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.