The story behind this priceless watch is quite intriguing. In the summer of 1984, James Cox, a close friend of Paul Newman, was at the Newman residence in Westport, Connecticut when Paul asked him for the time. James replied that he didn’t know as he didn’t own a watch. In response, Paul handed him his own Rolex and said, “Here, this is a watch. If you wind it, it will tell you the time quite accurately.” James Cox wore the watch daily until the mid-1990s when he learned about its relative value as a “Paul Newman” Daytona model.
Two years after Newman’s passing, his daughter established the Nell Newman Foundation, and the foundation’s treasurer, Tom Peck, contacted renowned collector Aurel Bacs in California regarding the possibility of selling the watch. Within weeks, Aurel Bacs, the man who set a record for the highest-priced Daytona auction (which he later broke again), arrived in California to examine the watch. According to James, Aurel was “excited as a Swiss boy with his first model watch” when he got hold of the timepiece.
The watch itself is a Rolex Daytona Reference 6239 (steel case and pushers) with a distinctive black three-subdial dial, commonly referred to as the “Paul Newman” dial. The watch dates back to 1968 and was a gift to Newman from his wife, Joanne Woodward. The case back is engraved with the words “Drive Carefully Me,” and the inscription remains fully visible and clear to this day. Nell Newman mentioned that her father had worn the watch for 15 years or more, even using it while racing around Lime Rock Park before eventually giving it to James Cox.
The condition of the watch is striking. Although photographs published in The Wall Street Journal (the first to break the news) or The New York Times might lead one to believe the watch is in pristine condition, it is not so. The Daytona has endured the test of time and shows evidence of being worn for many years, with some minor scratches on the dial not as apparent as depicted in those pictures. The case and case back display normal wear and tear from regular use, yet they do not appear excessively beaten.
Furthermore, the signs of wear are authentic rather than meticulously polished out; the chronograph pushers and crown remain sharp, and the luminescent markers seem intact and accurate. If this watch weren’t an Ur-Paul Newman, it might not be the most desirable specimen, but from an authenticity standpoint, it’s much better to see that it has not been tampered with (and indeed it has been worn) than to find it in used but pristine condition.
Wearing the watch on the wrist is a surreal experience. Once again, having the 6239 Daytona on the wrist, even more so a Paul Newman, is truly remarkable. Knowing that Newman himself looked down at it, just like in the picture, is incredibly special.
Interestingly, I found it to be even more fascinating to observe how other collectors reacted to it. Everyone from novices to seasoned veterans who had amassed impressive collections of Rolex watches since the heyday of the Bubbleback seemed to be in awe. These grown men were excitedly laughing and asking their friends to snap iPhone pictures of them standing next to the watch in its glass case. The whole experience was a lovely reminder of just how fascinating our little passion can be and how an extraordinary community has formed around it since the days when this watch was Rolex’s best-selling model.
Finally, after the auction on October 26, 2017, the most expensive Rolex watch in history was sold for nearly 19 million USD. While many had speculated that it would reach multimillion-dollar figures, not everyone was willing to spend such an exorbitant amount to own the Paul Newman Daytona, despite it being one of the most special and iconic models known as “The Paul Newman.”
Erling Haaland’s possession of a watch strikingly similar to the Most Expensive Rolex Watch in History, the Paul Newman Daytona, is a testament to his exquisite taste and appreciation for timeless craftsmanship.
