Shopping Time: The 5 Best Rolex Daytona ‘Paul Newmans’ on the Market Right Now
We are always scouring the web for the most amazing watches currently available, and each Friday Shopping Time shares five standout timepieces with you.
Prices on most Rolex sport models keep falling, but not for the suddenly popular Day-Date 36 and certainly not for the impossible-to-get Daytona. Here at Shopping Time, we’ve recently brought you tasty examples of the Rolex GMT Master, the Submariner, a bevy of good deals on current Rolex references, and, yes, six lovely, modern Daytonas. But what we haven’t done, until today, is head straight to the most valuable Daytona: the Paul Newman. We didn’t even know if we’d find five of them worth writing home about, but indeed we did. They’re all killer examples that you can buy right now.
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The legend of the Paul Newman Daytona was set in stone in 2017 when the man’s own exotic-dial reference 6239 sold at auction for an astonishing $17,752,500. But the lore goes much, much deeper. This specific configuration of the Daytona is inextricably linked to actor, race car driver, philanthropist, and all around cool guy, Paul Newman for his use of it throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s. The story of the watch and its use is a poignant reminder of why many of us are drawn to watches, specifically tool watches and sports watches, to begin with. In fact, Newman is arguably the foundation of the watch’s reputation, and why it’s one of the most sought after vintage Rolex watches in the world.
In the late ‘60s, after filming James Goldstone’s movie Winning, Newman’s wife, co-star Joanne Woodward, would purchase the famed Daytona in New York as a gift for Paul, who was beginning to seriously get into racing cars at the time. She had the caseback engraved with the message “Drive Carefully, Me” lending some personal weight to the gift. At the time, this particular configuration of the Daytona, fitted with the so-called exotic dial, was not a popular model with customers. They often sat on shelves or were sold at discounts, and as a result, Rolex didn’t produce many. The resulting rarity adds to the value and the lore of the Newman Daytona.
It would be about a decade after receiving the 6239 Daytona from Woodward before anyone would really pick up on the unique dial configuration in a meaningful way. In the late ‘70s, Rolex sponsored the publication of a book about Paul Newman’s career, Les images d’une vie (Picture of a Life), which would place an image of Newman on the cover with the watch clearly visible on his wrist. It was this image that sparked the acknowledgement and eventual popularity of the exotic dial Daytona reference. Today, there are plenty of photographs documenting his use of the watch both on and off the track, and while he owned and wore a variety of Daytona references, this 6239 was the only to feature an exotic dial.
It is said among some high-end collectors that Newman appeared on the cover of a magazine in Italy wearing the watch in the 1980s, and that this image alone spurred horological hysteria among collectors in Milan and Florence. We’ve more or less debunked this myth in our story about vintage watches in Italy, and would suggest that maybe the person who tells that story was, indeed, impressed with the magazine cover, but was otherwise projecting his experience onto the entirely Euorpean collecting community.
Whatever happened, this exotic-dial differs from the standard Daytona in a few ways, most notably within the registers that totalize the minutes and hours for the chronograph function, as well as display the running seconds hand. The indexes within these registers received large squares at their tips in an effort to improve legibility. Additionally, the numbers themselves were rendered in a different typeface that was slightly more stylized than a non-exotic dial (some call it a Bauhaus font, but that term gets kicked around kind of loosely). Finally, the minutes and seconds index around the perimeter of the dial was set against a contrasting background. In total, these changes make for a distinct vibe compared to the standard Daytona dial.
The exotic dial would first appear in the 6239 reference in the 1.6M range of serial numbers. Rolex would go on to produce the 6240, 6241, 6262, 6264, 6263, and 6265 references into the mid ‘80s. While these were known and understood prior to the sale of Paul Newman’s own Daytona in 2017, that now legendary auction served as a lightning rod for collectors, propelling prices ever upwards in the intervening years.
Below is a selection of the best “Paul Newman” Daytona references—in various configurations—available on the market now. You can find more information on Paul Newman’s own Daytona right here on Robb Report.
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Rolex Daytona Reference 6239 ‘Paul Newman’ | $275,000
This is an exceptionally early example of a PN 6239 Daytona with a white over black, or “reverse panda.” dial. This is the same reference worn by Newman himself, with pump pushers and polished bezel showing only light signs of age. The stark matte black dial is simple, with no lines of text as we find on modern dials, instead featuring just Rolex Cosmograph Daytona. This example, offered by H.Q. Milton has been serviced at Rolex Geneva and comes with its service booklet and box. The case and bracelet are in excellent condition with only a light polish making itself known. This is a rare, very early example of the watch that started it all.
Rolex Daytona Reference 6262 ‘Paul Newman’ | Price on Request
Heading into the ‘70s, Rolex brought an updated, Valjoux caliber 727 movement to the Daytona in the reference 6262 and 6264. The presentation remained largely the same, still with pump pushers and either a polished or a black acrylic bezel. This example features a black over white, or “panda,” dial, with black registers and a contrasting black minute track at the perimeter. This example offered by Craft + Trailored has a very well preserved dial with all lume plots intact, and only showing minimal signs of age. The case does appear to have been polished, but the original shape and lines remain. The watch was serviced by Christie’s Auction House in 2022.
Rolex Daytona Reference 6263 ‘Paul Newman’ | Price on Request
The Daytona reference 6263 (and 6265) carried over the Valjoux 727 movement into a slightly more modern package, for the first time employing screw down pushers along the side of the case. The 6263 and 6265 would remain in production for nearly 20 years, representing the de facto vintage Daytona look for many of us. There were numerous dial changes made throughout this generation, and the exotic dial was carried through. This PN 6263 on offer from Chrono24 features a panda dial that’s in exceptional condition, with all lume plots intact. A creamy off-white hue is beginning to settle on the base dial. This is a beautiful very early example of the 6263 reference.
Rolex Daytona Reference 6241 ‘Paul Newman’ | $855,158
The reference 6241 was the first to bring a black acrylic insert to the Daytona in 1966, and it made use of the Valjoux 722 caliber. This reference was also offered in precious metal configurations, as seen in this example from 1968 on offer from Italian dealer Maurizio De Angelis (via Chrono24). The warm yellow dial perfectly accents the yellow gold case and bracelet, with strong black contrast from the bezel and dial registers. This may be one of the most captivating executions of the Paul Newman Daytona, and examples such as this are a rare sight. This watch is listed in very good condition, and shows only light signs of age. The dial is in remarkable condition, and all lume plots are intact.
Rolex Daytona ref. 6265 ‘Paul Newman’ | €540,000 (~$603,000)
Finally, we have the Daytona reference 6265, which was produced alongside the 6263 as seen above. This reference stands apart as it uses a polished steel bezel, dialing back the contrast a bit and feeling slightly more subdued. This is the reference that pushes all focus to the dial, and appears slightly smaller as a result. This example on offer by Nautilus Watches, is an early production serial number dating to 1971, the very year the 6263 and 6265 were released. This watch is listed in overall excellent condition, with the dial showing only light signs of aging. The bezel and case appear to have received a polishing, though the original lines remain. Another incredible example of an historic Daytona reference featuring an exotic dial.
Please note that we are not affiliated with the sellers of the watches we recommend. We may point out aspects of a listing that we feel are positive, but only you can vet a seller. We can recommend viewing our video “How to Collect It: Vintage Watches” to glean some best practices, however.
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