By Eric Wind & Charlie Dunne

The Paul Newman Daytona reigns supreme as the vintage Rolex of all vintage Rolexes in modern-popular culture. In this article we will cover what exactly the Paul Newman dial actually is, the seven references it can be found on, and how to identify each of them.

What is a Paul Newman dial?

The term “Paul Newman” is ubiquitous in the vintage watch world today. Singer, the main dial manufacturer for Rolex at the time, was responsible for producing all the dials made in the 4-digit reference Daytonas. Starting in the early 1960’s Rolex, in collaboration with Singer, released a series of “exotic dials” that were a deviation from the standard dial configurations and supposedly designed for easier reading of the chronograph when racing. These so-called “exotic” dials have been historically touted for their Art Deco and avant-garde appearance with unique numerals and contrasting subdials / registers. At the time of their release, it is reported that Rolex had a hard time selling these unusual dial configurations. However, collectors would later admire and gravitate towards anything that strayed from Rolex’s unwavering conservative vision and design - and of course the connection to the legendary actor and driver Paul Newman did not hurt.

It’s also no secret that actor turned race car driver Paul Newman was a fan of the flagship Rolex chronograph. The most noteworthy in his possession was an exotic dial reference 6239, gifted to him by his wife with the case-back inscription “DRIVE CAREFULLY ME”. Newman’s personal watch was forever immortalized with the 2017 sale at auction for over $17.6 million and achieved the highest sale price of a vintage wristwatch at the time.

Below is a synopsis of the seven Rolex “Paul Newman” Daytona references: The “OG” reference 6239, the “Oddball” reference 6240, the reference 6241, the reference 6262, the reference 6264, the reference 6265, and reference 6263.

1) Rolex Paul Newman Daytona Reference 6239 “OG”

The Rolex Paul Newman Daytona reference 6239 is the “OG” (original gangster) Paul Newman. The Daytona reference 6239 was introduced in 1963 and was the first reference of the Cosmograph (before it was even called the Daytona). The reference was produced throughout the 1960s, but the Paul Newman dials would be introduced within the 6239 in circa 1965.

It is estimated that there were about 3,000 Paul Newman Daytonas made across seven references, and of those, about half are estimated to be in 6239 cases (the vast majority being in steel). The reference 6239 features a red seconds track and engraved steel bezel (or gold bezel) with pump (rather than screw-down) pushers. An unpolished and excellent Daytona reference 6239 with a white dial is probably around $450,000+.

Rolex “Mark 1” black dial Paul Newman Daytona reference 6239

2) Rolex Paul Newman Daytona Reference 6240 The “Oddball”

The 6240 is a bit of an oddball reference. It was the first Rolex with screw-down pushers and was the first Daytona to earn a water resistance up to 100 meters. Many people don’t even realize there are a small number of these with Paul Newman dials, and most we see are Frankensteins. As a result, the reference 6240 is often not cited in Paul Newman sources. The Daytona reference 6240 was introduced in late 1965 and remained in production until circa 1969 - however the Paul Newman dials for the reference 6240 are found in the very short window of 1.65M serials (only 1967). These with Paul Newman dials were all with black dials that do not say OYSTER despite being in the screw-down pushers case. Most we see that are original have black dials, but there are also reportedly some with white dials in that 1.65M range - make sure they do not say OYSTER on the dial and please be aware that these screw-down pushers are often replaced as they were brass and would essentially melt and disintegrate.

3) Rolex Paul Newman Daytona Reference 6241

The Daytona reference 6241 was produced over the course of 1966-1969. The reference 6241 is identical to the reference 6239, except with a black acrylic bezel. Whether a black dial or a white dial in a steel case, it has a red seconds track (gold on yellow gold examples). Traditionally, steel examples have sold for about $100k more than an equivalent steel 6239s because collectors prefer the black bezel. Some dealers joke that a non-Paul Newman reference 6241 is one of the rarest Daytonas to find as dealers and collectors would often buy Paul Newman reference 6239 examples and swap the dials into non-Paul Newman reference 6241 examples.

