Rolex. A fine and rare stainless steel chronograph wristwatch with bracelet and box
Lot 163

Rolex. A fine and rare stainless steel chronograph wristwatch with bracelet and box

SIGNED ROLEX, CHRONOGRAPH, REF. 6238, CASE NO. 1'226'569, MANUFACTURED IN 1965

Closed17 November 2008

Price Realised

CHF 27,500

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Rolex. A fine and rare stainless steel chronograph wristwatch with bracelet and box
Signed Rolex, Chronograph, ref. 6238, case no. 1'226'569, manufactured in 1965
Cal. 722-1 nickel-finished lever movement, 17 jewels, silvered brushed dial, applied baton numerals with luminous accents, luminous hands, outer tachymetre scale, three subsidiary dials for constant seconds, 30 minutes and 12 hours registers, tonneau-shaped water-resistant-type case with screw back and screw down crown, two round chronograph buttons in the band, stainless steel Rolex buckle, case, dial and movement signed
36 mm. diam.

Specialist note

With Rolex detached stainless steel Oyster bracelet and original fitted presentation box.

Amongst collectors, reference 6238 is often referred to as the "Pre-Daytona" and enjoys today growing popularity within the community of Rolex aficionados. In 1960, Rolex launched model 6238, their last traditional chronograph wristwatch with polished bezel.

The "Pre-Daytona" with the silvered dial is the first Rolex chronograph to be fitted with the sunburst finished dial, officially referred to as "cadran soleil argent", which gave the ideal background for the newly designed hands - for the first time in straight baton form. The new dial finish and baton-shaped hands can be found on all Rolex Daytona chronographs up to the mid 1980s, rendering these sports watches highly functional and lending them a particularly distinctive, masculine look.
For unknown reasons, the present features white hands for the chronograph and all subsidiary indications. It may only be assumed that, upon the owner's special request, this unusual yet appealing configuration was added.

Different versions of reference 6238 in regard to case material and dial layout are is described and illustrated in I Cronografi Rolex - La Leggenda, Pucci Papaleo Editore, pp. 278 - 291.