Oman Khanjar Dial 6265 Rolex Cosmograph Daytona

Oman-Khanjar-Rolex-Cosmograph-Daytona-6265

Speaking plainly, this is the only ‘John Mayer’ Daytona I really care about. Okay, his is a Desert Eagle but go with me here. This Oman 6265 and the Desert Eagle 6263 (& 6265) are the only two recent sport Rolexes to share a very distinct privilege. Unlike nearly all other Middle Eastern dials, on…

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‘FIFA World Cup Netherlands’ 116519 Rolex Daytona

Netherlands-116519-Rolex-Daytona

Yes, Rolex made an orange racing dial, white gold Daytona. Rolex almost never create limited editions or collaborations. But the operative word there is almost. If you’re 22 SAS, a winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, or Dutch Football Team competing for the World Cup, you just might get your own take on…

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6238 Rolex Pre-Daytona Chronograph in 14k Yellow Gold

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If everything Cosmograph is what gets you turned on, and you happen to be an American, I’m sorry for what I’m about to do. Nothing else come close to this 6238. With dial marked simply as ‘Rolex Chronograph’, as opposed to a movie credit scroll of modernity, a smooth, scale-less bezel, and in 14k yellow…

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Tropical 6262 Rolex Daytona

If there is a god, I like to imagine that tropical dials are his way of saying, ‘wear your damn watches’. The sun is a ball of nuclear chaos 8.3 light minutes away from Earth. But its effects are not always this attractive. Consider for example the female residents of Florida between the ages of…

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116520 ‘Panna Dial’ Rolex Daytona

This is the next Patrizzi. It’s not often I get to say that, so let me elaborate. Osvaldo Patrizzi was first to clock a change in some 16520 Zenith Daytona dials, where subdial rings would turn a taupe golden tan with sun exposure. Watch collectors adore a good defect. We also adore a cream or…

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Tropical 6262 Rolex Daytona

Tropical-6262-Rolex-Daytona

Tropical dials have a tendency to polarize watch collectors like few other topics. Godiva 1665 DRSDs, caramel 321 Speedmasters, and latte Cosmographs all have one thing in common: encompassing adoration or outright hatred. Think Patek’s green 5711 caused division? Bring a hazel-tan 3700 to your nearest watch group. I’ll warn you now, I tend to…

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‘Desert Eagle’ 6263 Rolex Daytona

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Imagine being invited into Jean-Frederic Dufour’s palatial office, sitting in some absurdly sumptuous modern leather chair, and asking him if he might be able to remove the name ‘Rolex’ from his dial for you. Just a few pieces, of course. You think asking an AD for ceramic Daytona is implausible? I suspect Mr. Dufour would…

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Porcelain ‘Floating Cosmograph’ 16528 Rolex Daytona

Porcelain-Rolex-Daytona-16528-Floating-Cosmograph

It is difficult to overstate the importance of the 16520 (or 16528 here in yellow gold). The Cosmograph had become undesirable and a stagnant seller by the year 1988. For context, there are stories from that era of customers asking to buy special production Day-Dates, but having to purchase Daytonas to sweeten the AD’s books.…

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6240 Rolex ‘Large-Daytona’

6240-Rolex-Cosmograph-Daytona-Large-Dial

We’re back in the realm of Wilsdorf details again, but for good reason. I’ve covered a majority of the Cosmograph and Daytona’s evolution through the market’s flux. The 6240 is a rare bird I have never had the pleasure to cover. I would venture to suppose it is, arguably, the most important Cosmograph reference no…

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16520 ‘Patrizzi’ Rolex Daytona

Rolex-Daytona-16520-Patrizzi

If you are beyond sick of the modern collecting Daytona hype (right there with you), don’t be so fast to turn away. In fact, I’m about to offer a viable, collectible, possibly even better-valued alternative. The now so-called neo-vintage range of 16520 and 116520 Daytonas are, to some extent, the last iterations with significant variations…

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