When I discuss the vintage watch market with non-watch wearing friends, I usually use fake Rolex to explain the concept of how subtle changes can create vastly different price points. You can probably imagine the look on people’s faces when you tell them how much a line of red text costs, which is why the conversation usually ends there. If you were to continue, it would likely end with a reference to the famous “RCO” Paul Newman Daytona, which can be seen as a case study in the perceived value of inconsistency. It’s not every day that an RCO comes along, which is why this next piece deserves its place in the roundup.
The piece gets its name because the print on the dial reads “ROLEX COSMOGRAPH OYSTER” instead of “ROLEX OYSTER COSMOGRAPH”. Originally intended for pump push cases, the Rolex replica would later add the “OYSTER” text when deciding to fit these exotic dials into an early example of Reference 6263. Naturally, this variant is extremely rare. How rare, you ask? It is estimated that fewer than 20 of these fake watches exist from replicaimitation, so it’s safe to use that term to describe this one, and you’d better believe that its rarity means desirability, given its top status in the antique Daytona collection.
When you’re chasing a watch like this, you should be very concerned about its condition, but fortunately, you don’t have to worry, because this one is in almost perfect condition. Still equipped with the original Mark 1 bezel and trunk-like Mark 0 pushers, every detail of this watch is in keeping with the collection and is known to be associated with it based on previous public offerings. As for the dial, which is, of course, the main event here, it’s also in excellent condition, far superior to other examples that have surfaced, making it a true Holy Grail of a watch. If you’re after the last word in the Daytona collection, I think this is it.