Qaboos 6263 Rolex Daytona

This is very literally Daytona royalty. The red signature at 12 is that of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said, then Sultan of Oman. Qaboos was a well-known watch lover and would occasionally gift visiting foreign dignitaries, heads of state, high ranking government officials, or noteworthy servicemen a Rolex. Most were gifted with an Oman Khanjar dial. But gifts in recognition of the highest possible service rendered to His Majesty were signed with his own signature, as we see here in red. And on a 6263, that signature is indicative of really rather special history.

Lore holds that these Qaboos-signed 6263 Daytonas were gifted to eleven members of the British SAS and RAF in thanks for helping him defeat communist rebels, thereby consolidating power. Members of the SAS assisted Oman in the 1970 coup, deposing of the Sultan’s father Said bin Taimur who had ruled since 1932, the Battle of Mirbat, and other smaller conflicts, all clandestine. It is during this time in 1974 that the quite famous last picture of an SAS operator in Oman was believed to have been taken. One of the cooler secondary details is that the Oyster line is closer to the Rolex line to make room for the very-vertical signature. Of the 6263s awarded, all are stamped Asprey on caseback, a Bond street London retailer who exclusively serviced the Sultan’s needs in addition to many other VIP clients. It is often said that the most interesting Rolexes made came from Asprey. This is no exception; of the eleven watches thought to have been gifted, just three are known to the market today.

The last public offering of a Qaboos 6263 was in Christie’s 2013 ‘Lesson One’ auction, reaching 825K USD before it hammered. Phillips more recently auctioned an arguably less-special Qaboos Khanjar dial at 1.3M in 2018. Like royalty, no one said this was easily accessible. This is the first sale since 2013, coming from a recent retailer out of Dubai doing exceptional work, Collector’s Gallery Dubai. It comes with its box that also bears the Oman crest. It’s about as special and about as expensive as Daytonas not owned by Paul Newman get, a once-per-decade opportunity. And as cosplays go, an SAS operator doing clandestine work in 1970s Oman is right up there. Godspeed. And, more importantly, Allah’s financier.

This example is also in remarkable condition. The case is very full, lightly worn, same with the dial. All tritium is cream in tone and even. All pips present. The red script is bright and clear. All is as it should be, although it would be nice to see the caseback. This example comes out of Dubai, from a well-regarded retailer, with presentation box.