Tropical 1973 Rolex Daytona (Ref. 6263) Silver Dial W/ Box & Papers

Rolex first introduced the ref. 6239 Cosmograph in 1963 in steel, 14k, and 18k yellow gold with a design that was solely focused on automobile racing. The Units Per Hour bezel allowed for the tracking and measuring of average speed and lap times making for a truly useful tool for racing drivers in the 20th century. Rolex, being the same marketing powerhouse back then as they are today, knew the American market would be their most effective demographic as racing in America was on the rise in the 60s-70s. Effectively, in 1964 the Rolex Cosmograph was branded “Daytona” after the famous race The 24hrs of Daytona, and the rest is history. 

The Daytona saw its first major update in late 1969 when Rolex decided to bring their Oyster technology to the Cosmograph. Accompanying the "Oyster" text on the dial, the case crown was upgraded to a 7mm trip-lock crown, and the most significant upgrade was the introduction of the screw-down chronograph pushers which is a function we still see today in the modern Daytona offering from Rolex. While the case size of this new model was the same as its predecessor at 36mm, the larger crown and more robust pushers greatly increase the watch's wrist presence. As a result of this slightly larger wrist presence, the references 6263 and 6265 hold a high level of desirability within the collector market, especially within the more uncommon variations. 

We are proud to present this incredible, rare, and extremely attractive 1973 Rolex Daytona reference 6263 that features chocolate brown or "tropical" subregisters. Along with the unique dial, the condition of this Rolex Daytona is remarkably well-preserved and it is also accompanied by its original box and papers.