132
Rolex
Ref. 6238
"Pre-Daytona"
A fine and rare stainless steel chronograph wristwatch with silvered dial and bracelet
- Estimate
- CHF15,000 - 25,000€12,900 - 21,600$15,500 - 25,800
CHF50,000
Lot Details
- Manufacturer
- Rolex
- Year
- Circa 1963
- Reference No
- 6238
- Case No
- 1’000’233
- Model Name
- "Pre-Daytona"
- Material
- Stainless steel
- Calibre
- Manual, cal. 72B, 17 jewels
- Bracelet/Strap
- Stainless steel Rolex Jubilee bracelet, endlinks stamped 55, max length 210 mm
- Clasp/Buckle
- Stainless steel Rolex folding deployant clasp stamped Rolex 6251H
- Dimensions
- 36mm. Diameter
- Signed
- Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed
Specialist
Full-Cataloguing
Catalogue Essay
The Rolex reference 6238 is a turning point and a landmark in the Rolex Chronograph history. It can either be considered the brand’s last classic chronograph or its first modern one.
Produced for a short period from the beginning of the 1960s to 1967, it was the last Rolex chronograph to feature a smooth bezel with a graduated tachymeter scale on the dial but also a model that paved the way to the reference 6239. The latter was the first Cosmograph Daytona ever released by Rolex, with which it shares certain design elements such as the crown, the pushers, case and indexes.
Collectors often refer to reference 6238 as the “Pre-Daytona”, as it is the immediate predecessor of reference 6239, the first Cosmograph Daytona ever released by Rolex.
The present reference 6238 is a very pleasing watch in overall excellent condition with a sharp bezel, strong definition to the lugs, crisp numbers in between the lugs and an unrestored sunburst silvered dial, which gives the watch a vivid modern appearance. The hands and luminous plots have turned a striking dark cream adding a touch of color to the monochrome dial. In addition, this watch is further accompanied by a beautiful Jubilee bracelet. Rarely seen on this reference, the Jubilee bracelet enhances the sporty chic aesthetic the “Pre Daytona” is famous for.
Produced for a short period from the beginning of the 1960s to 1967, it was the last Rolex chronograph to feature a smooth bezel with a graduated tachymeter scale on the dial but also a model that paved the way to the reference 6239. The latter was the first Cosmograph Daytona ever released by Rolex, with which it shares certain design elements such as the crown, the pushers, case and indexes.
Collectors often refer to reference 6238 as the “Pre-Daytona”, as it is the immediate predecessor of reference 6239, the first Cosmograph Daytona ever released by Rolex.
The present reference 6238 is a very pleasing watch in overall excellent condition with a sharp bezel, strong definition to the lugs, crisp numbers in between the lugs and an unrestored sunburst silvered dial, which gives the watch a vivid modern appearance. The hands and luminous plots have turned a striking dark cream adding a touch of color to the monochrome dial. In addition, this watch is further accompanied by a beautiful Jubilee bracelet. Rarely seen on this reference, the Jubilee bracelet enhances the sporty chic aesthetic the “Pre Daytona” is famous for.
Literature
Rolex
Swiss | 1905Founded 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.
Browse Maker