SIGNED ROLEX, DAYTONA MODEL, RETAILED BY ASPREY, REF. 6263, CASE NO. 3'655'336, CIRCA 1974

The sheer beauty and untouched nature of this highly appealing Cosmograph made for the Sultan of Oman is evident even at first glance, it can certainly be considered as one of the best examples of its type to appear at auction. It is indeed a true museum-worthy vintage Rolex Cosmograph for the connoisseur. The satiné silver background of the dial has remained very fresh and blemish-free, the luminous accents are largely intact and evenly aged, perfectly matching the luminescence of the hands. Interestingly, the present watch is one of the rare examples made for Oman that does not feature the Khanjar emblem or Qaboos signature on the dial. Furthermore, the dial displays a fascinating combination of unmistakable characteristics. Firstly, over the last almost 50 years, the original black colour of the three subsidiary dials has transformed into a seductive deep even chocolate brown hue. The change in colour from black to chocolate brown is understood to be caused by the reaction of the dial coating to external elements such as humidity or exposure to light. As a result of this natural process, every ‘tropical’ dial is therefore unique. The tropicalization of the subsidiary register dials on the present watch bestows a visually striking contrast between the black of the bezel and the silver of the main part of the dial.

Considered the ultimate vintage Cosmograph model, few watches elicit as much excitement from collectors today as a completely fresh to the market reference 6263, especially with a ‘tropical’ colour-change dial. The rarity of the present watch is dramatically increased as an early example made for the Sultan of Oman. On the inside of the case back, in addition to the usual Rolex case signature, the serial number is engraved above the reference number. This is a characteristic that is typical of special orders, adding to the appeal, Asprey also engraved its name on the back. The case, preserved in exceptional condition with screw down chronograph pushers and black composite bezel is combined with one of the most beautiful dials created for a wristwatch. The folded Rolex Oyster bracelet with 271 endlinks is stamped 1.70, indicating a production in the first quarter of 1970. Interestingly, due to the lack of demand for these watches at the time of manufacture, the years of production and delivery are not necessarily identical, often resulting in differences between production of the watch case and the bracelet.

The superbly charismatic dial with tropical registers combined with the fresh to the market provenance, Asprey signature, original green Rolex for Oman box and amazing overall condition render this watch one of the great trophies of the reference.

As a point of interest, this watch with serial number 3'655'336 is only 8 numbers apart from another exceptional Asprey retailed reference 6263 (serial number 3'655'344) with red Qaboos signature on the dial that was sold by Christie’s Geneva, Rolex Daytona ‘Lesson One’ 50 Exceptional Examples of the World’s most Celebrated Chronograph Wristwatch, 10 November 2013, Lot 26.

Reference 6263
Sporting a black bezel and screw down pushers, it inherits the legacy of reference 6240, the first of the screw down pusher Daytonas, also sporting a black bezel. The similarity is obvious, the differences much less so. As a matter of fact, however, the case design of reference 6263 is slightly bigger, and the movement is the new calibre 727, whilst reference 6240 is usually fitted with the older calibre 722 (even though early examples are known with the earlier 72B calibre, and late ones with cal. 722-1). The defining feature of both references is undeniably the presence of the screw down pushers, which make the entire watch look bigger and more sporting.