Rolex Daytona 6265 'Sigma'

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It was nearly impossible to sell this watch when it rolled off the production line in the late 1970s. Manual wind Daytonas like this 6263 often languished in dealer windows for years, until some good Samaritan finally took pity and gave it a new home for just a couple hundred bucks. Nowadays, these four digit Daytonas are among the most coveted and collectible watches on the planet. The reference 6265 (together with its sibling, the 6263) has the distinction of being the last vintage Daytona and the Daytona that enjoyed the longest production run, from 1971 until 1987 when it was replaced by the modern reference 16520 with automatic movement and sapphire crystal. Nowadays, these vintage four digit Daytonas are among the most coveted and collectible watches on the planet.This stainless steel ref. 6265 dates back to 1975 and features a silvered dial with black recessed sub-registers, a configuration lovingly referred to by collectors as a ‘panda dial’ due to its resemblance to a panda’s face.The dial on this 6265 is in wonderful condition with beautiful creamy luminous plots and a matching tritium handset. The bottom of the dial features a cool detail: two sigma (‘σ’) markings, an indication that was used by select Swiss watchmakers (namely Patek, Rolex, Vacheron, and IWC) in the 1970s and 1980s to indicate the use of 18k gold on the dial; in this case referring to the 18k white gold indices and hands.The watch is in excellent condition with a sharp case and a lovely 19 mm stainless steel Oyster bracelet.

Introduction

Rolex 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 were 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 $15,000 for modern ones to many millions for rare vintage references. A big contrast with the $210 list price when it was first released!

Specifications

Shipping

Packages are generally dispatched within 2 days after receipt of payment and are shipped within the Netherlands by Registered Mail through the Dutch carrier PostNL and for other countries by Fedex. Consult us if you prefer another method of shipping. For most destinations tracking is available.