4) Rolex Paul Newman Daytona Reference 6262 “Baby Panda”

The 6262 is identical to a 6239 in that it has a steel bezel and pump pushers, but it has a white seconds track (rather than a red seconds track) on the outer dial for the white dial examples. The movement is an upgraded version found in the earlier references with a higher beat rate (also found in the reference 6263, reference 6264, and reference 6265). People sometimes call the white dial 6262 and 6264 examples “Baby Pandas” because they have more of a white and black scheme, but both say “DAYTONA” in red above the hour register at 6 o’clock, whereas the 6263 and 6265 say “OYSTER” and do not feature “DAYTONA” on the dial (hence they are purely black and white and called “Pandas”) - with the exception of the rare “RCO” or “Oyster Sotto” black dial reference 6263 examples that say DAYTONA in red above the hour register. One cool callout with the later examples of the black dial Paul Newman 6262 and 6264 examples is that the ROLEX font is a bit blockier and more silver than white. These are often seen in the 2.5M serial range and I personally love the look of the blocky ROLEX font.

5) Rolex Paul Newman Daytona Reference 6264 “Baby Panda”

The Paul Newman reference 6264 is similar to the reference 6262 except for a black bezel instead of a steel bezel. The Rolex Daytona reference 6264 was produced from circa 1969-1972. The example above is one that came from the original owner, but had a replaced bezel and central seconds hand (with a wider triangle on the tip).

6) Rolex Paul Newman Reference 6265 “Panda”

The 6265 is a “Panda” with the black and white color scheme, without saying “DAYTONA” in red on the dial, but with a steel bezel. The 6265 is rarer than the “Panda” 6263, but trades for less of a premium, as more collectors prefer the black bezel. There are approximately 200-300 total “Pandas” that are estimated to have been produced. The Daytona reference 6265 was introduced in circa 1971 and remained in production until the late 1980s when the automatic Zenith Daytonas were debuted (although the Paul Newman 6265s were phased out in the mid-70s).

7) Rolex Paul Newman Reference 6263

The 6263 is the “holy grail” reference for vintage Paul Newman Daytonas. While the reference was made until 1988, Paul Newman Daytonas were only made for about circa 1969 to 1971 in this case (from the 2.08 million range for the RCO black dial Paul Newman to the early 3M serial range for the Mark 2 Paul Newman Pandas). The 6263 has a black bezel, completing the “Panda” look, and is what most people think of when they think of a Panda. The other grail 6263 Paul Newman is the “Oyster Sotto” or “RCO” that is a very rare watch with a black dial in a 6263 case seen below:

The RCO or “Oyster Sotto” reference 6263 examples are often credited as the most expensive steel Daytonas - outside of a watch with exceptional provenance like the Paul Newman Paul Newman reference 6239 that sold for $17.6 million USD in 2017. There are two versions of the RCO or Oyster Sotto dials - the Mark I / Mark 1 dial features the earlier ROLEX font like above from the references 6239 and 6241 and these are often found in the 2.08M serial range, whereas the Mark II / Mark 2 dials feature the blockier and more silvery ROLEX font found on the black Paul Newman dial references 6262 and 6264.

A Final Word on Collecting Paul Newman Daytonas

The Rolex Paul Newman Daytona is arguably the most iconic vintage wristwatch with a dial design that is unmistakable. It truly became desirable and collectible starting in the 1990s, and remains one of the most sought after wristwatches on the planet. When purchasing a Paul Newman Daytona, it is important to consider several aspects. What is the provenance of the watch? What is the condition of the watch? Has there been restoration? Has the dial and hands been relumed? Does it feature a service replacement bezel? Was the dial replaced and put into the current case?

The Rolex Paul Newman Daytona is a watch that requires expertise when sourcing and collecting, and it can be extremely costly purchasing misrepresented examples, watches with fake dials and undisclosed issues. If you are interested in finding an outstanding Paul Newman Daytona, please reach out to us via email at info@windvintage.com.

Learn more about these watches within the video ‘Collector's Grade: White-Dial Paul Newman Daytonas.

Collector's Guide: The Seven Different Paul Newman Daytona References