Green Khanjar Dial 6263 Rolex Daytona

While living in London through his early 20s, Sultan Qaboos made friends with a man named Tim Landon. And we should all be glad he did. Tim went on to become fabulously wealthy in age, and helped his friend Qaboos to develop Oman. He also introduced him to a friend, John Asprey. Asprey was instrumental in placing the Khanjar on Rolex dials, intended to help spread recognition and legitimize Oman’s presence on the world stage. There are many stories floating around about these watches and the day they were each acquired. Of all the Khanjar Rolex we find, the Daytonas are always the most significant and some of the rarest.

The green Khanjar at 12 is one of the least seen of any format. You’ll find the signature of Qaboos in red, which has a lore interwoven with the SAS, you’ll find Khanjar in the 6 subdial, but Khanjar at 12 is crazy uncommon. What’s interesting about this dial, setting aside the Khanjar, is the spacing. If you pretend there’s no green sword, the lines Rolex Oyster Cosmograph are both positioned higher and closer together than we see on normal Daytona dials. It is believed that Rolex produced modified dials which were sent to Asprey and, it seems, the Khanjar was applied by Asprey on these dials with modified print placement. Some even lacked the word Rolex entirely. It’s an Omani coat of arms on a Swiss watch made in a London workshop. These dials with modified spacing are not only rarer in Daytona but viewed as more significant than the standard spacing with the Khanjar in the 6 subdial because these were obviously intended to bear the Khanjar. As if the caseback engraving didn’t give that away. Interestingly, it is thought that some Khanjars were made at Rolex, but not all and not the Daytonas. So much even today is unknown about their true origin.

The last green Khanjar to appear at auction (and only other) was at Christies in 2017, where the hammer was 727k CHF. This is only the second to appear, and the only example documented with a red Daytona contrasting a green Khanjar at 12. That prior watch a direct gift from the sultan to a private BA pilot who flew him to Rome. This example’s history is either not known or not listed. The condition is obviously insane though, in just about every facet. It’s a bit of a one-off, or two-off at most; where it hammers will be anyone’s guess. These are also extremely difficult watches to buy, as you might guess. But from afar, quite a marvel to wonder at. A bit like 80s Oman itself.

The dial is great at first appearance. The pips appear quite full. The notes do mention a bit of minor wear on the red Daytona which you can see, quite minor. The caseback Khanjar is very sharp. It is a lovely thing, hopefully as original and beautifully historic as it looks.