Manufacturer: Rolex Year: Circa 1987 Reference No: 6263 Case No: R435’333 Model Name: Cosmograph Daytona, “Big Red” Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Manual, cal. 727, 17 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet stamped "78350,19", endlinks stamped "571", max length 210mm Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Rolex Oyster deployant clasp stamped "L7" Dimensions: 37.5mm diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and clasp signed Accessories: Further accompanied by Rolex guarantee dated March 1988 and stamped by Hausmann, Rome, green leather Rolex presentation box, International Service Guarantee dated November 23, 2010, green plastic envelop with product literature and outer packaging.
Catalogue Essay
In 1987, Rolex made a fundamental change to the Daytona when they released the reference 16520, their first automatic chronograph timepiece. The present watch is part of a small set of watches produced at the end of production of the 6263 and 6265 and has an “R” serial number placing it in the transitional period when Rolex moved from manual wound chronographs to automatic models. These “R” serial manual wound chronographs are rarely seen in the secondary market and the present example is in excellent overall condition and accompanied by its original guarantee dated 1988, presentation box and a 2010 Rolex International Service Guarantee.
Featuring the “Big Red” signature over the 12-hour subsidiary register, this Rolex Daytona is sure to please passionate collectors for its original condition with thick lugs and strong case proportions and highly attractive black dial, which offsets the white designation and red Daytona signature. Within any collection of timepieces certain models become grail watches to own and the reference 6263 is one such watch. This example provides an opportunity to own both one of the most popular models, while at the same time one of the rarest.
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.