Rolex 6263

Ref. 6263A fine and very rare stainless steel chronograph wristwatch with "sigma dial" and bracelet, made for the Peruvian Air Force

Manufacturer: Rolex Year: Circa 1976 Reference No: 6263 Case No: 4'049'273 Model Name: Cosmograph Daytona "FAP" Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Manual, cal. 727, 17 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet stamped "571" and "78350 19" to the endlinks, max length 190mm Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Rolex deployant clasp stamped "H" and "783350" Dimensions: 37.5mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and clasp signedOne of the highest echelons of Rolex collecting is represented by military timepieces, which encompass watches made for the armed forces of a country. The company is known to have at some point in time worked with numerous armed forces or military organizations, including the English Navy, Italian Police, and of course the Peruvian Air Force - as in the case of the present timepiece. Watches made for the Fuerza Aerea Del Perú - or FAP - are today extremely elusive not only in virtue of their intrinsic rarity, but also because of the heavy usage they underwent which implies many pieces were simply lost, and many others were heavily refurbished. While the most obvious characteristic of FAP timepieces is the engraving to the caseback, there are two other traits that define these watches. One is that the serial number - all or part of it - has to be present on the inside of the caseback, thus linking together case body and caseback. The other is a much subtler detail, and often lost due to the reasons mentioned above; on the opposite side of the back from where the FAP engraving is, these watches present an extremely lightly engraved military issue number. So light is this engraving that even a gentle polishing would irremediably erase it. Only a meager percentage of FAP watches still retain this number today, and this piece is indeed one of them, the number 617 still totally readable on the back. A final addition to the historical appeal of this military piece is given by the fact that the original owner “Ricardo Gutierrez Rivas” personally hand-engraved his name on the back, thus immortalising the original owner of the watch for posterity.