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Lot Essay
With references 6263 and 6265, launched in 1970 and in production until 1987, Rolex reaches some sort of consensus regarding the style of the Cosmograph Daytona, and the plethora of experimental dials and slight design changes seen on previous references tends to dwindle down. However, that does not mean that these references are completely devoid of rare dial variations. In fact, the present watch represents such an example, and moreover one of the most rare variants.
All reference 6263 watches (and 6262, 6264 and 6265) are equipped with calibre 727, the final evolution of the manually wound chronograph calibre used by Rolex since the mid-twentieth century. These movement fully respect COSC regulation standards, and indeed most of these timepieces are COSC-certified and bear on the dial the designation “Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified”, and their movements individually numbered. As a matter of fact, however, the very first examples of the model were not certified by COSC. Consequently, the Superlative Chronometer designation could not appear on the dial of these early examples: the present timepiece is one of these exceedingly rare and collectible variations. Only a handful of similar watches has appeared on the public market to date, all part of the same batch, bearing serial number 2’330’xxx. The latest such example was a reference 6263 sold in November 2015 in this saleroom for 191’000 CHF. Its serial number was 2’330’472, a difference of only 74 numbers with the watch here on offer.
All reference 6263 watches (and 6262, 6264 and 6265) are equipped with calibre 727, the final evolution of the manually wound chronograph calibre used by Rolex since the mid-twentieth century. These movement fully respect COSC regulation standards, and indeed most of these timepieces are COSC-certified and bear on the dial the designation “Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified”, and their movements individually numbered. As a matter of fact, however, the very first examples of the model were not certified by COSC. Consequently, the Superlative Chronometer designation could not appear on the dial of these early examples: the present timepiece is one of these exceedingly rare and collectible variations. Only a handful of similar watches has appeared on the public market to date, all part of the same batch, bearing serial number 2’330’xxx. The latest such example was a reference 6263 sold in November 2015 in this saleroom for 191’000 CHF. Its serial number was 2’330’472, a difference of only 74 numbers with the watch here on offer.