Updated July 29. One of the rarest and most coveted Rolex watches will now be held at a single-lot online auction that began on Friday and will continue until July 31. The Rolex Cosmograph Daytona JPS reference 6264 in 18 carats passld is sold through Sothethrough’s London. With two days to go until the end of the sale, the value is $1.1 million, surpassing its estimated maximum of $800,000.
This watch combines two of the maximum requested features of a Rolex watch. It has the infrequent dial “Paul Newman” and the gold and black colors reminiscent of the “John Player Special” cigarette logo and especially the live wallpaper of the 1970s Formula 1 cars they sponsored. It remains one of the most notable design projects in grand Prix history.
According to Sotheby’s, the watch is incredibly rare, produced in very small amounts in a short period of time and rarely seems to be on sale.
“It is difficult to overstate the rarity of an 18k yellow gold 6264 and the fascination it rouses among vintage watch collectors. ‘Holy Grail’ and ‘icon’ are often used to describe the Daytona JPS,” says Sam Hines, worldwide head of Sotheby’s Watches. “Beyond its scarcity, the aura of the watch exudes from its outstanding beauty – the warmth and depth of the black-and-gold combination – and association with a golden era of Formula 1. It’s a dream for watch connoisseurs who are often car lovers.”
After 15 offers, the value of the clock was reduced to $1.1 million (850,000 GBP), starting at 11:00 a.m.EDT (July 29).
The Rolex 6264 reference is considered to be the latest completion of Daytona pump pushers and occurred in only a few figures between the 1960s and early 1970s, Hines says.
“While the maximum of the 6264 was made of stainless steel, some of the pieces were 18-karat yellow gold,” he says. “A fraction of those 6264 gold supplied with Paul Newman’s marked dial and produced in 3 variants of other spheres, newly named through the creditors ‘Lemon’, ‘Champagne’ and ‘JPS'”.
The JPS combines a yellow gold case and bracelet with a black acrylic bezel and a black dial with gold sub-registrations. The initials JPS “John Player Special”, the cigarette logo that is now synonymous with the mythical black and gold livening that adorned Lotus F1 cars from 1972 to 1986 and is related to the names of wonderful drivers, Emerson Fittipaldi, Ronnie Peterson, Array Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna.
According to the culture of watch collectors and especially those collecting Rolex watches, the company did not intend to produce a watch that mimicked the outstanding racing livening. The nickname “JPS” given through Rolex fans. The rest is the history of watchmaking.
Some of the main points of Paul Newman’s now iconic dial include: an acrylic dome glass, cross-shaped cross-dial sub-dials in the center sub-dial set, and the sub-dial seconds at nine o’clock marked at 15, 30, forty-five, and 60 posts.
As mentioned, auctions have taken on a frantic speed and it turns out that the maximum estimate of $800,000 will be eclipsed smoothly. The auction takes a position at Sotheby’s and ends on July 31.
In a past life, I was an award-winning daily reporter who turned to advertising and advertising magazines and now specializes in the best jewelry and watches for
In a past life, I was an award-winning daily reporter who turned to advertisements and ad magazines and now specializes in the best jewelry and watches for publications around the world. My first assignment in a magazine was with a publication specializing in design and architecture where I got first-hand education and an appreciation of the quality and innovation of a design that can make the world a bigger place. That’s all I carry with me in the world and I write about the intelligent things in life. In addition to this blog, you can find me on my blog “Jewelry News Network” and on my Facebook page, on Instagram @jewellerynewsnetwork and on Twitter @jewellerynewsnet.