Rolex

Launched in the early 60s, the Rolex Cosmograph, later named Daytona, was meant to compete with the chronographs from other brands such as Omega and Heuer who were gaining in popularity. Omega was the space watch, Heuer was the Formula 1 watch, but Rolex lacked a precise public. It then turned to Nascar and named its chronograph after the famous Daytona race track. The rest, of course, is history.

As the first Daytona reference, the 6239 is one of, if not, the most iconic chronograph made by Rolex. It is powered by the caliber 722-1, the second Valjoux 72 modified by Rolex.

Most models of the 6239 were made in steel with 'non-exotic' dials. There was only a small number of these pieces that were equipped with a Paul Newman dial. At the time, the Paul Newman Daytona did not sell well, despite their retail price of 210 USD (1600 USD today). Nowadays, these are among the most sought-after pieces by collectors.

It is not uncommon to see steel 6239's offered to the market, but to see yellow gold examples presents the serious collector a rare opportunity. This is especially so when the watch bears a champagne Paul Newman dial and, as with this lot, in such a beautiful state of preservation.