Jonathan Darracott
Global Head
Lot 98
Rolex. An extremely rare stainless steel manual wind chronograph bracelet watch with 'Khanjar' dial Cosmograph Daytona, Ref: 6265/6263, Circa 1980
11 December 2019, 14:00 GMT
London, New Bond StreetSold for £375,062.50 inc. premium
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Penelope Andrews
Head of Department
Rolex. An extremely rare stainless steel manual wind chronograph bracelet watch with 'Khanjar' dial
Model: Cosmograph Daytona
Reference: 6265/6263
Date: Circa 1980
Movement: 17-jewel Valjoux Cal.727 manual wind, column wheel chronograph
Dial: Silvered, black printed Khanjar emblem below 12, applied polished baton hour markers, black outer 1/5th second divisions with luminous dot five minute markers, sunken engine turned black subsidiary dials at 3, 6 and 9 for constant seconds, 30 minute and 12 hour recording, polished baton hands with luminous inserts, white arrow tipped chronograph hand
Case: Brushed and polished tonneau form, screw down back stamped C.R.S. and 6263 inside, screw down Oyster crown flanked by twin screw down chronograph pushers, fixed calibrated bezel, No.639****
Strap/Bracelet: Fitted steel 78350 Oyster link
Buckle/Clasp: Signed folding clasp date coded VE
Signed: Case, dial & movement
Size: 37mm
Accompaniments: Rolex box with Khanjar emblem, brochures, photos of original owner
Reference: 6265/6263
Date: Circa 1980
Movement: 17-jewel Valjoux Cal.727 manual wind, column wheel chronograph
Dial: Silvered, black printed Khanjar emblem below 12, applied polished baton hour markers, black outer 1/5th second divisions with luminous dot five minute markers, sunken engine turned black subsidiary dials at 3, 6 and 9 for constant seconds, 30 minute and 12 hour recording, polished baton hands with luminous inserts, white arrow tipped chronograph hand
Case: Brushed and polished tonneau form, screw down back stamped C.R.S. and 6263 inside, screw down Oyster crown flanked by twin screw down chronograph pushers, fixed calibrated bezel, No.639****
Strap/Bracelet: Fitted steel 78350 Oyster link
Buckle/Clasp: Signed folding clasp date coded VE
Signed: Case, dial & movement
Size: 37mm
Accompaniments: Rolex box with Khanjar emblem, brochures, photos of original owner
Footnotes
In today's world of vintage Rolex watches, discovering a previously unknown dial or exceptional provenance has become an absolute pinnacle for collectors and scholars alike.
The present Rolex Daytona is only the second example of this Omani Khanjar dial configuration to be known and represents an exceptional piece of family, military and watchmaking history as it was given to the original owner, David Wood, by the Sultan of Oman.
David Wood joined the RAF in 1943, marking the start of a 40 year flying career that would include experience in 40 different types of aircrafts and a career that could hardly be repeated today.
His early flying included Beaufighter operations against insurgents in Malaya and being invited to join the Central Flying School as an Instructor on the Meteor, the RAF's first operational jet.
A highlight was a three year posting to the Queen's Flight where he flew on nine overseas tours. This was followed by two years in Aden during the unrest whilst simultaneously being Air Attaché in Addis Ababa.
Having risen to Group Captain, David decided to move to the Sultan of Oman's Air Force where he then learnt to fly helicopters and eventually headed SOAF's operations in the north of Oman for 10 years. He came to be the most senior SOAF officer, a rank known as Aqeed Tayyar. He was gifted the watch by the Sultan of Oman during this time in the early 1980s.
David retired from his extraordinary and unique career in 1985. He went on to write an unpublished autobiography in which he documents his time in Oman under the title 'A Dream Comes True'.
The Order of the Special Emblem medal was awarded to Aqeed Tayyar Woods during his service and can be seem as the 4th from the right in the image. It is regarded as an honor of the highest order.
The watch is sold by the son of the original owner.
