Rolex - START-STOP-RESET: 88 Epic Stainless Steel Chronographs Geneva Friday, May 13, 2016 | Phillips

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  • Manufacturer: Rolex
    Year: 1980
    Reference No: 6263
    Movement No: 12’091
    Case No: 6’393’159
    Model Name: Oyster Cosmograph Daytona
    Material: Stainless steel
    Calibre: Manual, cal. Valjoux 727, 17 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: Rolex stainless steel Oyster bracelet, reference 78350/19, end links stamped 571, max. length 220mm
    Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel deployant clasp, stamped 78350
    Dimensions: 37.5mm diameter
    Signed: Case, dial and movement signed. Caseback further engraved “Terry Lee 25 Years Storer 4-9-1983”
    Accessories: Accompanied by Rolex service card and Tiffany & Co. service center receipt.

  • Catalogue Essay

    To most vintage Rolex collectors, a reference 6263 Oyster Cosmograph Daytona represents a must have due to their superb aesthetics, legibility, and wearing comfort. To find one with Tiffany-signed dial, as found on the present lot, is an extraordinary opportunity.

    References 6263 and 6265 were both launched in 1969, replacing the first Oyster Cosmograph model, reference 6240. The stainless steel model with screw-down pushers was in production for almost 20 years. Bearing serial number 6’393’159, this lot was manufactured in 1980. Fitting a silvered dial with black sub-dials and its correct black acrylic bezel, the combination creates an eye-catching contrast with the steel case. Found beneath the “Oyster Cosmograph” script at 12 o’clock is the prestigious “Tiffany & Co.” retailer signature printed in black.

    This sporty yet elegant watch is offered in excellent overall condition with its original, correct early Mark II pushers and its original Oyster bracelet. To any collector, it is a delight to see that the Tiffany receipt is made out in the name of Mr. Kirby Lee in 2010, some 20 years after Mr. Terry Lee received the watch. We can assume Kirby Lee is possibly the son or a close relative to Terry Lee, who originally received the watch in 1983. With that in mind, the correctness and rarity of this piece makes it one of the most exciting examples of the reference one could hope to own.

  • Artist Biography

    Rolex

    Swiss • 1905

    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.

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Ref. 6263
An extremely rare and highly attractive stainless steel chronograph wristwatch with silvered dial, tachometer bezel and bracelet, retailed by Tiffany & Co.

1980
37.5mm diameter
Case, dial and movement signed. Caseback further engraved “Terry Lee 25 Years Storer 4-9-1983”

Estimate
CHF50,000 - 100,000 

Sold for CHF137,000

Contact Specialist
Livia Russo
+41 22 317 81 86

START-STOP-RESET: 88 Epic Stainless Steel Chronographs

Geneva Auction 14 May 2016