Rolex - The Geneva Watch Auction: X Geneva Saturday, November 9, 2019 | Phillips

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  • Manufacturer: Rolex
    Year: Circa 1978
    Reference No: 6265
    Case No: 5'582'690
    Model Name: Cosmograph Daytona "Big Red"
    Material: Stainless steel
    Calibre: Manual, cal. 727, 17 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet, end links stamped 571, max length 205mm.
    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 an "Oyster" designation on the dial. The movement was also upgraded from a Valjoux 722 movement, to the more reliable Valjoux 727 movement.

    Manufactured in approximately 1978, the present watch most notably displays a floating "Big Red" designation. The earliest "Big Reds" displayed a slight gap between the lower subsidiary register and the Daytona logo, such as the present example. Consigned by the daughter of the original owner, this timepiece boasts an 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.

  • 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. 6265
A rare and attractive stainless steel chronograph wristwatch with bracelet

Circa 1978
37mm Diameter
Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed

Estimate
CHF30,000 - 50,000 
€28,100-46,900
$31,200-52,000

Sold for CHF56,250

Contact Specialist
Alexandre Ghotbi
Head of Watches, Continental Europe and the Middle East
+ 41 79 637 1724
aghotbi@phillips.com

The Geneva Watch Auction: X

Geneva Auction 9-10 November 2019