Manufacturer: Rolex Year: Circa 1979 Reference No: 6265 Case No: 5'528'960 Model Name: Cosmograph Daytona " Telephone Big Red" Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Manual, cal. 727, 17 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Leather Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel deployant clasp Dimensions: 37mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial and movement signed
Catalogue Essay
Reference 6265 was introduced to the market in approximately 1969, and ceased production in the late 1980s. Compared to first generation examples of the Cosmograph Daytona, the model featured screw down pushers, and thus carried the 'Oyster' designation on the dial. The movement was also upgraded from a Valjoux 722 movement, to the more reliable Valjoux 727 movement.
This extremely singular reference 6265 features a “Telephone” dial. In addition to having steel baton indexes and a “Big Red” designation, this watch also displays Arabic numerals printed directly onto the dial with black paint in the style of an old rotary telephone. It is our belief that for legibility purposes the owner of the watch had these numerals added at a later date giving the watch a rather unconventional yet interesting appearance.
Having resided within the same family for many years, the reasons behind the creation of current dial can only be guessed.
Founded 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.