Rolex Daytona Paul Newman

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The Rolex Daytona Paul Newman History

At the Daytona race circuit in Florida, as at the track in Le Mans, France, Rolex-made watches time the 24 hours of the race tied to the history of the legendary collector’s watch: the “Paul Newman” Daytona.  The late American actor has without a doubt the merit of adding to the fame of the model by wearing it in his 1969 film Winning. In the role of Frank Capua, a young race car driver torn between work and love, Paul Newman wears a “personalised” Rolex Cosmograph, putting its resistance to strong vibration to the test. This particular Daytona model was given the nickname “Paul Newman” not by the Rolex company but by Italian collectors, as were the names “tropical” and “exotic” for the dials. As a matter of fact, this version differs from other Daytonas in its dial, specifically its two-tone graphics. The Paul Newman’s sub-dials not only contrast in colour to the dial but also match the colour of the chapter ring.

Furthermore, this dial has several levels with a small step between the chapter ring and the rest of the dial. The sub-dials are manufactured with filets circulaires (spiral and not grooved) with indices of a different colour and with small multi-faceted appliqué squares in place of the hour numerals. Amongst the most well-known Paul Newman dials are: the “coloured” version with a red chapter ring, the “Spirit of Japan” version in red with white sub-dials and a special model with the words “Yacht Master” printed on the dial and a multicoloured sub-dial at the three o’ clock position. Furthermore, even though not much is known about the dial, a unique version does exist in green, made for the famous Italian dealer Verga.

Paul Newman dials were produced in a limited series to be mounted on all Daytona references indiscriminately (except references 6270 and 6269 with diamonds) and in the past they were even replaced with less showy, plainer dials at the request of buyers. For this reason it is often difficult to identify them,  even if they are usually given the references 6239 and 6241 with chronomatic toned subdials of the same colour as the chapter ring with a serigraph minute scale.
Without a doubt the quality of excellence combined with scarce availability helped contribute to the model’s fame and it was highly valued from the end of the 1980s. But it was the watch’s unofficial celebrity endorsement that established its reputation as a status symbol; Paul Newman is remembered for his long and successful career both as an actor and a humanitarian, extending from memorable roles in films such as Somebody Up There Likes Me and Road To Perdition, to his humanitarian efforts and long and silent work in defence of the weak and freedom of expression in all its forms.

Apart from cinema, charity work and his family, Paul Newman’s other great passion was for motor cars and racing. In 1979 he participated in a race at the 24 hours of Le Mans, driving a Porsche 935 and finishing in second place. In 1995, at the age of 70, Newman won the 24 hours of Daytona in the HSV GTS class, becoming the oldest driver to win that race. Ten years later on that same circuit, he came out unscathed from a fire that destroyed his Crawford during a training session, showing his resistance and confirming what he once said: “racing allows me to escape the pallor of Hollywood more easily.”
Paul Newman’s passion for racing, which began at an early age, is evident in the behind the scenes photos taken of him in racing gear with the attentive expression of an expert in the most important race circuit boxes or at the wheel of a racing car, with, of course, “his” Rolex Paul Newman.