Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Paul Newman Reference 6263 Oyster Sotto (photo: Phillips)

The Phillip's Rolex Milestones auction in Hong Kong is less than a few days away and it will be interesting to see how much the "Paul Newman Oyster Sotto" Cosmograph Daytona Reference 6263 will fetch. It is estimated to be worth anywhere between $600,000 to $1,200,000 US, more than the "Panda" that I wrote about in a previous post. This is due to the rarity of the "Oyster Sotto" configuration that was introduced circa 1970.

One of the interesting aspects of this early 6263 reference is the addition of the word "Oyster" under the words "Rolex Cosmograph" on the Mk2 dial under the crown logo at 12 o'clock. According to John Goldberger in the Rolex Milestones catalog, the word "Oyster" was added in different lettering to reflect the fact that it features new waterproof pushers that weren't on the previous references that used this dial. The word 'sotto' means beneath in Italian, hence the name for this Paul Newman configuration.

This legendary Rolex features its original dial with a stainless steel bracelet from the period. For more information on this magnificent chronograph and all of the other Rolex models that will be up for grabs in a few days, visit phillips.com.

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