229 Rolex A test watch, forerunner and historically important, Daytona, chronograph wristwatch in steel, with Rolex Départment Technique Atelier Prototypes letter confirming the production of the watch, reference 6240.

Estimate: € 100.000 –⁠ 200.000

In the world of vintage Rolex collecting, few pieces manage to completely redefine what we think or know about the brand’s innovation process. The present Cosmograph Daytona prototype is exactly that kind of revelation. Unseen, undocumented in serial number, yet supported by a Rolex-issued internal transmission sheet dated March 5th, 1964, it stands as a testimony of a critical moment in the evolution of the Daytona: the experimental transition to screw-down pushers and a new caliber. This watch is not simply early—it is earlier than early. Not yet intended for sale, yet given to Rolex’s internal watchmakers, it was born inside the Rolex prototype workshop and carries no commercial serial numbers. Its purpose was singular and essential: to test the waterproofing capabilities of the yet-unreleased screw-down pusher system that would later define the Daytona’s tool-watch credentials. The accompanying transmission sheet from the Rolex technical department makes direct reference to its trials and even notes non-conformity of the initial machining—a window into the iterative nature of true technical advancement. Inside the caseback, remarkably, is engraved the reference number of that very transmission sheet from the Rolex Département Technique, Atelier Prototypes: 0809-10.15.05///—a coded signature of its secretive origin and singular importance. Adding yet another layer of historical importance is the dial—without doubt one of the most impressive and rare configurations known. Matte black with a finely printed, micro “Daytona” that appears to float above the center, the effect is subtle and mesmerizing. The luminous material has aged with profound beauty, and the presence of a double “Swiss” indication—where “T SWISS T” discreetly hovers above a second, hidden “Swiss” line—marks this as an ultra-early dial printing variation. And there’s more. While the reference 6240 would be officially introduced in 1965, and the calibre 722-1 in 1968, this watch already houses the 722-1 movement, predating its commercial use by three years. Just like the legendary steel Day-Date prototype with its 1556 movement—also included in this sale—this Daytona challenges timelines and rewrites the accepted chronology. Collectors speak of grails. But occasionally, something even more profound surfaces: a timepiece that exists not to follow the known story, but to write its own chapter entirely.