Rolex - The New York Watch Auction: XI New York Saturday, December 7, 2024 | Phillips
  • Manufacturer: Rolex
    Year: Circa 1963
    Reference No: 6238
    Movement No: 11'843
    Case No: 996’945
    Model Name: Pre-Daytona
    Material: 18K yellow gold
    Calibre: Manual, cal. 727, 17 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: Leather
    Clasp/Buckle: 18K yellow gold Rolex pin buckle
    Dimensions: 35mm Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement, and buckle signed.

  • Catalogue Essay

    A milestone of Rolex’s chronograph production, the reference 6238 was produced in a variety of dial combinations, encased in stainless steel, 14K or 18K yellow gold. These were fitted with silver, grey, and black dials, with tachymeter and/or telemeter scales printed directly on the dials differentiating them from their successors, the reference 6239s. These particular Oyster chronographs are known as the “Pre-Daytona” as they bear the familiar case design of the later Daytona references, but with the homogeneous dial and subdial coloration and printed scales on the outer track of the dial, similar to the chronographs of the 1940s and 50s.

    The minority of the reference 6238 was cased in 18K yellow gold, such as the present watch. It is fitted with a silvered “sunburst” or “soleil” dial that appears on later examples and closely resembles the dials of the next generation Daytona. The present example, bearing a case number dating it to 1963, has a beautifully preserved dial and a strong case in overall excellent condition.

  • Artist Biography

    Rolex

    Swiss • 1905

    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.

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Ref. 6238
An attractive and well-preserved yellow gold chronograph wristwatch with silvered “soleil” dial

Circa 1963
35mm Diameter
Case, dial, movement, and buckle signed.

Estimate
$40,000 - 80,000 
CHF35,200-70,400
€37,500-75,000
HK$311,000-622,000

Sold for $57,150

Contact Specialist

Paul Boutros
Deputy Chairman, Watches, Head of Watches, Americas
+1 (212) 940-1293
watchesny@phillips.com

Isabella Proia
Head of Sale, New York
+1 (212) 940 1285
iproia@phillips.com

The New York Watch Auction: XI

New York Auction 7 - 8 December 2024