Sitting within the pantheon of greats, the Rolex Daytona is a legendary watch that every watch lover can admire. With its long history, a lengthy list of famous wearers, and an array of intricacies, the Daytona has become the most sought-after timepiece the Genevan Giants have offered. Releasing the first generation Daytona in 1963, this legendary watch was made famous by the iconic actor and racecar driver Paul Newman following some years of obscurity. Among the long list of Daytona references we have today, the first-generation four-digit references are the most desirable, with the ref. 6265 we have here residing as one of the best-known. Released in 1971 and produced until 1988 alongside the ref. 6263, the ref. 6265 was the last of the manually wound Daytona references to be equipped with a Valjoux cal. 727 movement. One of the last four-digit references to be produced, the ref. 6265 has a slew of desirable performance upgrades that give this vintage Daytona a more modern look and feel. Featuring screw-down chronograph pushers that modernize its aesthetic with a screw-down caseback, a screw-down Triplock winding crown and a stainless steel bezel, the ref. 6265 laid the foundations of the modern Daytona’s aesthetic as a well-rounded sports chronograph.

Watch Is in very good overall condition. Case exhibits some wear, with soft edges and some marks and scratches visible on the surface. The lugs are slightly worn in the inner corners as visible in the images. The watch has P302 pushers which were likely replaced at service. Bezel has some wear and black enamel loss in the numbers. Silver dial in excellent condition Surface is generally free from any major marks, but there are a few broken luminous dots. Watch comes on a solid oyster bracelet with 357 endpieces.

An intriguing transitional Daytona of sorts, the ref. 6265 showed what was to come with the 5-digit "Zenith" Daytonas that followed it thanks to its stainless steel bezel, screw-down pushers and Triplock winding crown that was introduced in 1970.