Rolex - The Geneva Watch Auction: SEVEN Geneva Saturday, May 12, 2018 | Phillips

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  • Manufacturer: Rolex
    Year: Circa 1968
    Reference No: 6239, case back furthermore stamped C.R.S. 6239
    Case No: 1'782'150
    Model Name: Cosmograph Daytona "Paul Newman"
    Material: Stainless steel
    Calibre: Manual, cal. 722-1, 17 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Rolex Jubilee bracelet, max length 180mm
    Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Rolex USA deployant clasp
    Dimensions: 36.5mm Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed
    Accessories: Accompanied by stainless steel pin buckle signed Rolex and additional instruction leaflet

  • Catalogue Essay

    While the international attention watch collecting in general - and Daytona collecting specifically - are receiving nowadays is a joy for the community, which in the past few years has thrived and grown as never before, it comes also with a downside. Namely, there being more collectors, collectible timepieces are more and more difficult to acquire. That is especially true for never before seen timepieces, especially if offered by the original owners: such gems are actively hunted down by both dealers and private collectors with such a passion that their number is growing thinner by the month.

    Luckily, while more and more scarce, such pieces do still happen to appear on the auction market, offering unmissable opportunities to the collectors who want to enjoy the ineffable thrill of being in possession of an “original owner” timepiece, whose history can be traced back to the moment of sale in the boutique and which has been a treasured possession for one or at times even more generations of the same family.

    The present watch not only is indeed offered by the original owner himself, but it furthermore is no simple chronograph, but rather a representative of what can be considered at the moment one of the most collectible models ever made: the Daytona "Paul Newman".

    Purchased in 1969, the history of this specimen fully embodies the core values that made the Daytona the icon it is today. In 1967, the future owner of the piece acquired his first high performance car. It was a small step getting from that to the world of car racing, of which he soon became an avid fan. Over the next two years he attended more and more racing events and then he decided he needed a watch suitable for the race track. Needless to say, the choice was indeed the present Cosmograph Daytona with exotic dial. True to his intention, the owner used it as a racing tool, sporadically wearing it on the racing track Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. For the rest of the time, the piece was stored at home, unused. It was only recently that the owner was made aware of its appeal and collectability, and decided to allow it to make its way to a new home.

    Its provenance and collectability are fully matched by the condition of its dial: it is virtually flawless, without any mark or scratch; all the luminous accents - a very delicate detail which is gathering more and more attention by purists of the brand - are all present and original, perfectly preserved without any sort of loss or flaking.

  • 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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Ref. 6239, case back furthermore stamped C.R.S. 6239
A fine, rare and extremely attractive stainless steel chronograph wristwatch with "Paul Newman" dial and bracelet

Circa 1968
36.5mm Diameter
Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed

Estimate
CHF120,000 - 180,000 
€103,000-154,000
$127,000-191,000

Sold for CHF312,500

Contact Specialist
Alexandre Ghotbi
Head of Sale
+41 22 317 81 81
aghotbi@phillips.com

The Geneva Watch Auction: SEVEN

Geneva Auction 12-13 May 2018