288 Rolex Fresh to the market, over 25 years in the same collection, extremely fine, Daytona, chronograph manual wristwatch in 18K yellow gold, with Paul Newman 'John Player Special' dial, reference 6241.
Estimate: € 500.000 – 1.000.000
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- Model Daytona
- Year 1969
- Reference 6241
- Case Material 18K yellow gold
- Case Number 2'084'369
- Bracelet Material Leather strap
- Movement Manual, cal. 722-1, 17 jewels
- Dimension 37mm Diameter
- Signed Case, dial and movement
The reference 6241 in 18-karat yellow gold fitted with a “Paul Newman” dial, known affectionately as the “John Player Special”, belongs to that rarefied category where scholarship, aesthetics, and emotion converge. Produced from approximately 1966 to 1969, the 6241 marked an important evolution of the Cosmograph, distinguished by its black acrylic bezel replacing the earlier steel version. But let us pause on the material. In the 1960s, the Daytona was conceived as a professional instrument. Steel was logical. Steel was practical. Gold, on the other hand, was almost rebellious. An 18k chronograph for the racetrack? It went against the utilitarian spirit of the era. And precisely for that reason, production numbers were extremely small. Research suggests fewer than 300 examples of the 6241 were cased in 18k yellow gold. Add to that the exotic “Paul Newman” dial configuration, and the number narrows dramatically. The sobriquet “John Player Special” evokes the black-and-gold Lotus Formula One cars of the 1970s. The parallel is irresistible. The present watch captures that same theatrical contrast: deep black dial, champagne sub-registers, golden case and hands. It is at once athletic and opulent. The dial itself is wonderfully preserved. The applied luminous dots have aged to a warm, creamy tone that harmonizes beautifully with the gilt accents, and they are all still present and clearly visible on the dial. The three-dimensionality, so essential to the charisma of these exotic dials, remains fully intact. What makes this watch so compelling is not merely its rarity, but its audacity. In an era of steel tools, this was a golden statement. Today, the yellow gold “John Player Special” reference 6241 stands as one of the most charismatic and desirable executions of the early Daytona, a chronograph that dared to be both instrument and icon, one of the most coveted watches available on the market.
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