Manufacturer: Rolex Year: Circa 1967 Reference No: 6239 Case No: 1'626'215 Model Name: Cosmograph Daytona "Paul Newman" Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Manual, cal. 722-1, 17 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet, max length 185mm Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Rolex deployant clasp stamped 4.66 Dimensions: 36.5mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed
Catalogue Essay
This "Paul Newman" Daytona most notably comes from the collection of the Honorable Daphne Guinness, the renowned philanthropist, model, designer, artist, muse and singer. A true polymath and trailblazer, she is impossible to categorize, having left an indelible mark in culture, fashion and music today. An original multi-hyphenate and 21st century icon, she is a lifelong collector of beautiful objects, ranging from books, art, jewelry to even vintage music equipment.
She has left an enduring mark in fashion, having founded the charitable Isabella Blow Foundation. Honoring the memory of Isabella Blow, the foundation supports aspiring art and fashion students and facilitates further research in the fields of depression and mental health. The proceeds of this watch will be donated to a charity of her choice. Guinness had purchased the present watch twenty years ago in St. Moritz, attesting to her eye for style and ahead-of-her-time taste.
Reference 6239 was introduced in 1963, which was 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”.
The present watch is identical in design to Paul Newman's "Paul Newman" Daytona. It is immediately recognizable thanks to its three-dimensional ivory dial with "Art Deco style" numerals. This timepiece is presented in excellent condition with a crisp case and full proportions.
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.