Paul Newman rocking His DAYTONA REFERENCE 6263

 

...Rolex Ultra-Super Coolness...

Paul Newman

RACE TRACK DAYTONA

REFERENCE 6263

I recently discovered this vintage Rolex Magazine cover from Japan which features a great photo of Paul Newman rocking his famous black dial Reference 6263 on a bund strap. There is also a bizarre red dial Daytona model on the cover which looks kind of cool, but unfortunately it’s a Fugazi. Back in 2008, I showcased several red dial Daytona models that appeared in the wild, which look super cool, but the best scholarship suggests they were real Rolex Daytona models with modified dials, or perhaps prototype dials. Even though Rolex NEVER made a red dial Daytona, I thought they looked so cool, I created a dream red dial Daytona design reference for one back in 2008.

Vintage Tudor Submariner Porche Ad

Japanese Tudor Submariner

1968 Porche 906 Ad

My amazing researcher Alan from Hong Kong just surprised me when he sent in this amazing Japanese Tudor Submariner ad that features a Porsche 906. Very Cool!!! Ironically, the Porsche 906 was designed by Ferdinand Piëch, who was the grandson of Ferdinand Porsche.

The photo below is from 1969 and shows Japanese racecar driver Tomohiko Tsutsumi who was a member of the Tudor Watch Racing Team, and notice he is rocking a Tudor Submariner in this photo.

The box below is from 1968 and features the same Porsche 906. If you look carefully you will notice on the front hood of the car there is a 'ROLEX' logo just below the steering wheel, as well as a 'TUDOR' logo at the front of the hood. 

This next image below shows Tomohiko Tsutsumi is the same Tudor branded car in 1969 and notice the Rolex logo has been removed from the front hood of the car.

Paul Newman Daytona Refernces...

...Rolex Ultra-Super Coolness...

Paul Newman

Rolex Daytona Video

Captain Danny and I were recently talking about this recent super-cool Rolex video seen below titled "The Triumph of Endurance" which features Paul Newman.

Rolex profoundly quipped: Watch or legend? Launched in 1963, the Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona has long since transcended its status in the world of watchmaking to become an icon. Its name, inextricably linked to the famous racetrack, as well as its graphic face, have made it a legend. Since its launch, the Cosmograph Daytona has been the watch of choice for motor sport enthusiasts. Like the legendary actor, experienced racing driver and pioneering social entrepreneur Paul Newman, many have adopted the timepiece in their everyday lives beyond the racetrack. It symbolizes the determination and conviction of those with the courage to follow their own path according to their own rules.

Paul Newman

REFERENCE 6239

Paul Newman was the living personification of the Rolex Daytona in many senses. Newman famously owned two different early vintage Rolex Daytona models which were arguably antithetical in the sense one featured a white dial [Reference 6239] seen below, and the other featured a black dial [Reference 6263]:

Pictured above we see Paul Newman rocking his White Exotic Dial Daytona which sold at auction back in 2017 for a record setting $17.8 Million.

Paul Newman

REFERENCE 6263

Back in May I discovered this vintage Rolex Magazine cover from Japan which features a great photo of Paul Newman rocking his famous black dial Reference 6263 on a bund strap. Having worn both black and white base dial stainless steel Daytona models represents a kind of Yin and Yang that remains popular today as Rolex still offers both of these models.

There is also a bizarre red dial Daytona model on the cover which looks kind of cool, but unfortunately it’s a Fugazi. Back in 2008, I showcased several red dial Daytona models that appeared in the wild, which look super cool, but the best scholarship suggests they were real Rolex Daytona models with modified dials, or perhaps prototype dials. Even though Rolex NEVER made a red dial Daytona, I thought they looked so cool, I created a dream red dial Daytona design reference for one back in 2008.

Later in his life, Paul Newman owned and wore many more stainless steel Rolex Daytona models, but the two pictured above remain the most iconic and sought after...

One More Thang

Current Daytona Models

Rolex currently offers the Daytona models below in stainless steel, which have evolved into some true beauties.

Rolex recently surprised collectors when they introduced a special edition 100the Anniversary of a Le Mans Daytona which features subdials like the ones found on Paul Newmans Daytona models. Rolex put together a special 24 episode documentary series the showcased the fascinating history of Le Mans.

Rolex perfectly described the attributes of the Le Mans Daytona:

    "Rolex is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans race with an original version of its legendary chronograph. Crafted in 18 kt white gold, this new watch sports a Cerachrom bezel in black ceramic; on the tachymetric scale, the number ‘100’ in red ceramic evokes the race’s centenary."

    "Standing out against the bright black dial are intense white counters whose graphic design is inspired by a traditional Rolex dial. The Oyster case is fitted with a transparent back and an Oyster bracelet. This original timepiece is equipped with an exclusive movement, calibre 4132, which allows the hours of the chronograph function to be counted over twenty-four hours – another nod to the race – instead of the model’s usual twelve. 

