Important Watches

Important Watches

View full screen - View 1 of Lot 51. REFERENCE 6239 ‘PAUL NEWMAN’ DAYTONA A STAINLESS STEEL CHRONOGRAPH WRISTWATCH WITH REGISTERS AND BRACELET, CIRCA 1968.

Property of an important Private Collection

Rolex

REFERENCE 6239 ‘PAUL NEWMAN’ DAYTONA A STAINLESS STEEL CHRONOGRAPH WRISTWATCH WITH REGISTERS AND BRACELET, CIRCA 1968

Auction Closed

December 15, 07:07 PM GMT

Estimate

100,000 - 150,000 USD

Lot Details

Description

Property of an important Private Collection

Rolex


REFERENCE 6239 ‘PAUL NEWMAN’ DAYTONA

A STAINLESS STEEL CHRONOGRAPH WRISTWATCH WITH REGISTERS AND BRACELET, CIRCA 1968


Dial: black 

Caliber: cal. 722 mechanical, 17 jewels

Case: stainless steel, screw-back case down 

Case number: 1'875'549

Closure: stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet with folding clasp

Size: 36 mm diameter, bracelet circumference approximately 170 mm

Signed: case, dial and movement

Accessories: Rolex presentation box, Guarantee dated February 2, 1969, polishing cloth, and an additional steel Rolex buckle

The iconic reference 6239 ‘Daytona’ was introduced in the United States in 1963 to supersede the reference 6238, and available until 1969. The reference was the first to have the ‘Cosmograph’ dial designation and was produced with several dial configurations. The Tachymeter scale (used for measuring distance over time, aka, speed) which was previously printed on the dial of the 6238 was moved to an enlarged bezel, increasing the watches diameter my 1mm and providing an increased dial plate for more varied and intricate dial design, such as the ‘exotic’ dials, manufactured and supplied by Singer and with either a 2-colored dial in white or black or a 3-colored dial in white or black with red accents as seen on the current example.


These exotic dials were later to became known as 'Paul Newman' dial, after the actor. It is characterized by its square markers in the chronograph scale and subsidiary dials, as well as the alternating patterning of the coloration. At the time, these exotic dialed variants proved less popular, and so were sold in significantly fewer numbers than those with standard dials.


The reference 6239 with Paul Newman dial is an icon and an essential for any complete watch collection.