Rolex Daytona 6264

Rolex Ref. 6264 Cosmograph Daytona "Paul Newman"

A delightful and very attractive stainless steel chronograph wristwatch with Paul Newman dial and bracelet. Reference 6264 (and its metal-bezel brother 6262) are very unusual models within the panorama of manual Daytona timepieces. They represent somewhat of a "missing link", as they still sport the original pump pushers - rather than screw-down pushers - of the first model (6239) but are powered by cal. 727, the defining feature of the "final" manual models ref. 6263 and 6265. Most likely an effort to appeal to that part of the clientele which resisted the introduction of screw-down pushers, the models were very soon discontinued. In fact, they remained in production for an extremely short time (probably 2-3 years) at the beginning of the 1970s. This makes them today one of the most difficult to source Daytona models. The present ref. 6264, however, immediately eclipses in importance the "standard" 6264 as it features the immediately recognizable and very well preserved Paul Newman dial. Notably, this "Panda Paul Newman" dial configuration, almost exclusive to references 6262 and 6264, is characterized by a striking "semi-Panda" two-tone black and white color scheme with a red "Daytona" designation - while Panda dials, found exclusively on ref. 6263 and 6265, feature a black "Daytona" designation. In this instance, the red script adds flamboyance and character to the already remarkably attractive Paul Newman dial. While rarity, condition and attractiveness already place this timepiece in a special echelon of collecting, it still harbors one more notable surprise: it comes with the Rolex Atelier de Restauration booklet. Established just a few years ago, the service consists in sending the timepiece to Rolex Geneva, where it is meticulously taken apart, each component is analyzed and vetted by the company, the movement is cleaned and restored, and finally the watch is reassembled. It is important to point out that no intervention was made to the dial or hands (as explicitly stated in the document), thus the future owner of this remarkable watch will have the factory certification that the watch is fully correct, will possess a mechanically perfect timepiece, and will have the certainty that the dial was left in absolutely untouched condition.