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Lot Essay
Reference 6241 was introduced in 1965, and remained in production for 5 years only, discontinued in 1969. It is distinguished by a number of traits which make it one of the most appealing vintage Rolex references: it holds historical interest being the first time the combination of black bezel and pump pushers were seen on a Daytona, and the short production run renders it one of the rarest Daytona models produced by Rolex.
With a flawless dial, free of any blemishes to the pristine cream color, this watch has luminous plots to the numerals that are fully in-tact and have aged evenly throughout, a very rare occurrence. Given its exceptional condition, this dial is the ideal textbook on which to study the subtle differences present on these early "Paul Newman" versions.
The most apparent of these is the Swiss designation at 6 o’ clock. It is slanted to the sides, with the center markedly higher than the extremities. This so-called “sing-a-song” style is found only on early "Paul Newman" versions, and it is later abandoned in favor of linear, more modern graphics. Interestingly, when the outer track is white, the Swiss designation is printed red in one passage. On black outer tracks, such as in the present piece, the process is two-step: first the designation is printed white, and then a red layer is printed on top of the white one. It is thought this process was intended to make the red more bright and contrasting. It appears that three-color white Paul Newman dials – with red divisions on black outer track – later tend to be superseded by examples with white fifth of a second divisions, most probably because of the increased contrast provided by the white on black color scheme.
Furthermore it features the original bezel and the correct caliber 722-1, used only in the last examples of this reference – an update from Cal. 722 found on all the other examples of the model, as well as the correct caseback for this reference, stamped 6241.
Considering its condition, rarity and overall stunning aesthetic, it is safe to count the present piece among the most attractive and collectable examples of reference 6241 to ever appear on the market.
With a flawless dial, free of any blemishes to the pristine cream color, this watch has luminous plots to the numerals that are fully in-tact and have aged evenly throughout, a very rare occurrence. Given its exceptional condition, this dial is the ideal textbook on which to study the subtle differences present on these early "Paul Newman" versions.
The most apparent of these is the Swiss designation at 6 o’ clock. It is slanted to the sides, with the center markedly higher than the extremities. This so-called “sing-a-song” style is found only on early "Paul Newman" versions, and it is later abandoned in favor of linear, more modern graphics. Interestingly, when the outer track is white, the Swiss designation is printed red in one passage. On black outer tracks, such as in the present piece, the process is two-step: first the designation is printed white, and then a red layer is printed on top of the white one. It is thought this process was intended to make the red more bright and contrasting. It appears that three-color white Paul Newman dials – with red divisions on black outer track – later tend to be superseded by examples with white fifth of a second divisions, most probably because of the increased contrast provided by the white on black color scheme.
Furthermore it features the original bezel and the correct caliber 722-1, used only in the last examples of this reference – an update from Cal. 722 found on all the other examples of the model, as well as the correct caseback for this reference, stamped 6241.
Considering its condition, rarity and overall stunning aesthetic, it is safe to count the present piece among the most attractive and collectable examples of reference 6241 to ever appear on the market.