Rolex Paul Newman Daytona Ref. 6263 “Big Red” Sold At Auction
The Rolex Daytona Ref. 6263 “Big Red”, which belonged to the legendary racing driver and actor Paul Newman, has been auctioned by the Phillips auction house in New York for 5,475,000 US-Dollars.
In 2017, the Rolex Daytona “Paul Newman” Ref. 6239 was also sold, which likewise belonged to the racing driver. It changed hands for the record price of 17,752,500 US-Dollars. No other wristwatch has ever been auctioned at a more expensive price than the “Paul Newman” Daytona. Although the selling price of the “Big Red” does not come close to the legendary “Paul Newman”, it still easily exceeded the expected profit of around million dollars.
The Paul Newman Daytona “Big Red”
Paul Newman received the Rolex Daytona Ref. 6263 “Big Red” from his wife Joanne Woodward in 1983 for their 25th wedding anniversary. She left the inscription “Drive slowly Joanne” on the caseback. Newman liked the watch so much that he gave his “Paul Newman” Ref. 6239 – The Record Watch – to watchmaker James Cox. The racing driver wore his new Rolex daily before finally passing it on to his daughter Clea in 2008, after 20 years on his wrist. Clea Newman Soderlund has now put the watch up for auction and would like to donate the proceeds to charity.
The Rolex Daytona Ref. 6263 was presented in 1969 and is housed in a 37 mm steel case. In addition to the model with a black dial, there is also a variant with a silver dial. Both variants of the chronograph feature a stainless-steel bezel with a tachymeter scale. Above the small seconds at 6 o’clock, there is also the model-typical red “Daytona” lettering, to which this watch owes its nickname “Big Red”. Inside is the calibre 727, which is based on the Valjoux 72 and is manually wound.
The auction took place on December 12, 2020 in London and was broadcast live around the world. Shortly after the start, auctioneer Aurel Bacs, who also auctioned the Ref. 6239 “Paul Newman” in 2017, received a bid of 2,000,000 US dollars for the “Big Red”. There were 24 bids in total. In the end, the watch went to an anonymous collector from Geneva for a purchase price of $5,475,000 – the third highest price ever paid for a Rolex watch at auction.
This Paul Newman Daytona “Big Red” cannot quite measure up with the sales price of the legendary “Paul Newman”, however, the auction of this timepiece shows once again that the emotional value of a watch can far exceed the value of the individual parts.
OMEGA is introducing another model as part of its collaboration with Orbis – a non-profit organisation that treats eye diseases in developing countries. The OMEGA Trésor Orbis-Edition is available with two different bezels and features the Orbis teddy bear, which every child treated by Orbis receives. ORBIS is an international non-governmental organisation dedicated to treating…
In Munich, the jewellery, watch and gemstone industry gathered for the annual Inhorgenta trade fair. As the industry's leading trade fair in Europe, it not only serves as a hub but also honours designers, concepts and pieces of jewellery with the Inhorgenta Award. This year, more than 137 entries were received for the nine award…
When one hears the word Panerai, it evokes imagery of plunging into the ocean's depths, or circumnavigating the frozen Artic on ambitious expeditions. Recently, however, one Panerai watch found itself in a vastly different environment. On January 19, 2022, Anton Shkaplerov, while engaged on International Space Station Expedition 66, subtly strapped a Panerai watch to…
Swiss watch brand TUDOR is introducing a new system for referencing supplied movements. For historical reasons, the manufacturer until recently used four-digit references for third-party movements. The new designations are intended to avoid confusion between manufacture movements and supplied calibers. The four-digit references that were previously used – such as 2671 – will be replaced by…
OMEGA has introduced a Certificate of Authenticity for its watches that are over 30 years old. With the introduction, the Swiss watchmaker hopes to achieve more transparency for customers looking to buy a vintage OMEGA timepiece. The cost of the verification is 880€. In order to gain the certificate, any original OMEGA watch can be…
The organisers of the Watches and Wonders fair present their concept for this year's event. Watches and Wonders 2022 will take place physically, but will also allow for remote participation. For this purpose, a large part of the programme will be available on the W&W platform together with exclusive content for the internet. This year,…
The countdown has begun: on 21 February, the international jewellery, watches and gemstones trade fair Inhorgenta will open its doors for the 51st time. The event was launched in Munich in 1974 as the ‘first International Trade Fair for Watches, Jewellery, Gemstones and Silverware’. This year, the six exhibition halls will once again not only…
Following the unprecedented departure of brands including Rolex, Patek Philippe, Chopard and Chanel, Baselworld's MCH Group and representatives of exhibitors have agreed on a settlement for the cancelled Baselworld 2020. However, the MCH Group has also confirmed that Baselworld will not be taking place in 2021. The solution was drawn up in collaboration with the…
As the sponsor of this year’s German Polo Tour – held from May to September in different places – Jaeger-LeCoultre will gift a Reverso Classic Large Small Seconds to the winner of the tour. Since 1931 the watch manufacture is closely connected to polo sports. The polo players of the British army in India needed a watch, that…
Ressence and Sotheby's have announced the winner of their #WatchesAgainstCovid19 competition. Numerous watch enthusiasts designed their own creative interpretations of Ressence’s Type 1 Slim. The winning watch is a highly colourful piece and its designer is an English father-of-two, Yorkshireman Raymond Ramsden. Throughout the competition, the dial was designed by an array of competitors from around…
Breguet will present the craftsmanship that goes into watchmaking at the Art Düsseldorf 2022 fair. In this way, the brand wants to emphasise the connection between mechanics and the arts in classic watchmaking. Visitors will have the opportunity to discover the artisanal crafts in the halls of the Areal Böhler in Düsseldorf from 8 to…
Contemporary and independent watchmaker Ressence has sold its unique timepiece, created in collaboration with Sotheby's, of the #WatchesAgainstCovid19 competition. The winning watch, Raymond Ramsden's Type 1 Slim “Artyon & Finlay”, sold for 45,500 Swiss francs, and was purchased by an online bidder. The auction took place on 11 July, 2020, at Sotheby's Hong Kong ‘Important Watches’.…
TAG Heuer returns to Formula 1 as the official timekeeper in 2025, coinciding with the league's 75th anniversary and replacing Rolex as sponsor after ten years. The partnership, which began in the 1960s, has seen Heuer and later TAG Heuer involved in various capacities, including sponsorships and timekeeping. With a rich history in motorsport, the…