Paul Newman Dial 6241 Rolex Daytona

The 6241 is a fascinating point in the long, steady march of Daytona evolution. Screw down, millerighe pushers had just been introduced. But not all Rolex clients loved the idea. One year after the introduction of the first true Oyster case 6240, which was intended to be the direction of all future Daytona evolution, Rolex brought back the classic pump pusher alternative, bending the knee to client demand. You can analogize it as a 6240 with standard pushers or 6239 with an acrylic bezel. Either works. And it really works as a Paul Newman.

The 6241 survived from 1966-69, where it was replaced with the 6264 and its updated Valjoux 727, the final pump pusher reference ever made. It is estimated that in that time, fewer than 2300 examples were made in total. No one knows the numbers precisely for Paul Newmans, but it’s just a fraction. The 6241 is meaningfully less produced than the 6239 and usually commands a premium for the bezel (acrylic vs metal does considerably change the way a given Daytona wears). This tri-color Paul Newman with its art deco fonts, square markers, and stepped edges is arguably the most classic and desirable dial ever to appear in a steel, acrylic Daytona.

The PN 6241 has truly held its own in a frothy vintage Rolex market over the last few years. Condition here can be the difference between a mere 200K US PN and 500K or more, and most of the steel examples in recent auctions have stayed around that level. Things did get a bit silly around 2019 when the market was sniffing jet fuel, but that was a brief flash on an otherwise steady timeline. Vintage Rolex is no longer the sole fixation of all collectors, as it certainly appeared to be in the 2010s. Modern tastes have diversified and that’s not a bad thing. But a Paul Newman will never go out of style. I’m not sure I can say the same of a Cartier Bamboo Coussin.

This example dates to ’68 and is lovely. The dial is unblemished with no visible damage, the red is vibrant and the tritium is beautiful, original and matching. Its case has see but a lightweight polish, and not like most retailer mean it when they say that. Lugs are still great here. It comes in an expansion rivet also dating to ’68, from a well-regarded California retailer.