Rolex Daytona 6265 'Big Eyes'
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A non-Daytona Daytona? Is that even possible? Hell yeah, it is! And with its oversized ‘eyes’, it’s one of the most aesthetically pleasing Daytonas Rolex has ever made.The 6265 has the illustrious distinction of being the last vintage Daytona and the Daytona that has enjoyed the longest production run, from 1971 until 1987 when it was replaced by the modern reference 16520 with automatic movement and sapphire crystal.As the ref. 6265 was produced for such a long time, a rather large number of dial variations are known to exist. One of the most elusive among them is the so-called ‘Big Eyes’ variant that could be found on early 6265s produced in the first half of the 1970s.The Big Eyes dial gets its nickname due to its oversized sub-registers, which are larger compared to other Daytonas owing to a slightly broader rim on the outside of each register. As the oversized registers take up more space, Rolex was forced to forgo the ‘DAYTONA’ text on the dial, technically making these models ‘non-Daytona’ Daytonas! As a result of these tweaks, the Big Eyes Daytona takes on a more substantial, dare we even say aggressive, look when worn.This ref. 6265 dates back to 1973 and sports the ‘panda’ variation Big Eyes dial, with a silver brushed background and black recessed sub-registers. The dial is in spotless condition with thick creamy tritium lume dots that match the luminous compound in the hour and minute hands.The 37mm stainless steel case sports screw down chronograph pushers and a stainless steel bezel with an engraved tachymetric scale. The case and bezel contains some light scratches as we’ve left it unpolished; the way it should be. The watch comes on a stainless steel Oyster bracelet.
Introduction
Rolex Cosmograph DaytonaRolex started making chronographs in the 1930s, but it was only in 1963 that a named product line was introduced: the Cosmograph. In some early advertisements, Rolex referred to the watch as the ‘Le Mans’ after the famous race track in France, although the name never appeared on the dial. After a few years, the line was officially renamed Cosmograph Daytona, after the racetrack in Florida.The most noticeable difference between these Cosmograph (Daytona) models and earlier Rolex chronographs was the tachymeter scale (used for measuring distance and speed) that was moved from its traditional placement on the dial to the bezel. Furthermore, the dial was updated with the introduction of contrasting sub-dials.It's hard to imagine now, but Daytonas received little love after their release. Most Daytonas languished in dealer displays for years and only started to get noticed by Italian collectors and dealers in the late 1980s. Nowadays, Daytonas are among the most sought after Rolex models, fetching prices from $20,000 for modern ones to many millions for rare vintage references. A big contrast with the $210 list price when it was first released!Waterproof 62xx DaytonasRolex has touted the water resistant qualities of its watches ever since the invention of the ‘Oyster case’ in the 1930s. Nevertheless, the first truly waterproof Daytona only came into existence in 1965 thanks to the introduction of the ref. 6240 and its screw down chronograph buttons (instead of the round pump pushers with internal gaskets on earlier Daytonas). The 6240 was also the first Daytona to feature a black acrylic bezel inlay with contrasting white graduation scale.The 6240 was discontinued after just a few years and was replaced by the 6263. The 6263 (and its brother, the 6265, with a metal bezel) enjoyed the longest production run of all vintage Daytonas, from 1971 until 1987.
Specifications
- SKU 6864
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- Bracelet
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Reference
6265
- Year