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Lot Essay
It is an honour for Christie’s Dubai to offer the present example of reference 6238 here offered in excellent condition by an important Middle Eastern Vintage Rolex collector. Previously acquired our auction room of Christie’s Geneva on 15th of May 2017 (sale 14212 lot 211), it was offered at that time by an Italian private collector.
Ref. 6238: PRE-DAYTONA
Reference 6238 can be considered the first of the “modern-conception” vintage Rolex chronographs: it is the precursor to one of the most successful chronograph models by any manufacturer, the Daytona, and indeed it is nicknamed the Pre-Daytona. Technically, the model already bears nearly all the traits which will be present in the subsequent evolutions, the calibre can be 72B or 722, the same found in early Daytona chronographs; the dial layout is virtually the same of reference 6239, and the Oyster chronograph case also bears all the attributes of its future iterations. The main differences are the monochrome dial and, most importantly, the presence of the tachymeter scale on the dial rather than on the bezel (though some examples bearing the scale on the bezel are known).
Ref. 6238: PRE-DAYTONA
Reference 6238 can be considered the first of the “modern-conception” vintage Rolex chronographs: it is the precursor to one of the most successful chronograph models by any manufacturer, the Daytona, and indeed it is nicknamed the Pre-Daytona. Technically, the model already bears nearly all the traits which will be present in the subsequent evolutions, the calibre can be 72B or 722, the same found in early Daytona chronographs; the dial layout is virtually the same of reference 6239, and the Oyster chronograph case also bears all the attributes of its future iterations. The main differences are the monochrome dial and, most importantly, the presence of the tachymeter scale on the dial rather than on the bezel (though some examples bearing the scale on the bezel are known).