Manufacturer: Rolex Year: Circa 1968 Reference No: 6239 Case No: 1'938'110 Model Name: Cosmograph Daytona Material: 18K yellow gold Calibre: Manual, cal. 722-1, 17 jewels Bracelet/Strap: 18K yellow gold Rolex Jubilee bracelet stamped 4.71, max length 185mm. Clasp/Buckle: 18K yellow gold Rolex folding deployant clasp Dimensions: 36.5mm. Diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed Accessories: Accompanied by Rolex fitted presentation box. Literature: A similar example is illustrated in Ultimate Rolex Daytona by Pucci Papaleo, pages 212 to 215.
Catalogue Essay
First launched in 1963, reference 6239 was the very first Rolex chronograph wristwatch to officially feature "Cosmograph Daytona" on the dial. While the reference was originally marketed as the "Le Mans", it was eventually dubbed the "Daytona” when Rolex sponsored the 24 Hours of Daytona automobile race. The reference ceased production after six short years of manufacture, making way for successor reference 6262, which featured an upgraded Valjoux 727 movement and retained non-screw down pushers.
While reference 6239 is perhaps best known for being fitted with Paul Newman dials, rarer still, is the presence the model cased in yellow gold. Indeed, during the reference's life span, approximately 300 examples were cased in gold, which is astounding when one takes into account the model’s approximate 14,000 unit production run.
The present watch, with a 1.93 million serial number, is a very early yellow gold example. While the reference 6239 was considered a 'technical' watch, Rolex cased the model in yellow gold for their most exclusive and well-to-do customers, as a luxurious alternative to record time and measure speed. This watch is furthermore preserved in excellent condition, and is fitted with a rare Jubilee bracelet.
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.