Lot Essay
Part of the most desirable and sought-after timepieces manufactured by Rolex, the present reference 6263 is offered in superb condition with an extremely attractive exotic 'Panda Paul Newman' dial. Adding to the rarity and collectability of the timepiece, the chronograph is offered at auction by its original owner, who meticulously kept the Rolex warranty, repair receipt dated 1974, presentation box and accessories relating to his purchase.
Of superb quality, the present chronograph distinguishes itself through the quality of its MK2 dial, retaining strong contrasts and luminescent material to the applied indexes. The stainless-steel case of the chronograph is extremely well preserved, with sharp edges, crisp and legible serial numbers as well as a case back stamped 6262. The 19 mm stainless steel 7835 folded link bracelet sporting 275 to the endlinks is furthermore in outstanding overall condition.
Introduced during the 1960s, the Rolex Cosmograph was named following the fervor surrounding outer space travel. Later bearing the inscription Daytona, due to Rolex’s involvement with the celebrated International Speedway, the popularity of the chronograph soared throughout the years, leading it to become an icon and source of great fascination.
Launched in the 1970s, the reference 6263 is the sister reference of the 6265. Inheriting attributes of the earlier reference 6240, the chronograph bears the ‘Oyster’ designation to the upper-half of its dial and was manufactured with screw-down pushers, a screw back and screw-down crown in order to enhance water-proofness. The chronograph was further equipped with the caliber 727, replacing the caliber 722-1 of earlier references, with oscillations increased from 18,000 to 21,600 beats. Assembled with a black bezel graduated to 200 units in a steel, 14 or 18 karat gold case, it is estimated that over a 20 year period, only 24,000 examples of reference 6263 and 6265 were produced in stainless steel, and a very small percentage assembled with exotic ‘Paul Newman’ dials.
Originally offered to customers as an alternative, ‘exotic’ dials were launched with the aim of increasing the sales of the chronograph. Throughout the years, iterations of the Daytona with ‘exotic’ dials arose to fame when the celebrated actor ‘Paul Newman’ was seen wearing a Daytona chronograph with such a dial. Following their discontinuation, Rolex chronographs with ‘exotic’ dials have become undisputed icons in the world of vintage watch collecting, with timepieces bearing exotic 'Panda Paul Newman’ dials being the most sought after and prized trophies for astute collectors.
Of superb quality, the present chronograph distinguishes itself through the quality of its MK2 dial, retaining strong contrasts and luminescent material to the applied indexes. The stainless-steel case of the chronograph is extremely well preserved, with sharp edges, crisp and legible serial numbers as well as a case back stamped 6262. The 19 mm stainless steel 7835 folded link bracelet sporting 275 to the endlinks is furthermore in outstanding overall condition.
Introduced during the 1960s, the Rolex Cosmograph was named following the fervor surrounding outer space travel. Later bearing the inscription Daytona, due to Rolex’s involvement with the celebrated International Speedway, the popularity of the chronograph soared throughout the years, leading it to become an icon and source of great fascination.
Launched in the 1970s, the reference 6263 is the sister reference of the 6265. Inheriting attributes of the earlier reference 6240, the chronograph bears the ‘Oyster’ designation to the upper-half of its dial and was manufactured with screw-down pushers, a screw back and screw-down crown in order to enhance water-proofness. The chronograph was further equipped with the caliber 727, replacing the caliber 722-1 of earlier references, with oscillations increased from 18,000 to 21,600 beats. Assembled with a black bezel graduated to 200 units in a steel, 14 or 18 karat gold case, it is estimated that over a 20 year period, only 24,000 examples of reference 6263 and 6265 were produced in stainless steel, and a very small percentage assembled with exotic ‘Paul Newman’ dials.
Originally offered to customers as an alternative, ‘exotic’ dials were launched with the aim of increasing the sales of the chronograph. Throughout the years, iterations of the Daytona with ‘exotic’ dials arose to fame when the celebrated actor ‘Paul Newman’ was seen wearing a Daytona chronograph with such a dial. Following their discontinuation, Rolex chronographs with ‘exotic’ dials have become undisputed icons in the world of vintage watch collecting, with timepieces bearing exotic 'Panda Paul Newman’ dials being the most sought after and prized trophies for astute collectors.