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There are some watches, so elusive and so mythical, that stun even the most seasoned and weary of collectors. Today, the term "important" is used often and sometimes loosely, bordering on hyperbole. Yet, there are instances in which a watch arrives and is so sublime, it is almost impossible to qualify and quantify its beauty. To hold the watch, and to view it with one's very own eyes is to truly understand its exquisite nature. This example is indisputably such a watch.
Most probably unique and called "Crazy Doc" in Ultimate Rolex Daytona by Pucci Papaleo Editore, the present watch is the only known yellow gold reference 6239 with pulsations dial. Having originally been sold in Italy in the 1990s to Eric Clapton himself, the present watch was later offered at the Important Pocket Watches & Wristwatches Featuring Property from the Collection of Eric Clapton sale in New York, 2003.
Watches with a pulsations dial were used for specialists in the medical field, as the pulsometer scale is meant to measure heart beats per minute and can be found on some of Rolex’s earliest chronographs, dating from the 1930s and can even be found on rare examples of the reference 6238 “Pre-Daytona.” To utilize the pulsometer scale, a doctor would start the chronograph function, and stop it based on the number of heart beats counted as indicated on the scale, in this particular example 15 (hence, base 15 pulsations). The stopped chronograph hand would indicate the exact number of heart beats per minute on the pulsometer scale, without taking the entire minute.
The most dazzling aspect of the present watch, is of course, the dial. Barely displaying any signs of aging, the pulsations scale is crisp, visible and vivid. Most notably, the "T Swiss T" text have been shifted up to allow space for the pulsations scale, showing how the present dial was a specially-designed configuration. The graphics of the subsidiary registers are white, which is a clear aesthetic departure from other yellow gold examples of the period. The luminous dots are furthermore even and consistent, having aged to a warm yellow tone.
The case is also preserved in excellent condition, with sharp finishes to the top of the lugs and gold marks beneath the lugs. Furthermore, a light layer of oxidation has developed throughout the case, giving it warmth and character.
The complexities, nuances and many idiosyncrasies of the Cosmograph Daytona render it one of the most complex, interesting and inspiring models to collect and research. As a result, few watches can elicit emotion and unadulterated joy like this model can. It is not everyday that a timepiece like this appears on the market, and there is no telling when another will ever surface again.
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE (born 30 March 1945), is an English musician, singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist and separately as a member of the Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and influential guitarists of all time. Clapton ranked second in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time”and fourth in Gibson’s “Top 50 Guitarists of All Time”. He was also named number five in Time magazine’s list of “The 10 Best Electric Guitar Players” in 2009. He is furthermore an avid motorcar, watch and art collector, known for his exquisite and market-making taste.
