Manufacturer: Rolex Year: 1966 Reference No: 6239 Case No: 1'475'697 Model Name: Cosmograph Daytona "Jumbo Logo" Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Manual, cal. 722, 17 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Leather Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel pin buckle Dimensions: 36.5mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial and movement signed Provenance: Rolex Daytona "Lesson One" 50 exceptional examples of the world's most celebrated chronograph wristwatch, Christie's Geneva November 10, 2013, lot 4
Provenance
Rolex Daytona "Lesson One" 50 exceptional examples of the world's most celebrated chronograph wristwatch, Christie's Geneva November 10, 2013, lot 4
Catalogue Essay
This reference 6239 most notably features subsidiary registers that have aged to a particularly even and stunning tobacco brown tone. Contrasting against the bold and unblemished white graphics, the effect is remarkable. It was previously sold at the groundbreaking thematic sale "Rolex Daytona "Lesson One" 50 exceptional examples of the world's most celebrated chronograph wristwatch".
Carrying a 1.4 million serial number, the present watch is an early example of reference 6239. During the beginning of the model's production, Rolex experimented with various dial configurations in order to realize its design blueprint for the Cosmograph Daytona. While earlier reference 6239s featured a small Daytona script below "Rolex Cosmograph", Rolex also introduced a different dial configuration displaying a slightly larger "Daytona" font below the “Cosmograph” inscription. These early dials represent Rolex's ingenuity and willingness to experiment with design composition. It was only much later that Rolex definitively printed the "Daytona" designation above the subsidiary register positioned at 6 o'clock.
Apart from these details, the case is also offered in crisp condition. The bezel, calibrated to 300 units, is correct for early examples. Furthermore, the movement bridge is stamped ROW, indicating this watch was made to be exported to the United States of America.
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.