Some watches are of such extreme rarity that the majority of collectors and enthusiasts are barely aware of their existence. To catch one of these “in the wild” is a triumph; to be able to hold and examine it, a privilege. Such is the case with the present stainless steel “Pre-Daytona”. Though the reference 6238 is often found with a stainless steel case and a silvered dial, it is almost never seen with the vivid blue pulsometer scale found in the present example. These watches were specialized for the medical field, as the pulsometer scale is meant to measure heart beats per minute and can be found on some of Rolex’s earliest chronographs. The pulsometer scale is a prestigious and uncommon calibration found on the dials of chronograph watches designed for medical professionals. A doctor would start the chronograph function, and stop it based on the number of heart beats counted as indicated on the scale, in this particular example 15. The stopped chronograph hand would indicate the exact number of heart beats per minute on the pulsometer scale.

To our knowledge, the current 6238 is only the second publicly known Pre-Daytona (the other is proudly photographed and catalogued in John Goldberger’s 100 Superlative Rolex Watches) with pulsations dial. Having appeared at auction at Phillips in 2019, this watch was purchased by the then-consignor over two decades ago from the original owner and was remained unused ever since. Thus, the present watch is a three owner since new timepiece.

Rolex was known to produce chronographs with pulsometer scales, both before and after the era of the Pre-Daytona. The most famous of the Rolex chronographs with pulsations scale are the “medical” Cosmograph Daytonas - pump-pusher Daytonas with pulsometer scales of which about ten are known to exist. Indeed, as the decades of the twentieth century passed, the scales on the dials of Rolex chronographs became more uniform, developing from the artistry of the 1920s through 1950s to the more sporty and casual tone of the 1960s and 1970s. The present watch can be seen as a bridge between these two styles.

Discerning collectors will notice the narrow -T SWISS T- at the bottom of the dial typical of this era of 6238s, as well as the ROW printed on the movement, indicating the watch was made for the American market. Fantastically preserved, exceptionally rare, and beautifully proportioned, this watch ticks all the boxes for the collector of important vintage Rolex chroographs