Bejewelled timepieces are well known to today’s collectors. In fact, these combinations of watchmaking and gem-setting have been recently rediscovered and are enjoying the popularity they truly deserve. However, only a few decades ago the market for bejewelled timepieces was a very different beast.
In fact, until the explosion of creativity of the 1960s/70s, the public would regard timepieces mostly as tools with a practical usage (from simple time telling, to more advanced professional complications) or as evening/dress pieces, usually in gold and hardly ever with gemstones - with the rare concession to the diamond-set indexes. Truly bejewelled timepieces were virtually exclusively made for women in very small sizes. It was beyond outlandish to imagine a bejewelled sports watch at the time. And yet, in the 1980s, that is exactly what Rolex made, predating by a couple of decades what is today a mainstream trend.
In fact, such a brave decision would probably not have been made by the company, if they had not been spurred by one of their most important - if not their most important ever - clients: His Highness Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said of Oman (1940-2020). It is under his specific request that the first two bejewelled Rolex sport references came to light. One, reference 6269, is distinguished by its brilliant-cut diamond bezel, diamond pavé dial and golden subsidiary counters. Produced in less than thirty pieces, it is a dream for collectors. And yet, the present reference 6270 surpasses even its sibling reference 6269, both in terms of rarity and arguably of looks as well.
With only eight pieces known by the market - including the present one - the reference is without a doubt one of the most rare standard production (if such a term can even be applied, in this instance) Rolex references - and the rarest Daytona one. Intriguingly, this example appears to be part of the very first batch made, as the three earliest case numbers known for this reference are the consecutive 8’439’967, 8’439’968, and 8’439’969 (the present watch). The other known examples bear serial 9’091’4xx (2 examples); 9’827’95x (2 examples) and a lone 8’761’106 specimen. While this distribution suggests the existence of unknown pieces, scholars agree in estimating the production at overall enormously limited numbers, most likely between 10 and 20 specimens in total.
On the aesthetic side, its design is as striking and luxurious as its production is restricted. The bezel is still diamond-set like reference 6269 but the stones are baguette-cut, the ultimate tier in terms of stone quality and appearance. Furthermore, the subsidiary counters are a never before (or again) seen cobalt hue, subtly shifting according to how the light impacts them. The final result is absolutely breathtaking.
Compounding to its historical interest, overall rarity, collectability, and mind boggling looks, the present example is furthermore one of the best preserved to ever appear in a salesroom. The oxidation layer present on the case hints at very little usage, and the presence of the original green sticker to the back further substantiates this assumption, making this piece one of the most collectible and important Rolex timepieces to be available to the collecting community.
