197
Rolex
Ref. 6264
Cosmograph Daytona "Paul Newman"
A delightful and very attractive stainless steel chronograph wristwatch with Paul Newman dial and bracelet
Full-Cataloguing
- Chronograph
- Featuring the charming and sought-after Paul Newman dial
- Accompanied by Rolex Atelier the Restoration booklet
Reference 6264 (and its metal-bezel brother 6262) are very unusual models within the panorama of manual Daytona timepieces. They represent somewhat of a "missing link", as they still sport the original pump pushers - rather than screw-down pushers - of the first model (6239) but are powered by cal. 727, the defining feature of the "final" manual models ref. 6263 and 6265. Most likely an effort to appeal to that part of the clientele which resisted the introduction of screw-down pushers, the models were very soon discontinued. In fact, they remained in production for an extremely short time (probably 2-3 years) at the beginning of the 1970s. This makes them today one of the most difficult to source Daytona models.
The present ref. 6264, however, immediately eclipses in importance the "standard" 6264 as it features the immediately recognizable and very well preserved Paul Newman dial. Notably, this "Panda Paul Newman" dial configuration, almost exclusive to references 6262 and 6264, is characterized by a striking "semi-Panda" two-tone black and white color scheme with a red "Daytona" designation - while Panda dials, found exclusively on ref. 6263 and 6265, feature a black "Daytona" designation. In this instance, the red script adds flamboyance and character to the already remarkably attractive Paul Newman dial.
While rarity, condition and attractiveness already place this timepiece in a special echelon of collecting, it still harbors one more notable surprise: it comes with the Rolex Atelier de Restauration booklet. Established just a few years ago, the service consists in sending the timepiece to Rolex Geneva, where it is meticulously taken apart, each component is analyzed and vetted by the company, the movement is cleaned and restored, and finally the watch is reassembled. It is important to point out that no intervention was made to the dial or hands (as explicitly stated in the document), thus the future owner of this remarkable watch will have the factory certification that the watch is fully correct, will possess a mechanically perfect timepiece, and will have the certainty that the dial was left in absolutely untouched condition.
Rolex
Swiss | 1905Founded in 1905 England by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis as Wilsdorf & Davis, it soon became known as the Rolex Watch Company in 1915, moving its headquarters to Geneva in 1919. Like no other company, the success of the wristwatch can be attributed to many of Rolex's innovations that made them one of the most respected and well-known of all luxury brands. These innovations include their famous "Oyster" case — the world's first water resistant and dustproof watch case, invented in 1926 — and their "Perpetual" — the first reliable self-winding movement for wristwatches launched in 1933. They would form the foundation for Rolex's Datejust and Day-Date, respectively introduced in 1945 and 1956, but also importantly for their sports watches, such as the Explorer, Submariner and GMT-Master launched in the mid-1950s.
One of its most famous models is the Cosmograph Daytona. Launched in 1963, these chronographs are without any doubt amongst the most iconic and coveted of all collectible wristwatches. Other key collectible models include their most complicated vintage watches, including references 8171 and 6062 with triple calendar and moon phase, "Jean Claude Killy" triple date chronograph models and the Submariner, including early "big-crown" models and military-issued variants.