Many watch collectors consider the so-called Rolex “Paul Newman” Daytona their Holy Grail timepiece. In October, one fortunate (and, inevitably, wealthy) collector can become the owner of Paul Newman’s “Paul Newman.” The Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6239 once owned by the actor who gave the model its enduring nickname will be the top lot at “Winning Icons: Legendary Watches of the 20th Century,” an auction of 50 rare, collectible watches held in New York by Phillips in Association with Bacs and Russo. Read on for more about the granddaddy of all Paul Newman Rolexes, as well as five other notable timepieces on the block.
Rolex Paul Newman Daytona, Ref. 6239
The Rolex “Paul Newman” Daytona owned and worn by Paul Newman is far and away the most historically significant piece at Phillips’ inaugural New York auction, to be held on October 26 at the auction house’s New York saleroom. The watch is being auctioned for the first time ever, and is expected to fetch in excess of $1 million. Rolex nicknamed its Cosmograph chronograph watch ?Daytona? in 1962, the same year that the brand became the official timekeeper of the prestigious Daytona 500 auto race. This timepiece was conceived expressly for racecar drivers, which explains why the tachymeter scale on the bezel is significantly larger than its counterparts on most other watches. Paul Newman, as many of his fans know, wasn?t just an actor but also a very success...