The references 6263 and 6265 mark the last manually-wound Cosmograph Daytona models from Rolex, with their screw-down pushers and Valjoux 727-based movements. The reference 6263 differs from its sister reference by virtue of its black acrylic bezel, as both were offered with champagne or black dial options. Both references were in production until 1988, when they were replaced by the first automatic Cosmograph Daytona, the reference 16520. Though an estimated 24,000 examples of the 6263 and 6265 were cased in stainless steel, only 2,400 examples are thought to have been produced in both 14K and 18K yellow gold – underlining the rarity of the present watch.

As the scholarship around vintage Daytonas has grown in the past few decades, the gulf between good watches and the best collectors’ watches has grown wider and wider. This example of a 14K yellow gold reference 6263 is a notable example, with a corresponding riveted 14K yellow gold riveted and tapered Oyster bracelet. The lugs remain exceptionally well proportioned, with a rich, rosy patina enveloping the entirety of the watch. The vibrant champagne dial with black subdials remains in flawless condition, complementing this ensemble perfectly.

Bearing the correct double Swiss hallmarks for 14K gold, two squirrels, one on the caseback and one on the reverse of the lug, as well as ‘14K’ out on the opposite lug, the squirrel sits upon a “C” indicating the case was tested for fineness and marked in the assay office of Chaux-de-Fonds, where the headquarters of the casemaker, Spillman S.A. was located. So crisp are these hallmarks that the “C” is completely visible with the naked eye. Well preserved in crisp and most certainly unpolished condition, the present example will delight even the most discerning connoisseur.