Rolex ‘Pre-Daytona’ Chronograph (6238)

Vintage Rolex 36mm ‘Pre-Daytona’ Chronograph, Silver Dial, Oyster Bracelet, Ref. 6238

Some watches are recognized and admired by both watch collectors and those who know nothing about watches in general. The Rolex Daytona is one of those watches. It has a rich history and is considered one of the best references from a well-known brand. In spite of it being a grail watch for many people, you are still likely to see one or many Daytonas in any get together of watch collectors. What you will seldom, if ever, see is what came before the Daytona.

Everything has a beginning and is an evolution of what came before, including the Rolex Daytona. The watch presented here is the reference 6238 and is often called a pre-Daytona. Calling it a pre-Daytona is unfortunate, because this watch is a thing of beauty all unto its own that just happens to have been overshadowed by the more well-known watch that followed. It’s this combination of ascetic beauty and rarity that makes the pre-Daytona arguably a more interesting and desirable watch, if not for everyone, certainly for watch connoisseurs.

The reference 6238 came with several dial types. This silver dial version is seen slightly more often and is also one of the more attractive. The dial includes a printed tachymeter scale, which gets moved to the steel bezel on the Daytona 6239 that follows. While easier to read in a speeding car, the smooth bezel of the pre-Daytona and the tachymeter on the dial is a more attractive watch. Note also that this watch includes the ‘-T swiss T-‘ at the bottom and not just ‘T Swiss T’. The dials without the dash may be Rolex replacement dials. Regardless, this dial is clearly an original, including the intact tritium lume. Later production 6238 watches switched to baton hands, which this watch includes. The first Daytona that followed carried over the baton style hands, as well as most of the dial layout. In fact, the case size, the baton hands, the plexi, the pushers and the winding crown – all are exactly the same for a 6238 and the first Daytona reference 6239.

The movement is a manual winding caliber 722, which is based on a Valjoux 72 movement. The Valjoux movements were responsible for powering some of the greatest names in watchmaking, including Patek, Audemars, and Breguet. The Valjoux movement is considered robust and very reliable. The watch presented here from circa 1965 is an excellent example with a flawless dial. The case, bezel, pushers and crown are all in remarkable condition. The attached Oyster bracelet from a later year is also in excellent condition. The Rolex Daytona is a beautiful watch with a well-earned reputation. Without diminishing it in any way, the pre-Daytona is a special watch in its own right, a seldom seen watch that demonstrates the wearers appreciation of the finest that Rolex had to offer.