Rolex. A fine and rare 18K gold chronograph wristwatch with bracelet
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Rolex. A fine and rare 18K gold chronograph wristwatch with bracelet

SIGNED ROLEX, OYSTER, COSMOGRAPH, DAYTONA MODEL, REF. 6263, CASE NO. 2'330'472, CIRCA 1970

Details
Rolex. A fine and rare 18K gold chronograph wristwatch with bracelet
Signed Rolex, Oyster, Cosmograph, Daytona model, ref. 6263, case no. 2'330'472, circa 1970
Cal. 727 mechanical movement, 17 jewels, black matte dial, applied baton numerals, luminous accents, luminous hands, fifth of a seconds divisions, three sunken engine-turned subsidiary dials for constant seconds, 12 hours and 30 minutes registers, tonneau-shaped water-resistant-type case, black bezel with tachymetre scale graduated to 200 units per hour, screw back, screw down crown, 18K gold Rolex Oyster bracelet stamped "71" to the enlinks, deployant clasp stamped "1 72", case, dial and movement signed
37 mm. diam.; overall length approx. 205 mm.
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On lots marked with an + in the catalogue, VAT will be charged at 8% on both the premium as well as the hammer price.

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Lot Essay

In the panorama of vintage Rolex Daytona chronographs, few variations are as rare, sought after, and aesthetically powerful as the present timepiece.
A gold example of reference 6263 - and this characteristic alone is more than enough to stir the connoisseur - it is moreover one of the earliest examples of such reference, featuring the early "millerighe" pushers and the original "71" end links. Its dial, however, further pushes the boundaries of this timepiece and propels it into the Olympus of Daytona collecting. In fact, this is a very early dial lacking the COSC certification. While the movement is indeed the chronometric movement 727, as expected from this reference, it is one of the very first ones made. It appears that these early calibres were not submitted to COSC for certification, and indeed they lack the movement number, perfectly matching the lack of certification on the dial. The total output for timepieces with this case and dial combination is estimated to be less than 10. This is an impossible level of rarity for any brand. For a company specialized in tool watches whose total output just in 1970 was around 350'000 pieces, it is virtually inconceivable.
Accurate analysis of the black finish around the Rolex, Oyster, Cosmograph designation and around the area where one would usually find the Daytona designation (above the subdial at 6) reveals two halos. This is found on all the non-COSC black dial gold 6263 known so far. Scholars agree it is highly probable that these dials come from a single batch originally intended for reference 6262, bearing a red Daytona designation and lacking the oyster one. A few dials from this batch were apparently modified to fit the Oyster reference 6263.

Beyond the technical analysis, historical analysis supports this theory as well: not only all the known examples bearing this dial present the same halos, but they also bear very close serial numbers. For example, the two other specimens recently sold at auction bear number 2'330'445 (sold in November 2013) and 2'330'546 (May 2010). Furthermore, case number 2'330'469, sold in November 2013, is a gold reference 6262 bearing a black dial with red Daytona designation. Most probably this last example is a non-modified dial from that fateful batch.

The fact that the present watch is fresh to the market and offered by the original owner adds a final layer of appeal to this stellar timepiece. The owner bought it in an ex-French Colony in Africa. This explains why the case back is stamped with the Rolex designation reserved for the French market (another example is given by the Hermes reference 6141, sold in May 2013 in this room), but lacks the actual French import marks: the watch never went to France, but rather to an ex-French colony.

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