Launched in 1966, reference 6241 was mainly cased in stainless steel. Scholars estimate that no more than 3000 examples were made during the model’s production period. Of these, less than a quarter were dressed in precious metal. The present example however is a tier above the 18K gold version as it is the even more rare 14K version. It is speculated that 14K gold watches were made in order to minimize the high import taxes on gold watches some countries had in place at the time. The scarcity of the gold version - to a modern eye an oddity, as today gold sport wristwatches are commonplace - is apparent when considering that the Daytona was, at the time of its inception, a watch intended for car racers. Thus, it needed to be light and sturdy and a stainless steel case was the most obvious choice, while the opposite holds true for gold.
The true protagonist of this timepiece is however its champagne Paul Newman dial. Absolutely correct for its 2 million serial number, it is preserved in superb condition, fully retaining all of its luminous accents without the slightest loss of material. The surface of the dial is flawless: no mark, scratch or even age spots can be seen even after meticulous examination.
This previously unknown timepiece can without a doubt be considered one of the most appealing Champagne Newman 6241 to come to the market in virtue of its rare 14K gold case and astounding dial. Given the amount of interest which has been circling the Daytona model over the past years, it is not a stretch to say that the discovery of another such piece with a dial as appealing as this one is a highly improbable occurrence.
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.
