While most collectors are in love with the Paul Newman Daytona, just recently I discovered another reference that belongs indirectly to the Daytona family- that is just as beautiful.
It is perhaps more understated, probably more exclusive in terms of rarity and simply beautiful. I had known about this reference but never paid much attention to it as it looked very much to me like a Swatch that is popular here in Switzerland.
However when I saw this picture by a Middle Eastern collector on Instagram I had fallen in love.
The watch is a Rolex 6238 Pre-daytona from 1962/63.
Most of these watches were made with a silver dial, but very few were also made with the black dial you see above. The watch is known as the pre-Daytona as it preceded the famous Daytona line. The differences are very noticeable. First the tachometer scale is on the inside of the dial and not on the bezel – a feature Rolex would abandon to improve the readability of racing drivers.
I think the pre-daytona is a cleaner more elegant watch with the polished bezel. We will let the picture do the talking and let you enjoy one of the finest Rolex watches ever made.
(For the post on a recent world record for a 6238 gold watch see article here. )
Picture credit and watch owner: Khalid Al Mansoor Instagram account: khalid43
