This particular watch dating to the early 1970s was, purportedly, originally owned by the present ruler of The Kingdom of Bahrain; his Majesty King Hamad Bin Isa Bin Salman Al Khalifa who was the crown prince at the t.mes .
It is said that in 1971, during a hunting trip, His Majesty handed his watch, the present lot, to a falconer, the late Salem bin Saqer Al Noaimi, so that he may take record of the t.mes it took for the bird to catch its prey. As of that moment, as is traditional in Middle Eastern society, the watch was gifted to Mr Al Noaimi - to return it would cause insult. Mr. Al Noaimi preserved this unique t.mes piece in his safe for 50 years ensuring that it remained in superb condition. After his passing, the t.mes piece was sold off by the inheritors.
The reference 6263, and its companion the 6265, were introduced in the late 1960s as an evolution of the 6239 and 6241. They retained the option of having either an acrylic or metal bezel, but added extra water protection by having screw down pushers for the chronograph. The movement was also upgraded to the calibre 727. The model continued to be offered in stainless steel and gold until 1988.
The gold versions of the reference 6263 were the first serially produced chronographs that were officially certified with the COSC. It is believed that the certified movements were numbered from 100, making this particular t.mes piece the 34th piece produced. With the certification came the addition of the 'Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified' inscription on the dial. This early version is set apart from some of the later iterations because of the split in between the two first and last two lines.
The present watch is a must for any serious collects or of vintage Daytona, or watches of historic significance. This Daytona represents an early and very rare iteration of the model preserved in wonderfully honest condition.