Rolex Chronograph 6238 'Gilt'

Extremely rare and ridiculously attractive: galvanic gilt 6238 with enchanting gloss.

Some Rolex' are in a league of their own, and most of those coveted creations have been unveiled and/ or have publicly traded hands before. But here is a fresh to the market and -by every metric- highly collectible chronograph that has not previously been openly shared since it was born 60 years ago.

If a sporty Rolex Daytona -even a vintage one- is too ordinary and lacks a bit of elegance, you might opt for its predecessor; especially the black-dialed versions are exceptional. An historically important model, being the father of the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona as we know it today. The reference 6238 belongs to the the last line of watches that didn’t bear a model name on the dial. However, it’s known among collectors and aficionados as the ‘Pre-Daytona’; albeit this reference being in production alongside the 6239. Our 6239 dates to 1965, when the Cosmograph was already in production for 2 years.

This 36mm measuring timepiece has a lot to offer; both aesthetically and mechanically. It is powered by a celebrated Valjoux caliber, housed in a sleek Oyster case with round pump-pushers. The slightly domed, smooth bezel gives it a pleasant sophistication, unknown to most toolwatches. The monochrome dial is unostentatious and pragmatism seems paramount, unlike the less comprehensible and more crowded dial design of most earlier Rolex chronographs.

These 60's chronographs without the tachymeter scale on the bezel, always flew a bit under the radar. In terms of collectability, most attention goes out to the well-known and often studied Cosmograph Daytona. But there is a huge exception: the black dialled versions. Only a couple thousand 6238's have ever been produced, but the lion share of that small number (most likely over 95%) feature a light coloured dial.

Than there are black dials and black dials, this one is of the latter category. We present you this extremely scarce and sexy galvanic glossy dial! It provides a perfect balance between austerity and elegance. It is incredibly appealing with gilt printing, complementing the creamy tritium plots; which are all present. The dial surface retains a perfect mirror-like reflection and has no blemishes. The white lacquer on the chronograph hands, including the arrow of the second counter, is still perfect. The case is well-preserved and the original folded Jubilee bracelet dates back to the same year as the watch.