The Golden Age of the Daytona

With its “Paul Newman” dial, “Panda” layout, and Caliber727, this Reference6264 is now one of the most sought-after vintage Rolex Daytonas on the market.

Produced for only a few years, between approximately 1969 and 1972, the Rolex Daytona Ref.6264 marks a pivotal period in the history of the Geneva-based manufacturer’s chronographs. It is one of the last generations of hand-wound Cosmograph Daytonas. Ref.6264 is contemporary with the 6262 and differs from it primarily in its engraved black acrylic tachymeter bezel, which replaced the metal bezel. It also introduced the Caliber727, an evolution of the famous Valjoux72. Equipped with a column wheel and a frequency increased to 21,600vibrations per hour, this movement represents the technical pinnacle of the first-generation manual-winding Daytonas, paired with a37-mmOyster caseand “pump”-style chronograph pushers. This particular example features a so-called “Paul Newman” dial, named after the actor and race car driver; this variant first appeared in the late1960s and is recognizable by the distinctive design of its sub-dials with Art Deco-style lettering. Our watch also features the so-called “Panda” configuration, combining a light-colored dial with black sub-dials. This contrast enhances the readability of the chronograph functions while highlighting the distinctive design of these dials, known as “exotic” among connoisseurs. Upon their launch, the Newman models enjoyed only limited commercial success. This relatively limited production run explains their current rarity. Since the1990s, growing collector interest in the early Daytonas has led to a sharp rise in the model’s value; it is now highly sought after at auction, as evidenced by Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona, which sold for$17.75million at Phillips in NewYork in 2017, or, more recently, a Ref.6264 “lemon,” which sold for 1.25million Swiss francs at Christie’s in Geneva in 2022.