A tribute to the cool, charismatic Paul Newman & his legendary Rolex Daytona timepieces
The Paul Newman Daytona – 5 facts that you need to know
Today marks the birthday of the iconic Paul Newman and we here at CHRONEXT are celebrating his renowned association with the world of fine timepieces. What exactly is the Paul Newman Daytona and how did it come to be? Here, we list the top 5 facts that you need to know about the watch.
Paul Newman – a legendary actor, motorsport enthusiasts, and one of the most charismatic individuals known to mankind
Born January 26th, 1925, Paul Newman was one of the most iconic individuals of his time. Not only was he a talented and celebrated actor but also an avid motorsports enthusiast, political activist, and generous philanthropist. It goes without saying that Paul Newman was a dynamic man who won the hearts of the world with his genuine talent, passion, and captivation for living life to the fullest.
Paul Newman on set
Not only known for his dreamy blue eyes and down to earth temperament, the icon was an extremely fashionable person who many men looked up to. The talented actor was eventually led to his love of motorsports when he starred as race car driver in the film “Winning”. Soon afterward, he began sporting the Rolex Daytona and the rest of the world seemed to take notice. Since then, the name Paul Newman has held an exclusive meaning in the world of watches and the Rolex “Paul Newman” Daytona has become one of the most highly sought after timepieces around the globe.
1. The Rolex Daytona became associated with Paul Newman thanks to the Italians
Paul Newman wearing the PN Daytona
Leave it up to the Italians to make something immeasurably famous. The Daytona was initially a timepiece that Rolex could not get off their shelves for the life of them. As legend has it, as soon as Paul Newman was captured on the cover of an Italian magazine sporting the timepiece, it gained exponential popularity. Of course, this could just be another myth conjured up by Rolex themselves, but that’s exactly what makes them marketing geniuses.
2. What makes a Paul Newman Daytona so special resides in the dial
Paul Newman Daytona Dial (Source: Christie's)
Any avid watch collector will know that what makes a Rolex Paul Newman Daytona different from just any old Daytona, is its dial. To be specific, a Rolex Paul Newman Daytona is paired with an exotic dial with unusually stark black and white contrast. Another reason the dial of this timepiece is called exotic is due to the fact that it is encircled by an outer track that matches the subdials. These unique dials have a 60-seconds-counter with quarter graduations that are finished in an art-deco style font. Furthermore, the Rolex Paul Newman Daytona comes equipped with subdials that feature hash marks with a small square on their ends. Last but not least, the most highly valued Paul Newman Daytona models include a distinctive red lettering and outer track.
3. The original Paul Newman Daytona worn by the icon was the Ref. 6239 exotic dial on a black 3-piece military fatstrap
Paul Newman wearing his Daytona with a white dial
The specific Rolex Daytona model worn by Paul Newman was the reference 6239, which goes hand in hand with the fact that the timepieces are so highly sought after today. The timepiece features a white exotic dial, pump pushers, a steel bezel, and is powered by the Rolex Valjoux 722. Paul Newman paired his Daytona with a black 3-piece military fatstrap, and was often captured with this combination around his wrist.
4. The most expensive Rolex Paul Newman Daytona was auctioned off for over 1 million USD
The most expensive Rolex Daytona ever sold (Source: Christie’s)
It goes without saying that the Rolex Paul Newman Daytona is a guaranteed investment watch. The resale value of the timepiece continually increases with each passing year, which can clearly be witnessed each time another one of these rare timepieces is auctioned off. In fact, the most expensive Rolex Paul Newman Daytona to date was auctioned off in 2013 for a whopping 1,089,186 USD.
5. Paul Newman had a collection of several distinctive Daytonas
Paul Newman wearing a Rolex Zenith Daytona
Ironically enough, although Paul Newman was responsible for making the Daytona Exotic Dial particularly popular, he sported a variety of models from the Daytona collection in general. The talented icon has often been photographed sporting the Rolex Daytona Ref. 6263 that is comprised of a stainless steel case and paired with a black dial. Furthermore, Paul Newman has been spotted on many racetracks with the modern Rolex Daytona Zenith model in both stainless steel and white gold.
For more information about the Paul Newman Daytona, we highly recommend this 8-part article about Paul Newman and his collection on Jake's Rolex Blog.