Short answer
The Blancpain reference 6263 is a vintage Fifty Fathoms dive watch from the 1950s. Replicas sold today are new watches built to look like that case and dial. They are not made by Blancpain. Prices in the replica market sit between $180 and $600, set by movement, case finish, and dial printing.
What reference 6263 is
Blancpain launched the Fifty Fathoms in 1953 for French combat divers. Reference 6263 is one of the vintage case numbers tied to that line. Auction records for it are thin. Blancpain does not publish production counts for 1950s references, so dates and case numbers rest on auction catalog notes and collector records.
Traits of the period: a steel case near 41 mm, a rotating bezel with a luminous marker, a black dial, and a plexiglass crystal. Some period Fifty Fathoms dials carry a moisture indicator at 6 o'clock. Note that 6263 is a case reference, not a model name.
What replica listings copy
- Case: 41 mm to 42 mm steel, polished flanks, drilled or solid lugs.
- Bezel: coin edge or scalloped, with a luminous pip at 12.
- Crystal: many replicas list sapphire. The original used plexiglass.
- Movement: Miyota 9015, Seiko NH35, or a Chinese copy of an ETA 2824.
- Strap: rubber tropic style or a two-piece leather.
- Water resistance: listed at 50 m or 100 m. Treat those numbers as unverified.
Price tiers
Budget tier: $180 to $250. Mineral glass, stamped caseback, NH35 movement, printed dial.
Mid tier: $280 to $400. Sapphire crystal, better bezel action, 9015 or 2824 clone.
Top tier: $450 to $600. Closer case profile, applied markers, regulated movement.
These ranges come from seller listings. They shift with currency and shipping cost.
Checks before buying
- Ask for the movement name and a photo of the caseback.
- Ask for a timing reading in seconds per day.
- Ask about the crystal material.
- Ask if the bezel insert is ceramic, aluminum, or coated.
- Ask for the return window in writing.
Legal note for US buyers
Counterfeit watches are illegal to import into the United States. US Customs and Border Protection can seize and destroy a shipment. There is no personal-use exemption for counterfeit goods. Under 18 U.S.C. 2320, trafficking in counterfeits carries criminal penalties. Reselling a replica as a genuine Blancpain is fraud.
Blancpain has not made reference 6263 since the 1950s. Any new watch sold under that number comes from a replica factory.