Here is a quick, feel-good story that shows it’s always important to take care of those around you! A good Samaritan in the United States posted a photo on Reddit with a watch, noting that it was a gift from his neighbor. The neighbor wanted to thank him for all his help. We’ve withheld names to keep their identities private.

“I received this gift from my neighbor (82 years old). It’s from 1996. What do you think it’s worth?” the post on Reddit starts. Before long, there were over 500 comments. It turns out the watch is a 1990s gold Rolex Daytona ref. 16528. This means it had a 100m water resistance rating out of the factory and housed a Zenith El Primero caliber modified and tuned down to 28,800vph. It’s a 40mm watch with a modern sapphire crystal and screw-down pushers.

Rolex Daytona ref. 16528 gift from neighbor in hand

The Rolex Daytona 

Rolex introduced the Cosmograph ref. 6239 in 1963 as the company’s flagship chronograph watch. It had a 37.5mm case with a tachymeter bezel, a triple-register dial, and a hand-wound Valjoux movement. A year later, Rolex added the name “Daytona” to the watch to underline the chronograph’s ties to the world of motorsport. Today, most people often leave “Cosmograph” out and simply refer to the watch as the Rolex Daytona.

One commenter noted that acts of generosity from relative strangers like this can happen: “Stuff like this does happen. Almost 25 years ago now, when I was still studying, I worked as a real estate salesman. One client for whom I was selling an apartment, a nurse from Ireland who had gone out and bought several properties she couldn’t really afford, met an old man at the bus stop. He was in a wheelchair and had some health issues, she struck up conversation with him and offered to help him change his bandages, etc, and would go and have a cup of tea with him maybe once a week. After some months, he told her that he had no wife or children, no living relatives or close friends, and he wanted to leave her his ‘shack’ when he dies. Today that lot is likely worth around $3m.”

Rolex Daytona ref. 16528 flat-lay on green marble

Image: Deangelis Fine Watches

A wonderful watch for good deeds 

According to the original post (before it was taken down), the man helped his elderly neighbor with all sorts of chores, including gardening. This human connection must have meant a lot to her, so she decided to gift the watch to her younger neighbor as an expression of gratitude.

It seems that the man is not a watch person, as he asked the internet to learn more about the watch. The elderly neighbor’s late partner, however, had good taste in watches. This is a fine example of Rolex watchmaking from the 1990s. It’s also clear that the watch was not a safe queen because the bracelet has several scratches and scuffs on it.

Rolex Daytona 16258 face down on green marble with case back removed

The Rolex Daytona used a tuned-down Zenith El Primero movement from 1988 to 2000 — Image: Deangelis Fine Watches

Concluding thoughts 

Commenters congratulated the poster for receiving such a precious and high-quality timepiece! One said, “Pretty amazing story, and I hope you are a watch enthusiast. I’m guessing not so much, based on the question about its value, but regardless, it sounds like you have been very kind to your neighbor, and she has shown some [kindness] to you as well. Congratulations on a truly remarkable gift. The watch is pretty amazing too.” I don’t know about you, Fratelli, but getting a gold Daytona for a year’s worth of helping around the garden seems like a good deal to me. As it turns out, it’s always worthwhile doing a good deed. You never know when it might just result in something special like this!

The Rolex Daytona has become one of the most desired watches in history. It’s notorious for having long waitlists and being incredibly difficult to purchase directly from Rolex. I think the chances of me getting one are about as likely as a neighbor gifting me one — close to zero! After being contacted by Fatello, the original poster thought it wise to take the post down due to being overwhelmed by responses. We wish him the best with his new watch!