Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6263 “Paul Newman”

While the Rolex Daytona received a whopping 21 votes overall, the so-called “Paul Newman" Daytona was specifically mentioned 10 times in those nominations. And while separating those two categories—one broad, one specific—might slide the Daytona down the list, the incredibly influential reference 6263 certainly deserves its own spot.

Back in the day, a reliable way to determine a product’s popularity was by counting the number of column inches of coverage it inspired in newspapers. In today’s digital age, it’s next to impossible to measure the precise extent to which a product has been covered. Still, it’s safe to say that the Rolex Daytona Ref. 6263, an iteration of the original 1963 Cosmograph Daytona produced from 1971 to the late 1980s, has received more than its fair share of praise, both in print and online.

The vintage hand-wound model is a classic of watchmaking. Its most distinct feature is a fixed black acrylic, as opposed to steel, bezel with a tachymeter scale. There are numerous versions of Ref. 6263 in various metal and dial configurations, and collectors often disagree on which is best. Three of the most popular and coveted versions include the “Big Red," so-called for its red Daytona logo; the Paul Newman, fitted with an exotic dial; and models featuring a “sigma" dial, which lacks the Daytona moniker entirely (the nickname alludes to the small sigma symbols located on either side of the “Swiss" signature). Almost every Rolex fan, however, can agree on this: The 6263 is as pure an example of a “true" Daytona as you can get.