152
Rolex
Ref. 6265
Cosmograph Daytona "Big Red"
An attractive and well-preserved stainless steel chronograph wristwatch with black dial, bracelet, guarantee, original invoice, and presentation box
Full-Cataloguing
• Well-preserved case and dial with fully intact luminous markers
• Complete set
Launched in the late 1960s, Rolex’s references 6265 and 6263 replaced the first “Oyster Cosmograph” model 6240 fitted with water-resistant screw down pushers. Compared to the first generation of the Cosmograph Daytona, these new references featured screw down pushers and carried the "Oyster" designation on the dial. The reference 6265 had an engraved metal tachymeter bezel and the reference 6263 with acrylic tachymeter bezel. The chronographs were upgraded with the more reliable Valjoux 727 movement and came with two different dial configurations, either silver with black sub counters or black with silver sub counters like the present 6265. Rolex ceased production of the two watches in 1987 with the introduction of the brand’s first automatic chronograph the reference 16520.
The present reference 6265 is a late model from circa 1986 and preserved in excellent condition with a very strong case that remains unpolished in our opinion. The black matte dial with strong 'Big Red' Daytona print is original and well-preserved with subsidiary dials aging to a warm light sandy hue. The chronograph is accompanied by its Rolex warranty and presentation box as well as original invoice dated June 22, 1987. The Daytona Cosmograph is a perfectly balanced tool watch appreciated for its reliability and design. This example is the last of its kind with the brand moving to the Zenith powered reference 16520 within a few short years.
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.