Manufacturer: Rolex Year: Circa 1983 Reference No: 6265 Case No: 6'223'722 Model Name: Cosmograph Daytona "Big Red" Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Manual, cal. 727, 17 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet, max length 200mm Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Rolex deployant clasp Dimensions: 37mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed
Catalogue Essay
Reference 6265 was introduced to the market in approximately 1969, and ceased production in the late 1980s. Compared to first generation examples of the Cosmograph Daytona, the model featured screw down pushers, and thus carried the 'Oyster' designation on the dial. The movement was also upgraded from a Valjoux 722 movement, to the more reliable Valjoux 727 movement.
The present watch is a rare "Big Red" and boasts and incredibly crisp case with sharp facets and edges. Furthermore, the luminous dots are all in intact and present. Considering that the Daytona was originally meant to be a tool watch, many surviving examples have been heavily polished over the years, making the present example even more desirable.
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.