Throwback Thursday With Eric Clapton’s Rolex “The Oyster Albino” Daytona ref. 6263

If there is one thing, we can’t deny it is the fact that Eric Clapton has exquisite taste. This is, of course, most noticeable in his music, but also in his private life he seems to apply this to pretty much anything he does. He is an avid collector of cars, especially Ferrari’s and known to collect vintage watches. From the watches out of his collection that have even been sold at auction we can learn that he focusses on the rarest watches of the leading brands, such as the Rolex “The Oyster Albino” Daytona ref.6263, which was once part of the collection of the famed musician.

What makes this watch so rare it is that the subdials for the chronograph functions are not in black with white printing, but are silver colored just as the rest of the dial. This is also what earned this Daytona its nickname “Albino”. It is not completely without color though, as the blued hands for the chronograph function stand all the more out against their silver background, framed by the black tachymeter bezel.

The result is a very sober watch, yet because of that all the more impressive. What makes this Daytona so rare, apart from the fact that it was owned by Eric Clapton, is that it is only one of four “Albino” Daytona’s that are known today. Top that off with the fact that the watch is all original, from the bezel, chronograph pushers, down to the calibre 727 manual wind movement.

Rare Daytona’s, especially those with famous owners, have been selling at rapidly increasing prices. This watch sold in 2015 for CHF.1.325.000,- netting its owner a handsome profit, as he bought it only a few years earlier for a, then, record-breaking US$ 505.000,- This also strengthen our very high expectations of the sale of the Daytona of all Daytona’s: the one of Paul Newman himself.