BY HARLAN CHAPMAN-GREEN
Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo has been generating a steady stream of news thanks to the collectible watches it’s been auctioning over the years. It’s a little hard to believe that it’s only been ten years since Phillips Watches became a thing, but the Phillips Decade One (2015 – 2025) auction is coming to the Hôtel Président from 8-9 November 2025 to mark the 10th anniversary. A wide range of watches, both old and new, will be going under the hammer across more than 200 lots. Some of my favourites include a unique version of Ferdinand Berthoud’s Naissance D’Une Montre 3, a beautiful Breguet Classique Complications ref. 3737, several Patek Philippe Nautilus pieces (including a 40th-anniversary model), a Charles Frodsham pocket watch gifted by John Pierpont Morgan Jr, and a rather tasty “Hyper Complication” pocket watch by J. Player & Sons.
They’ve also got some fetching Rolex Daytonas in the mix, and we thought they were worth a closer look.
Lot no. 34 — 18k Yellow Gold Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6239 circa 1967 “The Golden Pagoda”
Whether you like them or not, and whether you believe there should be hype around the ‘Paul Newman’ Daytonas, it’s hard to deny that this ref. 6239 from 1967 isn’t a stunner. It’s an extremely clean example, even retaining the factory sticker on the caseback, according to Phillips. This watch features a champagne-coloured dial with the classic design we know and love from the ‘Paul Newman’ Daytona, and it even has intact lume. Phillips notes the solid 18k yellow gold Daytona from this era is one of the rarest, with around 300 of the roughly 14,000 watches made in this precious metal. Given this generation’s rarity, we can expect the estimated auction price range of $628,000-$1,260,000 to be exceeded.
Lot no. 167 — Stainless Steel Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6238 “Paul Newman Musketeer Dial”
The ‘Paul Newman’ Daytona remains one of the most popular Daytona models for the vintage enthusiasts, especially those with the cash to afford them. This particular version is rare for a few reasons. It features the “Musketeer Dial”, distinguished by the concentric decoration within the subdials, called azurage. On the “Musketeer Dial”, the azurage extends about two-thirds of the way to the edges of the subdials. By contrast, on the previous lot, it runs right to the subdial edges. This particular watch also has the reference 6242 displayed inside its caseback. That model reference was never officially made, but it was apparently customary for Rolex at the time to sometimes use casebacks with other references engraved in them rather than the reference the watch actually is. The reference 6242 was a prototype but Rolex never made it, I guess they needed to use the casebacks up somehow? Given this rarity and the excellent condition described, the estimated auction price range is $188,000-$377,000.
Lot no. 170 — 14k Yellow Gold Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6241 circa 1969
Yet another variant of the ‘Paul Newman’ Daytona, this model is from around 1969. You read that right, this model’s case and bracelet are made from 14k yellow gold, a configuration aimed at the American market. In fact, the American market was the initial target for Rolex with its new chronograph when it launched in 1963, even choosing the name Daytona over others like Le Mans. It’s believed that fewer than 400 of these 6241 reference watches were produced in 14k gold, split across the several dial colour variants. This one shares the champagne colour of the first model with contrasting subdials. Those with inverse colours are known as ‘John Player Special’ Daytonas. The estimated sale price for this one ranges between $440,000-$879,000.
Lot no. 33 — Stainless Steel Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 16520 circa 1988 “Prototype Dial”
The last watch we’re looking at today – though far from the last Daytona up for auction – is Lot no. 33. If you’re a fan of the modern Daytona, this design will be much more familiar to you. Introduced in 1988, it was the first Daytona to feature an automatic movement. Powered by a Zenith El Primero calibre, it marked a new era for the model. According to Phillips, this particular example features a prototype dial made by Beyeler. It has very similar indices and subdials to the reference the 16520 replaced. The wording on the dial is slightly different, too: it omits the word “Perpetual” after Oyster despite the watch having the Rolex Oyster case and being self-winding (Rolex uses the word perpetual to denote a watch is automatic, which they all are today). It also omits the Daytona name above the 6 O’clock subdial and instead uses the word Cosmograph – production models display the familiar Daytona name. Phillips estimates the auction price range for this watch as $251,000-$502,000.
When you’ve got five minutes, I really recommend taking a look through the Phillips Decade One (2015 – 2025) catalogue – it’s a real treasure trove of horological wonders. Even if we can’t afford any of them, there’s no harm in admiring from afar.
