Artisans de Genève is an independent company specialized in the personalization of timepieces. They are not affiliated with Rolex SA nor authorized by them to intervene on their products for any reason whatsoever. This personalization was ordered by famous athlete and cycling legend Lance Armstrong who wanted for his Rolex Daytona to look extra. This unique timepiece is an example of their know-how and the personalization services Artisans de Genève offers at their customers' request. Their personalization services are provided for personal and private use only. Any other use, in particular of a commercial nature, is not approved by Artisans de Genève and will invalidate their warranty.

This personalization is a reflection of Lance Armstrong career and vision of time. He wanted retro functions on his watch while being very light. To live up to the challenge Artisans de Genève developed a pulse dial with dual counters at 3 and 6 o’clock so he could count time during his races. Even the Rolex calibre 4130 was converted from automatic to manual wound in order to allow for more visibility of the mechanism and give the watch a retro-feel as Armstrong wanted it.

The personalization includes an open-worked dial with yellow accents and specially designed yellow hands —i.e. a seconds hand with a thunder shape— evoking the yellow color of Lance Armstrong’s LIVESTRONG foundation. The Armstrong Challenge Project started with a base Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ref. 116520 in stainless steel and then different components were reworked including the black cerachrom bezel that had to be inscribed. The watch was also fitted with a special rubber strap designed for Lance Armstrong by Rubber B.

Lance Armstrong’s life, the cycling legend, has revolved around the constant battle of time. A race against time, against himself. Each challenge is a chance to prove himself, to be reborn. Lance Armstrong asked Artisans de Genève to return to the origins of watchmaking by blending forgotten codes such as a pulsation dial and manual winding with a modern design to create his unique customization. Literally, a true rebirth of a Cosmograph Daytona.

“For most men, a watch is just an accessory. But for me it goes deeper, it’s about the story. My main inspiration wasn’t sport but retro watches. I liked the idea of counting my heart rate the old-fashioned way —using seconds— and rediscovering what it means to wear and to wind a watch. My life has been visible to the world and so I loved this sense of opening up my watch and being able to see everything inside it.” Lance Armstrong

Lance Armstrong’s life is an open book, and he wanted his personalization to reflect that. To take up the challenge, Artisans de Genève skeletonized the Rolex calibre 4130. Before being sandblasted and beveled by hand, they had to develop a manual winding mechanism that allows each element of the movement to be seen. The power reserve remained identical to the original at 72 hours. The balance bridge, an essential detail of the movement, is handcrafted with a black matt finish.

The front of the personalization reveals a pulse dial, with dual counters at 3 and 6 o’clock, resembling the first velocipede. Cyclists need both power and endurance, and measuring the pulse is vital for finding this delicate balance. Lance remembered this era, when racers used to read time to count their pulse. He wanted to be able to calculate his heart rate with a pulse function that we developed for the first time.

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Artisans de Genève is an independent company specialized in the personalization of timepieces. Artisans de Genève is not affiliated with Rolex SA nor authorized by them to intervene on their products for any reason whatsoever. This personalization was ordered by Lance Armstrong for his private use.