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Lot Essay
Amongst collectors, reference 6238 is often referred to as the "Pre-Daytona" and enjoys today growing popularity within the community of Rolex aficionados. Launched in 1960, reference 6238 is the last traditional chronograph wristwatch by Rolex with polished bezel. It was made in stainless steel and gold, an exceedingly small series was cased in 14K gold and exclusively reserved for the North American market.
Typically seen with an outer tachometer scale on the dial, the present watch features a dial that was normally found on the earlier reference 6234 chronograph, which featured an outer minute track and no tachometer scale. The reference 6234 dials also featured the signature "Oyster Chronograph" and "Anti-Magnetic", and were changed for the reference 6238 to only read "Chronograph".
Different versions of reference 6238 in regard to case material and dial layout are described and illustrated in I Cronografi Rolex - La Leggenda, Pucci Papaleo Editore, pp. 278 - 291.
Typically seen with an outer tachometer scale on the dial, the present watch features a dial that was normally found on the earlier reference 6234 chronograph, which featured an outer minute track and no tachometer scale. The reference 6234 dials also featured the signature "Oyster Chronograph" and "Anti-Magnetic", and were changed for the reference 6238 to only read "Chronograph".
Different versions of reference 6238 in regard to case material and dial layout are described and illustrated in I Cronografi Rolex - La Leggenda, Pucci Papaleo Editore, pp. 278 - 291.