Rolex Daytona Ref. 6263 - Matte Black 'Sigma' Dial

The Rolex Daytona model, since its initial release, has been at the forefront of the market as the most desirable chronograph in production, and of almost any vintage. Early Daytona’s in particular can be a lot of fun to collect not just because of the recognition they have these days, but also, as with so many other Rolex models early in their life-cycles, because of how many subtle changes they underwent in the fist decade or so, resulting in a plethora of nuanced configurations.

One element that was shared throughout the model family, however, was the movement. Prior to the introduction of the automatic-winding Daytonas beginning in circa 1988, all previous Rolex chronographs had been manually-wound, and anything with "Daytona" on the dial, powered by a modified version of Valjoux's highly respected and now very desirable, Calibre 72.

The piece that we have here, a Reference 6263, dates to circa 1974 comes to us in excellent overall condition. The 37mm case shows signs of having been very lightly, yet tastefully previously polished, retaining correct proportions and finishing where appropriate. The correct bezel assembly houses a correct 'MK1' black acrylic insert, both of which show normal signs of wear that matches the case. The screw-down pushers are correct 'MK2' units and of course have a screw-down crown between them. Inside, the matte black dial features a pair of 'Sigmas' flanking the Tritium text at the 6 o'clock position, which is correct for this era. The surface remains nice and clean with minimal aging within the 'concentric' silver subsidiary registers, which of course lend themselves to that highly desirable contrast that we love about 'reverse-panda' dials. The Tritium plots exhibit a light and even patina throughout, with only partial loss at a few positions, and a beautifully matching handset. Last but not least, this piece comes fitted to a period-correct Oyster bracelet with a signed blade clasp.

Its hard to say more said about vintage Daytonas that hasn't already been said over and over... They are highly collectible, beautiful to behold, and of course, functional and robust watches to wear. This is an excellent, well-rounded example and we're certain its next owner will agree.