102
Rolex
Ref. 6263
Cosmograph Daytona "Big Red"
A well-preserved and attractive stainless steel chronograph wristwatch with bracelet, guarantee and presentation box
- Estimate
- $50,000 - 100,000
$114,300
Lot Details
- Manufacturer
- Rolex
- Year
- 1985
- Reference No
- 6263
- Case No
- 8’961’496
- Model Name
- Cosmograph Daytona "Big Red"
- Material
- Stainless steel
- Calibre
- Manual, caliber 727, 17 jewels
- Bracelet/Strap
- Stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet stamped 78350 18, endlinks stamped 571, max overall length 210mm
- Clasp/Buckle
- Stainless steel Rolex clasp stamped 78350 H
- Dimensions
- 37.5mm Diameter
- Signed
- Case, dial, movement and clasp signed
- Accessories
- Accompanied by Rolex Guarantee dated September 28, 1985, and stamped Douglas Krook AB, green leather presentation box, wallet, product literature and outer packaging.
Specialist
Full-Cataloguing
Catalogue Essay
One of the most coveted vintage timepieces of the current era is the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona “Big Red”. Perfectly proportioned for daily wear with a dramatic splash of red text over the hour counter, its simple and elegant yet casual design captivates seasoned and beginner watch collectors alike. In fact the design is so appealing, the “Big Red” ref. 6263 served as Rolex’s inspiration for the universally acclaimed contemporary Daytona model with ceramic bezel.
References 6263, like the present watch, and 6265, its metal-bezel sibling, were launched in 1969 replacing the first Oyster Cosmograph model, reference 6240. The 6263 in stainless steel with screw down pushers and acrylic black bezel was in production for nearly 20 years, with its masterful design outlasting the early pump-pusher variations making it a horological icon today.
The present lot is an especially desirable example of a reference 6263, offered in outstanding, all-original condition, complete with its original guarantee and presentation box.
PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN COLLECTOR
References 6263, like the present watch, and 6265, its metal-bezel sibling, were launched in 1969 replacing the first Oyster Cosmograph model, reference 6240. The 6263 in stainless steel with screw down pushers and acrylic black bezel was in production for nearly 20 years, with its masterful design outlasting the early pump-pusher variations making it a horological icon today.
The present lot is an especially desirable example of a reference 6263, offered in outstanding, all-original condition, complete with its original guarantee and presentation box.
PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN COLLECTOR
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.
Browse Maker