    "This movement incorporates the Chronergy escapement, Paraflex shock absorbers, and bridges decorated with Rolex Côtes de Genève. The cut-out oscillating weight in 18 kt yellow gold is fitted with an optimized ball bearing. Like all Rolex watches, this special version of the Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona carries the Superlative Chronometer certification, which ensures excellent performance on the wrist."

The 1964 Rolex Le Mans 

It's fascinating to note that Rolex initially planed to call the Rolex Daytona model, the Rolex Le Mans as we witness in this 1964 Rolex ad—which ironically kind of looks like the 100th Anniversary Rolex Daytona Le Mans Editon.

Rolex in Japan: An Example to Follow

Rolex in Japan

An Example to Follow?

 By DANNY CRIVELLO
           

Two thousand nineteen marked an important anniversary in horology, and this one has nothing to do with the Moon. 

Fifty years ago last month, on Dec. 25, 1969, Japanese watchmaker Seiko unveiled the Astron, the world's first quartz watch, unwittingly starting what is dubbed today as the Quartz Crisis because it forced many traditional Swiss watchmakers out of business.

Half a century later, however, in one of the greatest turnarounds in the industry, the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry said exports to Japan have never been stronger, logging the biggest increase year-over-year for any country. 

Austin Daniels/YouTube

Swiss watch exports to Japan are up a stunning 21%, while in Hong Kong, still the biggest market in the world, it dropped 10%. 

The year 2019 was not an outlier in the Land of the Rising Sun: If we look at the past two years, Swiss watch exports to Japan increased by a mind-boggling 33%. Exports to Japan have surpassed exports to the UK and are catching up with exports to China.

So it's no surprise that watch publication HODINKEE picked Japan as its first international edition. Two months ago, it went live with HODINKEE.jp, providing a mix of translated articles published on HODINKEE.com and original pieces written by Japanese watch journalists.

Fifty years after the quartz revolution nearly wiped out the Swiss watch industry with cheap quartz models, the popularity of Rolex in Japan has never been stronger even spawning new policies for buying Rolex watches.

The new policy, which started in November, restricts the number of Rolex professional models that can be purchased by one customer.

The policy was not instigated by Rolex Japan but was suggested by 20 companies that run official stores in that country. Rolex signed off on the new policy. 

The policy restricts clients to one popular professional model per year—Daytona, GMT-Master II, Submariner, Sea-Dweller, Deepsea, Explorer and Explorer II—and one reference per five years. For example, you can buy a GMT-Master II BLRO ("Pepsi") one year and a GMT-Master II CHNR ("Root beer") the next. If you want to buy two BLROs, however, you'll have to wait five years between the two.

Of course, the main purpose of this policy is to prevent buying for the purpose of watch flipping, as most Rolex professional models command a price on the grey market that is above the recommended retail price in Japan.

The new policy aims to protect the watch enthusiasts who want a Rolex in their collections and is conducted at 67 stores in Japan which share a database of purchases. Customers will have to present a photo ID when purchasing. 

An American businessman in Japan who goes by M. Bu told me recently: "I’m glad such rule exists even though I’m here for work," he said. "I hope such rule is coming to the USA."




Austin Daniels, an American who has lived in Japan for nearly 15 years, is the host of a popular channel on YouTube about Rolex and the Japanese culture. Austin told me that [before the rule] there was a sense of unfairness on the part of potential Japanese Rolex customers. And he felt a rule that limits the amount of desirable pieces a single person can buy addresses that. "It seems to be aimed at maximizing fairness," he said. "I commend Rolex for their aim." 

Should a similar rule be implanted in other countries? Let me know via Twitter or Instagram.

Rolex Founder Hans Wilsdorf

Rolex Time Machine

Hans Wilsdorf

Japanese Rolex Retailer Meeting in Geneva

If you are a regular reader of Jake's Rolex World you know I have been obsessed for a long time about telling the story of Hans Wilsdorf, who founded Rolex.

The photo below was taken sometime in the late 1950s and show Rolex founder, Hans Wilsdorf with the fourth generation Ryohei president of what is now known as the Hotta Corporation. The photo was taken in Hans Wilsdorf's office at Rolex headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

If you look at the photo above of Hans Wilsdorf's office, in the upper right-hand corner we see a Rolex ad that features Lord Mountbatten. This add was published in magazines in 1957 and was part of the "Men who guide the destinies of the world wear Rolex watches."

The Hotta Corporation is one of the oldest watch retailers in Japan, and they own and operate multiple freestanding Rolex boutiques in Japan.

It is amazing, if you think about it, that there are many Rolex Authorized retailers located around the world as part of Rolex's network that developed their relationships with Hans Wilsdorf.