ROLEX | Cosmograph Daytona
Exotic Dial "Paul Newman"
Ref. 6239
1960s
Due to the rarity and high value of this collector's item, we recommend a personal appraisal in one of our showrooms - please contact LittleThings for your individual appointment. This collectible is available at the best offer.
>> We consider all offers from €225k.
For your collection of incredibly iconic Rolex vintage watches, there is this reference 6239 | Rolex Daytona Cosmograph with the 3-color Exotic Paul Newman Dial, undoubtedly one of the most wanted collectible watches in the world.
This early model with the rare MK1 bezel has a very nice patina all over, the case is only lightly polished and still has very nice sharp edges. The watch still has its original folded Jubilee bracelet from the factory with the 74 endlinks. In addition, the watch received from Rolex in the late 70s another Jubilee bracelet in the solid oval version (the so-called Coffee Bean Jubilee) with 574 endlinks.
In year 1970, this collector's set including box & papers was sold by Bucherer in Lausanne / Switzerland, the world's largest Rolex dealer.
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So legendary is this Rolex Cosmograph in this version that there is hardly anything left to say that has not already been said. In this respect, there are perhaps two interesting aspects to this highly sought-after collector's set of this Rolex reference..
1. Paul Newman's personal Rolex Cosmograph Daytona sells for $17.7 million US dollars
The Rolex Daytona Ref. 6239 with the famous “Paul Newman” Exotic dial is considered the most iconic wristwatch of the 20th century. It is distinguished from other vintage Daytona variants by its square indices, its Art Deco lettering, the contrasting and colored seconds scale on the edge of the dial and the Daytona lettering above the lower totalizer. And the Rolex Daytona Ref. 6239, which belonged to legendary actor Paul Newman, was auctioned by Phillips in collaboration with Bacs & Russo on 26th of October 2017 in New York City for a final price of 17,752,500 US dollars, setting a new world record for a Rolex wristwatch. The previous record for an auctioned Rolex was 5 million US dollars for a Rolex reference 6062, nicknamed “Bao Dai” because it belonged to the last emperor of Vietnam.
Paul Newman's Rolex Daytona was a present from his wife Joanne Woodward. She had the words “Drive Carefully Me” engraved on the case back for him. Because we know that Paul Newman was not only a great actor, but also an enthusiastic racing driver.
In 1984, Newman gave this Rolex to James Cox, the former boyfriend and now close friend of Paul Newman's daughter Nell, who put it up for auction with Phillips in 2017. The profits from this auction went to a charitable foundation of Nell's, the “Nell Newman Foundation”, which supports her father's philanthropic values and at the same time promotes Nell's commitment to organic food and sustainable agriculture, and a further portion of the proceeds also benefit Newman's own foundation.
The 2017 auction itself was a 12-minute bidding battle - a historic moment in an auction room filled with over 700 people and watched online by watch enthusiasts from around the world.
Phillips described the auction by saying, “The atmosphere was electrifying!”
2. Jörg Bucherer sells his company after 135 years of family ownership to Rolex.
Bucherer AG is a Swiss watch and jewelry group based in Lucerne and the largest watch and jewelry retailer in the world. The Group was solely owned by Jörg Bucherer, who was born in 1936 and passed away in 2023. The Bucherer Group operates 36 watch and jewelry stores under its own name, including 17 in Switzerland, 10 in Germany, 6 in London alone, and one each in Vienna, Paris, Copenhagen and New York. The Bucherer store in Paris is considered the largest watch and jewelry store in the world.
The origins of Bucherer are as follows: In 1888, Basel-born Carl F. Bucherer and his wife Luise opened a toy and hardware store in Lucerne and in the following years moved into the jewelry and watch trade. At the beginning of the 1920s, Carl F. Bucherer's sons, the watchmaker Ernst and the goldsmith Carl Eduard Bucherer, joined the family business. In 1919, the company C. Bucherer was founded and a collection of wristwatches for ladies with their own dial imprint was offered. Ernst Bucherer entered into a partnership with Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of Rolex, and added the then barely established watch brand to his range in 1924. Over the years, Rolex became Bucherer's most important partner.
In August 2023, there was a bang, when the sole owner Jörg Bucherer sells his company to Rolex.
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According to the paperwork, this Rolex Cosmograph reference 6239 with Paul Newman Exotic Dial was sold by Bucherer in 1970. This superb timemachine comes with the original box & papers, booklet and two Rolex Jubilee bracelets. The paperwork is so-called “punched papers” and the serial number is punched into the papers, as well as the Rolex reference.
This Rolex timemachine has received a complete overhaul in 2022/2023 and is technically in perfect condition. All original parts have been preserved, no service parts have been installed - this watch is 100% in original condition.
Manual movement
Diameter 37 mm without crown
Technical indications | Keeping time +8 sec/day
Differential taxation according to § 25a UStG. No taxes included. | Differenzbesteuerung nach § 25a UStG. Kunstgegenstände und Sammlungsstücke, Sonderregelung.