Rolex Daytona Ref. 6265 - 'Big Red'

Straight Facts

The Rolex Daytona has long been one of the most desirable chronographs in production, which is funny for a model that was initially off to a slow sales start! In fact - it was almost known as the Rolex ‘LeMans’ Chronograph! Early Daytona’s can be a lot of fun to collect because of not just how iconic they are - but also because of how many changes to reference number and dial configurations there are! The one thing they had in common was their manually wound movements. Every Daytona variant was based on the iconic Valjoux 72 chronograph.

The present example is a reference 6265 and known to collectors as the ‘Big-Red’. Why that name? Well, it says ‘Daytona’ on the dial in big red printing. Watch collectors, we’re very to-the-point! While collectors love a Big-Red, that is not really the story here. This watch is virtually untouched, dare we say LIKE new-old-stock. The case is untouched and free from any signs of use other than light handling wear. The caseback sticker is still present and almost fully readable. The dial is in equally untouched condition with every lume plot present and no signs of wear to be found. We were likely the first people to even open up this watch!

Beyond it’s once-in-a-lifetime condition, the 6265 is distinguished by its panda dial, steel bezel, and large ‘oyster’ pushers with no crown guards. The red DAYTONA printing adds a festive pop of color to the silver sunburst dial, and presents a very clean and sleek aesthetic for a chronograph. This 6265 is (no surprise) fitted to its original and equally untouched Oyster bracelet. So the only choice left is, do you chose to wear your brand-new 50 year old watch or preserve it as-is for the next generation?

Decisions, Decisions.

*Some marks or spots on the dial are reflections or dust on the crystal and are due to high intensity strobe lighting used while photographing. They are not actually on the watch or visible in natural lighting.