, although it does add its design twist with a different sundial layout. The watch’s crystal is made of mineral glass, and it has a 10 bar water resistance and comes with an incredible 5-year manufacturer’s warranty.

Casio Edifice EFS-S510D-7AVCR

Casio has been producing watches since 1974, and they are still doing so, which means that they must be doing something right. The Casio chronograph watch is a worthy Rolex Daytona alternative and is the part of their Edifice range. This range is above their entry-level watches, and they also come with higher up features. The model shown here features a scratch resistance sapphire crystal. The dial is white with silver hour markers and hands. It has a date window at the three o’clock position and surrounded by a fixed bezel. The movement is quartz-based and powered by Casio solar technology. The watch also has a 10 bar water resistance.

Stuhrling Raceway

Stuhrling is a brand that started very recently in 2002 but is proving very popular due to its range of homage style watches. Raceway 564 GMT Quartz stays true to the Daytona by not having a date window, yet the calendar functions are available in its subdials. The left sub-dial tells the day, and the right sub-dial shows the date, which is a neat solution to keep the dials clutter-free. The shape of the hour marker indexes and the tachymeter scale bezel surrounding the dial is true to the Rolex Daytona. If you’d rather keep your money towards the actual Daytona instead of spending a huge amount on your standing watch, then this one fits the bill perfectly. You can grab this watch for $100, and it also comes with a two-year warranty.

Tudor Heritage Black Bay Chrono

Tudor is a sub-brand of Rolex and can be seen as Rolex’s younger and funkier cousin. That’s not to say that it doesn’t have a long history because it’s been around since 1926. Tudor watches go through the same level of quality control because they are built alongside the Rolex watches in the same factory. The Black Bay Chrono is 41 millimetres in diameter and comes with either a steel bracelet or a leather strap. The hour markers on the dial remind the Submariner. The watch comes across as a hybrid between a chronograph and a dive watch, which is not a bad thing because it helps to give it a unique identity plus, the watch comes with Tudor’s trademarks snowflake hands.

It also keeps the Daytona’s design elements by having a tachymeter scale marker around the bezel. Tudor uses caliber mt 5813 movement for this watch, which has an incredible 70-hour power reserve, and this helps to power the two chronograph subdials. Finally, the watch has a water resistance depth of 200 meters.

Seiko SSB031 Chronograph

I am a big fan of Seiko watches. Seiko SSB031 Chronograph is a great alternative for Rolex Daytona. It is a 40 mm watch that has a fixed black ion-plated bezel showing the tachymeter markings. The Black dial comes with silver-tone hands, hour and minute markers around the outer rim. The hands and the hour markers use the famous Seiko lume. The dial is covered by scratch-resistant Hardlex crystal and water-resistant up to 100 meters.

Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch

The Omega Speedmaster originally started its life as a racing watch then became the space icon. They used to make it for space missions, and now they come in all kinds of colors. The automatic Speedmasters are highly overlooked, in my opinion. This Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional Chronograph watch is undoubtedly more affordable than a Rolex Daytona. You get the heritage of it being an Omega, established in 1903. Almost 120 years of watchmaking history makes it a very prestigious brand.

The OMEGA Speedmaster Professional “Moonwatch” features a black dial covered by a hesalite crystal and graced by a small seconds sub-dial, 30-minute recorder and 12-hour recorder along with a central chronograph hand. The black bezel, with its tachymetric scale, is mounted on a 42 mm stainless steel case and presented on a black leather strap.

Tissot V8 Quartz Chronograph

Tissot was established in 1853. They have a long, rich heritage of making chronographs, especially in the 1930s, when they collaborated with Omega. Tissot V8 Quartz Chronograph is a beautiful Daytona alternative, but there are almost 20 different versions of this model. They have blue dials to cream dials, steel bezels to aluminum insert bezels, and all kinds of fun combinations. It is a 42 mm quartz watch, and inside, it has an ETA G10.212 movement that is Swiss made and incredible quality for the price.

