161
Rolex
Ref. 6239 inside caseback stamped 6238
Cosmograph "Double Swiss Underline"
An early, highly rare and very well-preserved chronograph wristwatch with "Double Swiss Underline" black dial and bracelet
Full-Cataloguing
- The first variation of the reference 6239 ever produced, made for the American market
- All correct attributes such as early hash bezel, double Swiss designation, underline dial, 6238 caseback and "ROW" stamped movement
- Overall extremely impressive condition with round "pumpkin" luminous dots and hands
Reference 6239 was introduced in 1963, a breakthrough year for Rolex. Named the "Cosmograph," the model featured, for the very first time, a tachymeter scale on the bezel. While originally announced as the "Le Mans," it was eventually called "Daytona."
This watch is among the earliest reference 6239s ever produced and displays all the correct attributes of the popular "Double Swiss Underline." The Mk 1 bezel is calibrated to 300 units per hour and features small hash marks. It is also recognizable by the 275 intermediary unit, which cannot be found on later examples. The black "Double Swiss Underline" dial is particularly compelling. Rolex had originally used dial stamps that were designed for previous models. Since the bezel of the new "Cosmograph" was larger and covered the original printing, Rolex redesigned the stamps and printed "Swiss" a second time. Once the dial was fitted, the inscription was immediately visible again.
Most striking is the underline below the Rolex Cosmograph signature, which scholars believe was used to signify a transition from radium to tritium on the dial. Other small details pull the watch together, such as the 6238 case back, which is correct, as Rolex usually used leftover case backs from previous models. The movement is stamped ROW, indicating it was made for the American market—another typical attribute. The hands are also slightly longer and thinner, almost touching the edge of the hour markers.
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.