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拍品专文
Fresh to market and from the family of the original owner, the present Rolex reference 6239 features a very coveted 'Double Swiss Underline' dial that was utilized in only the earliest production of the model starting in 1963. In fact, the watch predates the 'Daytona' name and was referred as the 'Le Mans' in an early Rolex advertisement circa 1964 with a retail price of $210. These watches rarely surface to the open market and make for the ultimate under-the-radar chronograph from the storied line and Maison.
A Note from the Family of the Original Owner
This Rolex wristwatch was originally acquired from a jeweler in the United States and has remained within my family for three generations. It was transferred from my grandfather to my father around 1967-68, and he wore it regularly until 1980. The Rolex repair certificate from 1989 confirms it was serviced then, though I believe it saw virtually no use until it was given to me in 2014. Since then, I have worn it only a few times for special occasions, and it has mainly been stored within a safe deposit box.
The Le Mans 'Double Swiss Underline' Reference 6239
Debuting in circa 1963, the Rolex Cosmograph reference 6239 represents a landmark moment in the brand’s chronograph history, initially introduced under the “Le Mans” designation before the now-iconic Daytona name was adopted. The model brought a fresh and highly legible aesthetic, most notably through its use of contrasting register colors, while its most significant innovation lay in relocating the tachymeter scale from the dial to the bezel—an evolution that would define the design language of Rolex chronographs for generations to come. It would not be until several years later that the model became officially known as the Daytona, a name that has since become synonymous with performance, precision, and enduring desirability.
The earliest and most coveted reference 6239 watches are distinguished by five features, the first being the “Double Swiss Underline” dial. It's believed that the underline denotes Rolex's transition from radium luminescent material to tritium due to health concerns. These underline dials can be found across different Rolex models and are only from circa 1963. Secondly, as the name suggests, 'SWISS' is printed twice with the second lower signature only visible once the dial is removed. Serial numbers must be consistent with a 1963 manufacture for these watches. Additionally, the original 6239 watches had a Mark 1 bezel with full hashes across the entire bezel and calibrated to 300 units per hour with the identifiable 275 graduation positioned between 300 and 250. All later Daytonas utilized dots and dashes and forwent the 275 graduation. Lastly and most seldom seen as they were almost always changed out during a Rolex service, are the extra long and skinny hour and minute hands. The hour hand is in fact so long that it nearly reaches touches the indexes.
A Note from the Family of the Original Owner
This Rolex wristwatch was originally acquired from a jeweler in the United States and has remained within my family for three generations. It was transferred from my grandfather to my father around 1967-68, and he wore it regularly until 1980. The Rolex repair certificate from 1989 confirms it was serviced then, though I believe it saw virtually no use until it was given to me in 2014. Since then, I have worn it only a few times for special occasions, and it has mainly been stored within a safe deposit box.
The Le Mans 'Double Swiss Underline' Reference 6239
Debuting in circa 1963, the Rolex Cosmograph reference 6239 represents a landmark moment in the brand’s chronograph history, initially introduced under the “Le Mans” designation before the now-iconic Daytona name was adopted. The model brought a fresh and highly legible aesthetic, most notably through its use of contrasting register colors, while its most significant innovation lay in relocating the tachymeter scale from the dial to the bezel—an evolution that would define the design language of Rolex chronographs for generations to come. It would not be until several years later that the model became officially known as the Daytona, a name that has since become synonymous with performance, precision, and enduring desirability.
The earliest and most coveted reference 6239 watches are distinguished by five features, the first being the “Double Swiss Underline” dial. It's believed that the underline denotes Rolex's transition from radium luminescent material to tritium due to health concerns. These underline dials can be found across different Rolex models and are only from circa 1963. Secondly, as the name suggests, 'SWISS' is printed twice with the second lower signature only visible once the dial is removed. Serial numbers must be consistent with a 1963 manufacture for these watches. Additionally, the original 6239 watches had a Mark 1 bezel with full hashes across the entire bezel and calibrated to 300 units per hour with the identifiable 275 graduation positioned between 300 and 250. All later Daytonas utilized dots and dashes and forwent the 275 graduation. Lastly and most seldom seen as they were almost always changed out during a Rolex service, are the extra long and skinny hour and minute hands. The hour hand is in fact so long that it nearly reaches touches the indexes.