Manufacturer: Rolex Year: 1973 Reference No: 6263, stamped 6265 inside the case back Case No: 3'590'478 Model Name: Oyster Cosmograph Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Manual, 727 Bracelet/Strap: Leather Clasp/Buckle: Stainless Steel buckle Dimensions: 37mm. Diameter Signed:Case, dial and movement signed Literature: For another reference 6263 with tropical registers, please see Ultimate Rolex Daytona, by Pucci Papaleo, pages 380 to 383
Catalogue Essay
The second generation of 6263 and 6265 have serial numbers between 3 million and approximately 4.3 million, of which the present example is an excellent specimen. They feature the new steel pushers (referred to as MK2) with the internal Rolex code 24-P301-0 and the new 701 winding crown, recognizable by the 3 small dots underneath the Rolex coronet. The example here is preserved in very attractive condition and still features a part of the now faded sticker to the case back, a rarity by itself. It enjoys a unique look thanks to its excellent soleil finished dial, wonderfully contrasting with the cappuccino brown subsidiary dials. The luminous dots as well as the luminous material on the hour and minute hand are all complete and intact and have taken a warm uniform beige tone.
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.