289
Rolex
Ref. 6239, stamped 6242 inside the case back
Cosmograph Daytona "Paul Newman"
A very fine and rare stainless steel chronograph wristwatch with bracelet, box and service guarantee
Full-Cataloguing
The watch has a stunning white dial, adding fantastic contrast with the black outer rim, balanced beautifully with red outer minute track. All of the luminous is intact, and aged to a wonderful shade of military green, with the luminous on the hands matching perfectly. Fitted with what collectors refer to as a "Paul Newman" dial, this exotic dial is recognizable by the art-deco style squared markers found in the subsidiary dials.
Starting around 1965, Rolex created its first prototypes of the Yachtmaster Daytona, reference 6242, which interestingly was never introduced to the market. It would appear that the present reference 6239 was fitted with this utterly uncommon and rarely seen caseback, with reference 6242, adding to the exclusivity and collectability of this piece.
Few vintage wristwatches combine such looks, rarity, condition, and wearability as this 6239 “Paul Newman” Cosmograph Daytona. Additionally, the present example comes complete with its box and Rolex service guarantee, a highly desirable add-on to this already rare and popular piece.
Rolex
Swiss | 1905Founded in 1905 England by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis as Wilsdorf & Davis, it soon became known as the Rolex Watch Company in 1915, moving its headquarters to Geneva in 1919. Like no other company, the success of the wristwatch can be attributed to many of Rolex's innovations that made them one of the most respected and well-known of all luxury brands. These innovations include their famous "Oyster" case — the world's first water resistant and dustproof watch case, invented in 1926 — and their "Perpetual" — the first reliable self-winding movement for wristwatches launched in 1933. They would form the foundation for Rolex's Datejust and Day-Date, respectively introduced in 1945 and 1956, but also importantly for their sports watches, such as the Explorer, Submariner and GMT-Master launched in the mid-1950s.
One of its most famous models is the Cosmograph Daytona. Launched in 1963, these chronographs are without any doubt amongst the most iconic and coveted of all collectible wristwatches. Other key collectible models include their most complicated vintage watches, including references 8171 and 6062 with triple calendar and moon phase, "Jean Claude Killy" triple date chronograph models and the Submariner, including early "big-crown" models and military-issued variants.