My Grail - A Paul Newman ROLEX Daytona 6241

Finding my 'grail watch' has been far more of a personal journey of self discovery and experience rather than just going through a number of brand catalogues and finding ‘the one’. The other twist of expensive irony is that the definition of ‘grail watch’ changes as one matures as a collector. I’ve been lucky enough to have owned a number of brands over the last 4 years including; TAG Heuer, Franck Muller, JLC, Panerai, IWC and Audemars Piguet. With the exception of Rolex and Patek Philippe most of the other brands lost their appeal within months. The journey has been further complicated by my self-imposed rule of having to sell watch to buy another. I find that once my collection gets to 8-10 watches it becomes unmanageable, I DO like to actually wear and enjoy my watches.

So why a Rolex ‘Paul Newman’ dial Daytona? That is a difficult one to answer. I guess it was a combination of chance, luck and circumstance that got me here. Chance in the sense that I always admired the dial from afar. After I got the 6263 and the book ‘Rolex Daytona a legend is born’, my subliminal reverence for this watch really began. My trip to London allowed me to see one of these marvels first hand. The combination of the domed plexi-glass, the depth and contrast of the dial is truly majestic.


Original photo of my watch, artistic design and photgraphic manipulation courtesy of CROCO from the Rolex Forum.

The luck factor came in as I only wanted the original and best. Hence only a reference 6239 or 6241 would do. These are the only Paul Newman Daytona’s that actually came with these dials (and photos in Rolex catalogues) on all other references these dials were an added option. It also had to be original, absolutely no question about provenance or dispute about the dial.

Circumstance allowed me to finally convince someone to part with theirs.

I've had the Paul Newman Daytona for a couple of weeks now and I still can't contain my joy and excitement. Each person has their own definition of a 'grail watch', to me it must posses the following characteristics:
- has instant attraction to the point that you have to get one
- gives you an undescribable and enchanting feeling
- was very hard to find
- was bought from a colleague that found it very difficult to part with
- needed careful study
- makes you smile everyday

and most importantly makes you lose interest in the majority of other watches.

Here are some initial pictures. You will notice that the tritium has darkened but I like to keep it in this original condition. The pics just don't do this watch any justice.







On the wrist.



Have a look at the 722-1 caliber, isn’t it just divine.



Making this fairy tale possible was a lot of research, patience, persistence and sacrifice. But isn’t that what a grail quest is meant to be all about. I just look at this watch and go WOW!



Thanks for having a look. Catch you again soon!

Time to get some perspective Nov 22, 2008 - 07:00 AM

Amidst the economic doom and gloom, my wife and I decided to seek solace in a pampered pure luxury holiday. We initially planned to go to Hawaii, however, the rapid decline of the $A (aka pacific peso) would have made this a very expensive proposition.

Plan B actually ended up the better alternative. It involved a 550km car drive from Sydney to a beach town called Coffs Harbour.

A stopover at my favourite Winery Lake’s Folly (Australia’s iconic boutique winery which is renowned for its cabernet and chardonnay) was another bonus.




We decided to spend our vacation time at Aanuka Beach Resort which is relatively secluded with its own private beach area.




It is a haven for couples and an oasis of privacy which is perfect.



During our sojourn, the biggest concern was what to eat and drink on the fabulous menu or whether to swim in one of the many rock pools and\or private beach. Naturally we had to stay in one of the Paradise Spa Bure’s.

During our holiday, there were also some wildlife surprises that you will only find in Australia. Like water dragons and bush turkeys.

Cheeky fellow



No, one should not eat them LOL. Definitely not the Thanksgiving or Christmas Turkey.




Whilst only a short break of one week, taking time to enjoy family and friends with your favourite watch is true WISdom.

Thanks for having a look!! Catch you soon.

Four of a Kind

That is what they keep telling me LOL! It took a bit faster to get a 16520 than what I anticipated. If there is one positive consequence from the current financial crisis, the watch market has stayed resilient whilst some great pieces are coming out from the woodwork.

The Pacific Peso (aka $A dollar) was stifling this watch collector’s search for the next Daytona to complete the set. Sometimes, however, one does not need to look afar to find a bargain. There was my dream Zenith very close in another state. So a quick phone call and some faith in our courier service resulted in a speedy birthday delivery time. I love getting watches on my Birthday.



Yes the black dial is more collectible, but it has always been the contrast of the white dial that drew my fancy. A closer look will easily reveal why this model drove the popularity of the ‘Daytona’ to the point of becoming the most coveted sports chronograph. A crown that the Rolex Daytona wears to this day.




I just love the contrast of the white dial with the black sub dial registers and the red Daytona wording. Together with the slimmer hour and minute hands, this tritium dial gives the watch a more majestic appearance than its current successor.

The lightness of the bracelet appears flimsy but it is surprisingly comfortable on the wrist. Finally, the domed watch glass also pushes my buttons.

What is inside this watch is just as groundbreaking. Rolex cleverly used the revered Zenith El Primero 400 chronograph calibre, subjecting it to over 200 modifications to reach their rigorous standards. These changes effectively made the Rolex 4030 movement more reliable with vibrations down to 28,000 and accurate with the use of a Breguet hairspring and the Microstella regulation system.

Now that my collection is complete I look forward to how the Daytona will evolve from here.

Here is my collection.





Thanks for having a look at my newest addition. Catch you again soon!