Daytona ''Paul Newman''

The Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ref. 6239 occupies a fundamental place in the history of the Daytona, being the first reference of the Cosmograph Daytona family, introduced in 1963. Its most celebrated configuration features the so-called “Paul Newman” Exotic dial, characterized by contrasting subsidiary registers, distinctive Art Deco-style numerals, square-ended markers within the subdials and the characteristic outer minute track.

The approximately 37mm stainless-steel Oyster case is fitted with traditional pump chronograph pushers and a fixed stainless-steel bezel engraved with a tachymetric scale. Unlike the later screw-down Daytona references 6263 and 6265, the 6239 retains the elegant and historically important pump-pusher architecture of the earliest Cosmographs.

Inside is a manually wound chronograph movement from the Valjoux 72 family, with examples using the Rolex caliber 72B and later caliber 722, depending on the production period. Combined with its acrylic crystal and period-correct Oyster bracelet, the 6239 Paul Newman represents one of the purest expressions of the original Rolex racing chronograph.