Rolex

Only in production from 1965 to 1969, the Rolex Reference 6241 is one of the rarest and most desirable variants of the Daytona series, having been made in very limited quantities of approximately 2,700 to 3,000 examples.

The present lot is personally inscribed for a participant of the famed Rally La Lechuza: ‘ IER. PRENIO RALLY DE LA LECHUZA OSCAR IMBERT. COMPILOTO NOVIEMBRE 1969 TIPO DE SANGRE AI NEGATIVO’. Rally de la Lechuza is an automobile competition that takes place on open roads around the country overnight. From the inscription, Oscar Imbert was a competitor in the November 1969 rally, and the watch may have served a kind of dog tag, noting the gentleman’s personal information, in this case, his blood type.

In addition to this storied provenance, the lot is presented in good overall condition. The dial shows signs of aging, and the slanted “T Swiss T” designation at 6 o’clock is clear and visible (particular to references 6239 and 6241). The case retains its proportions and classical presentation with pump pushers and a distinctive black acrylic bezel. The numbers between the lugs remain very crisp and easy to read. The overall condition makes this Paul Newman reference 6241 a very appealing and original example.

Like its sister model, the Reference 6239, the 6241 is constructed with an early non-Oyster case with pump-style pushers and a Valjoux 722 caliber movement. Unlike the 6239 however, the 6241 is fitted with a black acrylic bezel insert, giving the reference a slightly larger and more contemporary appearance.

Of all the 6241s made, only a very limited number were fitted with an exotic dial, later becoming known as the 'Paul Newman', named for the American actor, director, and race car driver who so famously sported a 6239 example throughout his life. Though the differences between standard and exotic dials can be reduced to mere typefaces and subtle applications of color, the result of these traits is pivotal in practice. These highly prized ‘exotic dials’ were available in black with white sub-dials and white with black sub-dials. These stylized dials featured a stepped outer track and sunken subsidiary dials accented by art-deco inspired square indexes. When preserved faithfully like the example in question, the result is nothing short of extraordinary and indicative of why Rolex now enjoys the reputation it does.