Rolex - The Hong Kong Watch Auction: EIGHT Hong Kong Monday, May 27, 2019 | Phillips
  • Manufacturer: Rolex
    Year: Circa 1968
    Reference No: 6241
    Case No: 1'757'890
    Model Name: Cosmograph Daytona "Paul Newman"
    Material: 18K yellow gold
    Calibre: Manual, cal 722, 17 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: Leather
    Clasp/Buckle: 18K gold Rolex pin buckle
    Dimensions: 37.5mm Diameter
    Signed: case, dial, movement and buckle signed

  • Catalogue Essay

    The Cosmograph Daytona being a watch eminently designed for sportsmen, gold examples are extremely scarce. The other very scarce feature world be Paul Newman dials. Thus, it is obvious that watches combining both a gold case and a Paul Newman dial are destined to be snubbed by the market.

    The present piece is a remarkable example of this category of mythical timepieces. Previously unknown to the market, the watch was purchased by its current owner in the late 1980s. Its dial can without a doubt be considered “best-in-class”: without a trace of wear - down to the very last luminous accent - it is hard to imagine a Paul Newman dial in better condition.

    Considered how the market is focusing ever more on quality, the present example represents an irresistible opportunity for the avid collector who wants to own an unsurpassable specimen.

    A final note of intrigue, the present example is only 3 numbers away from another champagne Paul Newman which was sold by Phillips in Geneva in May 2016.

  • Artist Biography

    Rolex

    Swiss • 1905

    Founded 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.

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Σ964

Ref. 6241
A very rare and extremely attractive yellow gold chronograph wristwatch with champagne "Paul Newman" dial

Circa 1968
37.5mm Diameter
case, dial, movement and buckle signed

Estimate
HK$1,650,000 - 3,200,000 
€186,000-361,000
$212,000-410,000

Sold for HK$4,350,000

Contact Specialist

Thomas Perazzi
Head of Watches, Asia
thomasperazzi@phillips.com
+852 2318 2001

The Hong Kong Watch Auction: EIGHT

Hong Kong Auction 28 May 2019