A white gold Daytona Rolex 6265 was the unicorn of watch collectors—an item so rare that it had been relegated to the realm of rumor and folktale. All 6265s were thought to have been made either in stainless steel or in yellow gold. There were plenty of Day-Dates made in the 1970s that were housed in white gold, but that’s not too surprising as the Day-Dates were their top line watches. A manual-winding 6265 Daytona in white gold? Impossible.
But when John Golberger picked up a 6265 that seemed a little heavy, he knew something was amiss. The 18K hallmark on the back confirmed his suspicions—here was the fabled white gold Daytona Rolex. What contributed to the idea that no such watch had ever been made was the purpose behind the Daytona design. The Daytona was meant to be a sports watch worn every day. That’s why they were mainly produced in stainless steel. Although a few yellow gold examples were made, a white gold was un-thought of.
Most likely this watch was a special order. It features a black “sigma” dial with white gold indexes. The band is white gold, and is not original, having been added by Golberger.
The watch is being sold as a part of the “Daytona Ultimatum” sale in Geneva during a benefit for Children Action. Fitting that a watch once thought a fairy tale should help support less fortunate children. It is expected that this watch will sell for over $3 million.
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