Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces
Monaco, Jan 18, 2022
LOT 165
Rolex.
Ref. 6240, Rolex, Cosmograph Daytona, So Called “Paul Newman”, Stainless-steel
EUR 200,000 - 400,000
USD 226,000 - 452,000 / HKD 1,770,000 - 3,530,000 / CHF 208,000 - 416,000
Sold: EUR 260,000
Very nice and rare stainless-steel wristwatch, manual winding, center seconds, with three guilloche subsidiary dials, circa 1965.
Screwed case back, large oyster-shaped winding crown and two round screw chronograph pushers. Fixed bezel, black acrylic tachymeter scale at 200 hours per unit, Plexiglas glass. Two-tone tropical and silver dial with luminescent on the outer minute/second track in red edging. The silvered sub-dials feature a black art deco style font for the numerals and indexes with a small square at the end. In the center of each dial, markers meet in the middle. The seconds sub-dial is placed at 9 o'clock and displays 15, 30, 45 and 60. Luminous baton hands.
Screwed case back, large oyster-shaped winding crown and two round screw chronograph pushers. Fixed bezel, black acrylic tachymeter scale at 200 hours per unit, Plexiglas glass. Two-tone tropical and silver dial with luminescent on the outer minute/second track in red edging. The silvered sub-dials feature a black art deco style font for the numerals and indexes with a small square at the end. In the center of each dial, markers meet in the middle. The seconds sub-dial is placed at 9 o'clock and displays 15, 30, 45 and 60. Luminous baton hands.
| Grading System | |
|---|---|
Grade: |
|
Case: 2 |
Very good |
Movement: 2* |
Very good Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense |
Dial: 3-01 |
Good HANDS Original |
Brand Rolex, Geneva
Model Cosmograph Daytona
Reference 6240
Year Circa 1965
Case No. 1659471
Diameter 37 mm.
Caliber 722-1
Weight 62.8 gr. (approx.)
Signature Case, dial and movement
Notes
When Malcolm Campbell broke the speed record of 445 km/h on the Daytona Beach circuit in 1935, it was with a Rolex on his wrist. In 1959, the Daytona International Speedway was born, a 4 km long circuit that hosts the most famous car races such as the Daytona 500 or the Rolex 24 At Daytona, the American equivalent of the 24 hours of Le Mans, of which the Daytona is also the official watch. The eponymous chronograph of the Rolex manufacture was thus consecrated as THE watch of the car racers.
It is the reason why Rolex developed an “exotic dial” for racing drivers offering a better visibility. First, because of the two-colour dial, or like here the three-colour dial, in black and white with a red tachymeter scale ; second with the indexes in the registers which are boldly square and Arabic numerals. According to the specialists, although it has never been confirmed, for every one exotic dial, roughly twenty-four Daytona dials were produced, and many of those exotic dials are no longer still in existence today. They are named “Paul Newman” after the famous eponymous Hollywood actor who use to wear a Rolex Daytona ref. 6239 with an exotic dial.
Produced between 1965 and 1969, the reference 6240 was considered as an experimental watch. Indeed it was the first water resistant Cosmograph “Daytona” having screw-down chronograph pushers. With approximately 1.700 pieces made, it is, by far, the rarest screw pushers, meaning “Oyster”, manual winding Daytona. To come across a reference 6240 is rare, but this example with its dial is even rarer. Here, the dial matches with the references 6262, 6264 and 6240. Only few example of 6240 appeared with an exotic dial and, at today, very few pieces exhibit a white 3 colour “Paul Newman” dial.
It is the reason why Rolex developed an “exotic dial” for racing drivers offering a better visibility. First, because of the two-colour dial, or like here the three-colour dial, in black and white with a red tachymeter scale ; second with the indexes in the registers which are boldly square and Arabic numerals. According to the specialists, although it has never been confirmed, for every one exotic dial, roughly twenty-four Daytona dials were produced, and many of those exotic dials are no longer still in existence today. They are named “Paul Newman” after the famous eponymous Hollywood actor who use to wear a Rolex Daytona ref. 6239 with an exotic dial.
Produced between 1965 and 1969, the reference 6240 was considered as an experimental watch. Indeed it was the first water resistant Cosmograph “Daytona” having screw-down chronograph pushers. With approximately 1.700 pieces made, it is, by far, the rarest screw pushers, meaning “Oyster”, manual winding Daytona. To come across a reference 6240 is rare, but this example with its dial is even rarer. Here, the dial matches with the references 6262, 6264 and 6240. Only few example of 6240 appeared with an exotic dial and, at today, very few pieces exhibit a white 3 colour “Paul Newman” dial.