Undiscovered Rolex Daytona 'The Doctor' Surfaces After 58 Years for Geneva Auction
The upcoming Christie’s auction in Geneva features a major discovery: a stainless steel Rolex Daytona, Reference 6239, consigned directly by its original owner. This timepiece, known to collectors as 'The Doctor' model, has been held privately since approximately 1967, and its emergence is considered highly significant for the vintage market. Its case number is 1’626’212, and the estimate for the lot is set between CHF 400,000 and CHF 600,000.
It remains remarkable that new examples of the rarest Rolex wristwatches, previously unknown to the market, can still surface after nearly six decades. This Daytona, entirely fresh to auction, is confirmed as one of these rare, undiscovered treasures.
The Specificity of the ‘Doctor’ Dial
The rarity of this Reference 6239 is centred on its dial configuration. It is an extremely scarce variant, featuring a silvered dial with black subsidiary registers and a bright blue outer pulsation scale. This scale is calibrated for 15 pulsations, allowing medical practitioners, the reason for the nickname 'The Doctor', to use the chronograph to quickly and accurately calculate a patient’s heart rate in beats per minute (BPM).
Crucially, this specific dial includes the model name 'Cosmograph' but omits the 'Daytona' signature entirely. This omission makes it one of the scarcest variants of the Reference 6239 and indeed among the entire Cosmograph line. While two dial types of this model are known (one with 'Daytona' and one without), this piece is an example of the latter, rarer configuration.
Market Rarity and Condition
The scarcity of this specific 'no-Daytona' dial is profound. Very few examples have ever surfaced, with current estimates suggesting fewer than five are known to exist today. Consequently, few experienced collectors have ever had the opportunity to physically examine a watch of this immense rarity.
The auction marks the first time an example of the Reference 6239 without the 'Daytona' name has been offered for public sale in almost a decade. Beyond its rarity, the watch is distinguished by its highly original condition. The dial’s design is distinctively pared-down compared to a standard 6239 dial, with the black minute track and the ‘T Swiss T’ text being repositioned, alongside the applied hour indexes, to accommodate the pulsation scale.
The watch measures 36.5 mm in diameter and comes complete with its original manual winding movement and the correct stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet and deployant clasp, confirming its excellent and honest originality.
