Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces

Geneva, May 14, 2017

LOT 145

ROLEX, REF. 6240 "PAUL NEWMAN" COSMOGRAPH DAYTONA STEEL Rolex, "Cosmograph, Daytona," case No. 1658192, Ref. 6240. Made circa 1967. Very fine and extremely rare, water-resistant, stainless steel wristwatch with round button chronograph, registers, tachometer, anti-reflective black bezel graduated to 200 units per hour and a stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet (Ref, 7835) with deployant clasp. Accompanied by a Rolex warranty and fitted box.

CHF 100,000 - 150,000

HKD 800,000 - 1,200,000 / USD 100,000 - 150,000

Sold: CHF 185,000

Three-body, polished and brushed, screwed-down case back, buttons (damaged) and crown, tachometer graduation on the bezel to 200 units per hour. Three color black, white and red with applied black steel indexes and luminous dots, subsidiary dials for the seconds, the 12-hour and 30-minute registers, outer minute/ seconds division. Luminous steel baton hands. Cal. 722, rhodium-plated, 17 jewels, straight-line lever escapement, monometallic balance, adjusted to three positions, shock absorber, self-compensating free-sprung flat balance spring, Microstella regulating screws.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3-8

Good

Slightly scratched
Movement: 2*

Very good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 2-10-01

Very good

Patinated

HANDS Original

Notes

Dial, case and movement signed. DIAM. 37 mm. THICKNESS 14 mm. The ROLEX DAYTONA REF 6240, released in the mid 1960's, was the first version of Rolex chronograph to feature screw-down chronograph buttons and therefore the first to be adverstised as waterproof. With production of the 6240 from approximate serial number range from 1.2 until 1.7, it is generally accepted by connoisseurs, only examples with serial numbers in the 1.65 million region were fitted by Rolex with PAUL NEWMAN dials. The accepted version of Paul Newman dial found on the 6240 within the serial range is the three-colour examples with pyramidal SWISS signature. Considered one of the rarest versions of Rolex Daytona available to the collector the 6240 with Paul Newman dial can be considered a 'grail' watch in any collection. Interestingly the warranty was stamped at the wrong place on the second page rather than at the end and was purchased at the Orolegeria Dobner in Trieste on July 26th, 1969, only 6 days after the Apollo XI landing.