Manufacturer: Rolex Year: Circa 1976 Reference No: 6265, caseback stamped "6239" to the inside Case No: 4'139'415 Model Name: Cosmograph Daytona Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Manual, cal. 727, 17 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet stamped "521" to the endlinks and "78350 19", max length 185mm Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Rolex deployant clasp stamped "I12, 78350" Dimensions: 37.5mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and clasp signed
Catalogue Essay
Offered in extremely attractive condition, the present example of reference 6265 is highlighted by its excellently preserved silver “Sigma” dial, defined by the two lowercase Greek letters sigma present before and after the “T Swiss T” designation. Such a detail is consequence of a directive of Aprior (Association pour la Promotion Industrielle de l’or - Industrial Gold Promotion Association) in the early 1970s, which noted that watchmaking houses should add the sigma to indicate the presence of gold indexes on the dial. Now synonymous with the 1970s, sigma dials were quickly abandoned probably due to their excessively cryptic nature, making them highly collectible.
Reference 6265 is the final incarnation of the steel bezel/screw pushers version of the manual Daytona, an evolution of reference 6240 featuring screw pushers and a black bezel. It was launched in the early 1970s in parallel with its black bezel brethren, reference 6263, the two references representing the final evolution of the manual Daytona. They will be followed in 1988 by the automatic model ref. 16520.
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.