At Rolex, 1970 was marked by the launch of two Cosmograph references; the 6262 with a metal bezel and the 6264 with an acrylic bezel. Very similar to the previous generation, these two references were fitted with the upgraded caliber 727. As often in production, the new reference was launched when spare parts from the precedent was still available hence some of the first models produced, like the present one, using a caseback with the previous reference 6239 written inside. Both references were produced for a few years only and were the last Daytona references to be fitted with pump pushers, their screw-pusher counterparts (ref 6263 and 6265) soon overtaking them in popularity.

Thus, reference 6262 represents a very unusual, transitional model with pump pushers and the new caliber 727. Its discontinuation not only represents Rolex’s ability to admit a miscalculation and swiftly correct it, but it furthermore makes it one of the rarest Daytona models, with a production run of 4 short years.

The present example not only encapsulates this historical importance and rarity, but furthermore boosts them to the next level with the addition of an incredibly well-preserved white Paul Newman dial. With its original lumes aged to a charming vanilla tonality and a beautifully well-preserved surface, it is a very attractive example. Exactly what one would expect to find on this 2.5 million serial watch, the dial features a white outer scale with white flat "T Swiss T" designation, an evolution from the previously seen red scales with sing-a-song T Swiss T designation.

A final layer of appeal can be found in the caseback, which is actually stamped “6262”. While this would seem obvious, it was common habit of Rolex to deplete stocks of old casebacks before minting new ones. Thus, it is very common to find 6262 examples with 6239 or 6241 casebacks.