Rolex - The 2021 New York Watch Auction New York Saturday, December 11, 2021 | Phillips

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  • Manufacturer: Rolex
    Year: Circa 1974
    Reference No: 6263; inside caseback additionally stamped 6263
    Movement No: 5’581
    Case No: 4’089’963
    Model Name: Cosmograph Daytona
    Material: 14K yellow gold
    Calibre: Manual, cal. 727, 17 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: 14K yellow gold Rolex riveted Oyster bracelet, endlinks stamped 57, max length 220mm
    Clasp/Buckle: 14K yellow gold Rolex deployant clasp, stamped D
    Dimensions: 37mm Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement, bracelet, and clasp signed.
    Accessories: Accompanied by period correct fitted Rolex presentation box.

  • Catalogue Essay

    The references 6263 and 6265 mark the last manually-wound Cosmograph Daytona models from Rolex, with their screw-down pushers and Valjoux 727-based movements. The reference 6263 differs from its sister reference by virtue of its black acrylic bezel, as both were offered with champagne or black dial options. Both references were in production until 1988, when they were replaced by the first automatic Cosmograph Daytona, the reference 16520. Though an estimated 24,000 examples of the 6263 and 6265 were cased in stainless steel, only 2,400 examples are thought to have been produced in both 14K and 18K yellow gold – underlining the rarity of the present iteration.

    As the scholarship around vintage Daytonas has grown in the past few decades, the gulf between good watches and the best collectors’ watches has grown wider and wider. This example of a 14K yellow gold reference 6263 is a notable example, with a corresponding riveted 14K yellow gold riveted Oyster bracelet. Many of these 14K gold Daytonas were destined for export to the United States; however, this piece does not bear ROW on the movement. Additionally, this example bears the rare “Sigma” marking on the dial, not often seen on these pieces and even less often on black-dial examples. The “Sigma” indicated the use of solid gold for the hour markers to raise confidence in gold as an investment. A similar reference 6263 with 14K yellow gold case and Sigma dial, only three serial numbers away from the present watch, appeared publicly four years ago consigned by the widow of the original owner.

    Bearing the correct double Swiss hallmarks for 14K gold, two squirrels, one on the caseback and one on the reverse of the lug, as well as ‘14K’ out on the opposite lug, the squirrel sits upon a “C” indicating the case was tested for fineness and marked in the assay office of Chaux-de-Fonds, where the headquarters of the casemaker, Spillman S.A. was located. So crisp and unmolested are these hallmarks that the “C” is completely visible with the naked eye. A beautiful patina has formed on the sides of the case, swirling cyan and violet, which is repeated on the well-preserved 14K riveted Oyster bracelet, testifying to its exceptional state of preservation. From the collection of a well-respected collector, this Daytona is a superb example of the reference.

  • 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. 6263; inside caseback additionally stamped 6263
A well-preserved and rare 14K yellow gold chronograph wristwatch with tachymeter bezel, Sigma dial, and bracelet

Circa 1974
37mm Diameter
Case, dial, movement, bracelet, and clasp signed.

Estimate
$80,000 - 160,000 
CHF74,000-148,000
€70,900-142,000
HK$624,000-1,250,000

Sold for $252,000

Contact Specialist

Paul Boutros

Head of Watches, Americas

+1 (212) 940-1293

WatchesNY@Phillips.com

 

The 2021 New York Watch Auction

New York Auction 11 - 12 December 2021