Today, replica Rolex is famous as a highly integrated watchmaker that produces almost every component in-house; however, this was not always the case. In fact, the Swiss watch industry is deeply rooted in the établissage system, whereby manufacturing is divided into small, specialized, independent units, and components are brought together under a single brand name only at the final stage of production. 
Thus, for centuries, Switzerland was full of movement designers, bracelet makers, case makers, dial makers, engravers, enamellers, and other specialists. Before Rolex became obsessed with making everything in-house, the iconic Swiss watchmaker did outsource the manufacture of some components to these specialists.
Today, we’ll take a closer look at Singer, the famous 20th-century dial maker and the company behind the iconic design of the Daytona “Exotic Dial”, also known as the fake Rolex Daytona “Paul Newman” dial. Read on to learn more about the relationship between Singer and Rolex, and the now famous and highly collectible exotic Daytona dials that resulted from this partnership.
Founded in 1919 by Jean Singer & Cie in La-Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, the company quickly rose to become the dial supplier of choice for some of the top brands in the watch industry. singer’s client list included brands such as Heuer, Omega, Universal Genève, Tudor, and, of course, Rolex. In addition to Singer, Rolex also outsources dials from other dial manufacturers, including Stern, Beyeler, Emmerich, and others.
There are two interesting things to note about these Singer “exotic dials” made for Rolex Daytona. First, they were not particularly successful; the vast majority of buyers opted for the standard dial because the “exotic dial” proved to be a bit too, well, exotic for the era. As a result, Rolex produced many more standard Daytona models than exotic ones, which explains why there are far fewer Paul Newman-style dials on the vintage market today. This rarity, of course, adds to the desirability and collectability of these exceptional copy Rolex Daytona watches.
Another intriguing thing about Singer’s exotic dials is that they are not exclusive to Rolex. As mentioned earlier, Singer has a long list of customers and similar dials have been fitted to other watches such as those by Vulcain, Wakmann, Nevada, and Lip. While these Singer dials are nowhere near as expensive, sought-after, or collectible as the dials on the Rolex Daytona, they are surely amazing examples of striking Singer dial designs.
The fact that vintage Daytona watches with Singer-made “Paul Newman” dials are some of the most coveted and expensive vintage sports watches on the pre-owned market today is an incredible comeback story. While Singer and Rolex may no longer do any business together, their historically important relationship not only paved the way for today’s thriving vintage Daytona market but is also responsible for some of the most expensive Rolex watches in the world.
The Manufacturer Behind the Rolex “Paul Newman” Dial
