Tri-Color Paul Newman 6262 Rolex Daytona

Not all Daytona are created equal. Not even all 6262 Daytona are close to equal. Daytona is highly stratified based on how obsessed you’re willing to get with the dial. This 6262 comes from early in the production of the reference and features the tri-color dial often seen on 6239 or 6241. Later 6262 and 6264 had moved along to the bi-color where the only red is the Daytona text. Here, we see the Daytona and outer track in vibrant red, a hallmark of peak PN. The 6262 was only produced for about a year in total.  

While this 6262 looks almost identical to the 6239, the inaugural Daytona, it bears a more highly-strung 21600 vph calibre 727. In total, most estimates place total 6262 production around 9000 examples, which is less than half the estimated production 6239 which came before or 6265 which came after. The 6262 was made in a silver panda dial, reverse panda, and Paul Newman variants of which there are multiple. As an example, look at the subdials here. The radial concentric circles extend to the very edge of the dial. There is a separate Tri-Color PN dial, which this is not, where the circles stop two-thirds of the way to the edge known as the Musketeer. PN dials are a study unto themselves.

Even at the moment when vintage Rolex is not necessarily the in-fashion thing in watch collecting, vintage Rolex remains quite constant. The 6262 is an important bridge. It represents the final chapter in all of Pre-Daytona and early Rolex chronograph evolution, handing off the baton from low-beat, pump pusher Daytona to high-beat, Oyster-only Daytona. It’s not that much of a surprise that they are all quite collected. They should be. PN 6262 is fantastic, but not the rarest, most desirable Daytona ever. That really requires Oyster pushers. But it’s a really, really great configuration. Like a great NY Strip grilled at home. There are more expensive A5 Wagyu steaks, but sometimes the steak you really want is from the butcher down the road on your own grill. It’s only relatively more approachable, which isn’t necessarily worse. This pump pusher 6262 Tri-Color PN is that kind of thing: approachable relative to some others, comfortable, known, still utterly delicious.

This example has a great dial, with tritium pips all intact, though I can't UV them from afar. I don't see signs of tampering. The handset tritium matches well. All fonts are as they should be. Often times the outer chronograph track can discolor, but this example has a quite even parchment tone against the red divisions that is very attractive. The case here is not unpolished, but not abused. Honest is the word I'd use. It comes on a 7835 and the end links are right, from a well regarded Dutch retailer.