Reference:6263: Difference between revisions
| [checked revision] | [checked revision] |
SEO: og:image + image_alt + og_type + timestamps |
Text audit: voice, clarity, source links |
||
| Line 13: | Line 13: | ||
<small>[[Reference:daytona|Daytona]] | <small>[[Reference:daytona|Daytona]] -> '''6263'''</small> | ||
The 6263 is the screw-down-pusher Oyster Cosmograph that ran from 1969 to 1988 and collected more named dial variants than any other Daytona reference. It is the canonical "Big Daytona" of the manual-wind era: 36mm Oyster case, black acrylic bezel insert, Valjoux-derived caliber 727. Nearly every collector nickname of the period was earned on this case — Paul Newman MK1 through MK4, RCO, Big Red, Sigma, JPS (John Player Special, from the Lotus F1 livery), Albino, the Sultan of Oman, the Quraysh Hawk, the Arabian Knight. | The 6263 is the screw-down-pusher Oyster Cosmograph that ran from 1969 to 1988 and collected more named dial variants than any other Daytona reference. It is the canonical "Big Daytona" of the manual-wind era: 36mm Oyster case, black acrylic bezel insert, Valjoux-derived caliber 727. Nearly every collector nickname of the period was earned on this case — Paul Newman MK1 through MK4, RCO, Big Red, Sigma, JPS (John Player Special, from the Lotus F1 livery), Albino, the Sultan of Oman, the Quraysh Hawk, the Arabian Knight. | ||
| Line 79: | Line 79: | ||
! Serial range !! Year !! Dial !! Lume !! Bracelet !! End links !! Notes | ! Serial range !! Year !! Dial !! Lume !! Bracelet !! End links !! Notes | ||
|- | |- | ||
| 2.5M-3.0M (1971-1973) || 1971-1973 || Mk1 standard || — || 7835 || 271 || Early production | | 2.5M-3.0M (1971-1973) || 1971-1973 || Mk1 standard || — || 7835 || 271 || Early production. | ||
|- | |- | ||
| 5.0M-6.5M (1976-1978) || 1976-1978 || Sigma, Big Red transitional || — || 78360 || 271 || Sigma dial era ~1972-1978 per multiple Wind Vintage / Bulang sources. | | 5.0M-6.5M (1976-1978) || 1976-1978 || Sigma, Big Red transitional || — || 78360 || 271 || Sigma dial era ~1972-1978 per multiple Wind Vintage / Bulang sources. | ||
| Line 119: | Line 119: | ||
| JPS (John Player Special) || mid-to-late 1970s || Black PN dial on 14k yellow gold case — black-and-gold livery from the Lotus F1 sponsorship || Six PN-dial Daytona references include 6263; gold 6263 PN examples typically surface as the Lemon Dial variant | | JPS (John Player Special) || mid-to-late 1970s || Black PN dial on 14k yellow gold case — black-and-gold livery from the Lotus F1 sponsorship || Six PN-dial Daytona references include 6263; gold 6263 PN examples typically surface as the Lemon Dial variant | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Albino || ~late 1990s assembly from period parts || White-on-white monochromatic dial: silver sub-dials on a white dial, "Rolex Oyster Cosmograph" only || Three known examples; | | Albino || ~late 1990s assembly from period parts || White-on-white monochromatic dial: silver sub-dials on a white dial, "Rolex Oyster Cosmograph" only || Three known examples; original-issue status disputed (Pereztroika 2025) | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Tropical || production-period dials, 1970s–80s || Heat- or sun-aged black dials oxidizing toward brown; silver sub-dials browning to amber || Iconeek archive snapshot documents one such 6263; auction examples surface periodically | | Tropical || production-period dials, 1970s–80s || Heat- or sun-aged black dials oxidizing toward brown; silver sub-dials browning to amber || Iconeek archive snapshot documents one such 6263; auction examples surface periodically | ||
| Line 153: | Line 153: | ||
The Paul Newman dial — square art-deco markers with cross-hairs, sub-dial numerals 15/30/45 rather than 20/40/60, Singer dial-maker stamp on the back — appears on six Daytona references: 6239, 6241, 6262, 6263, 6264, and 6265. The 6263 is the most populous PN host because of the long production run. The five recognised PN color types are two tri-color variants, panda, Oyster Sotto, and Lemon (the gold-case variant). The MK1–MK4 progression on 6263 PN dials tracks square-marker geometry, sub-dial outer ring proportions (Big Eyes appears at MK3), and print weight; the boundaries are consensus rather than factory-documented. | The Paul Newman dial — square art-deco markers with cross-hairs, sub-dial numerals 15/30/45 rather than 20/40/60, Singer dial-maker stamp on the back — appears on six Daytona references: 6239, 6241, 6262, 6263, 6264, and 6265. The 6263 is the most populous PN host because of the long production run. The five recognised PN color types are two tri-color variants, panda, Oyster Sotto, and Lemon (the gold-case variant). The MK1–MK4 progression on 6263 PN dials tracks square-marker geometry, sub-dial outer ring proportions (Big Eyes appears at MK3), and print weight; the boundaries are consensus rather than factory-documented. | ||
Paul Newman's own 6263, a Big Red gifted by | Paul Newman's own 6263, a Big Red gifted by him to his daughter Clea in 2008, sits in the late-Big-Red production batch and carries case-back engraving from the gift. | ||
<span id="big-red"></span> | <span id="big-red"></span> | ||
| Line 168: | Line 168: | ||
=== Albino === | === Albino === | ||
The Albino 6263 is a white-on-white monochromatic dial — silver sub-dials on a white dial — bearing only "Rolex Oyster Cosmograph" without the standard "Daytona" wording or any other secondary text. Three examples are documented to date | The Albino 6263 is a white-on-white monochromatic dial — silver sub-dials on a white dial — bearing only "Rolex Oyster Cosmograph" without the standard "Daytona" wording or any other secondary text. Three examples are documented to date. | ||
The Albino is still disputed. Hodinkee treated it as a possible as-issued Rolex variant. Perezcope's 2025 dossier, built around a Tom Bolt confession, argues that the known Albinos are late-1990s constructions using a silver 6238 dial transplanted into 6263 cases. Sotheby's sold a third example in 2025 | The Albino is still disputed. Hodinkee treated it as a possible as-issued Rolex variant. Perezcope's 2025 dossier, built around a Tom Bolt confession, argues that the known Albinos are late-1990s constructions using a silver 6238 dial transplanted into 6263 cases. Sotheby's sold a third example in 2025 without adopting that conclusion. The watches exist and the market treats them seriously. Original-issue status is not settled. | ||
<span id="sigma-dial"></span> | <span id="sigma-dial"></span> | ||