TAG Heuer Formula 1

TAG Heuer Men’s Formula 1 was designed for speed. It uses Quartz power for total accuracy. Just like the Rolex Daytona, it has three easy to read sub dials with chronograph functions. The design of this watch was actually inspired by motor racing. The notched and fluted racing bezel is in polished stainless steel and aluminum. The watch is very legible in the dark because of its Super-LumiNova applied indexes and hands. The iconic screw-down crown has “Easy Grip” finishing for better handling with driving gloves.

TISSOT PRS 516 Chronograph

Tissot PRS 516 series takes time to reflect on its 1960s motorsport-inspired origins. It is equipped with timepieces integrating the innovations in Swiss watchmaking to complement nostalgic design elements from the racetrack. Some of these models come with a distinctive case back shaped like the steering wheel of a pioneering sports car to view the movement. It is a 42 mm watch with an ETA G10.212 Swiss quartz movement. The watch has Scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating and water-resistant up to 100 meters.

Stuhrling Concorso

Second Stuhrling in this list is the Stuhrling Concorso 3957. It is a cross between a diver and a racing watch but still an excellent substitute for a Rolex Daytona. The sub-dials are at 6,9 and 12 o’clock positions. It is a 40 mm watch with luminescent Skeletonized baton-style hands and indices. The alloy bezel on this watch is unidirectional and water-resistant up to 100 meters.

Bulova Marine Star

Bulova is an American brand, known for its innovation, craftsmanship, and advanced technology. Since 1875, when the founder Joseph Bulova opened his store on Maiden Lane in downtown Manhattan, Bulova has remained true to his legacy – mastering the classic art of timekeeping while always embracing the future.

Bulova Marine Star has a six hands chronograph movement and 200-meter water resistance. It comes in stainless steel with silver-tone finish and blue dial, flat mineral glass, screw-back case, and fold-over closure with pushers, safety bar and extender.

A Bulova watch is more than a timepiece; it is a piece of history.

Rotary Legacy Chronograph

The Legacy stainless steel Swiss Chronograph features a distinctive Tungsten bezel, which gives it a standout look immediately – the watch uses a high-quality Swiss Ronda Quartz movement and flat sapphire glass.

The stainless steel bracelet and 43mm case combine with the white dial, where it features a three silver chronograph sub-dials and a date window.

As with all Legacy watches, the watch is Water Resistant so you can swim and dive all-day

Victorinox Alliance Sport Chronograph

The design of this watch is bold, strong, and ready to take on any challenge. This is from Victorinox’s Alliance Sport Chronograph range. It is a timepiece with a competitive spirit and a sleek aesthetic edge to add to the mix. It can be your perfect sporting partner, helping you push your limits on the bike, track, or trail. Its tachymeter-scale bezel, stopwatch needle counterweight, and markers shaped like a Swiss Army knife cement its commitment to competitive time and precision.

Decker Chronograph Black Silicone Watch

The aviation elements and modern design inspired the design of decker chronograph collection. It is a great homage to Rolex Daytona as well. The watch has a nice solid feel to it with a polished stainless steel case. The dial is matte black with white and silver accents. There are no hours or minute numerals, but it has a beautiful three layers tiered effect.

This is a great watch. It looks cool and easy to read the time.

Citizen Eco-Drive Perpetual Chrono

Citizen Eco-Drive Perpetual has a sporty design that combines with superior accuracy, which syncs itself to atomic clocks for ultra-accuracy.

This atomic timekeeping watch draws power from any light source through Eco-Drive technology. The Citizen Eco-Drive Perpetual Chrono Atomic Timekeeping Titanium Watch for Men features a lightweight yet robust titanium link bracelet. It has a fold-over clasp with a hidden double push-button closure for easy on and off. This water-resistant timepiece features a chronograph, a perpetual calendar, 12- and 24-hour time, an alarm, a power reserve, a tachymeter, and the day and date.

This classic round timepiece automatically charges in natural or artificial light and will never need a new battery. Eco-Drive technology harnesses the power of light from any natural or artificial source then converts it into energy, eliminating the need for battery replacement

For over 100 years, Citizen, a pioneer in watchmaking and innovative technology, has promoted excellence and creativity with a deep-rooted respect for craftsmanship.