Reference:6234 - Revision history

Klaudiusz: Deep correctness and anti-slop audit: qualify 6234 chronology and production estimates, remove market leakage, fix image layout and add footer gallery

2026-09-29T03:00:24Z

Deep correctness and anti-slop audit: qualify 6234 chronology and production estimates, remove market leakage, fix image layout and add footer gallery

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:00, 29 September 2026
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	{{#seo:		{{#seo:
	\|title=Rolex 6234 Chronograph — Pre-Daytona, 1955–1961 \| Rolexopedia		\|title=Rolex 6234 Chronograph — Pre-Daytona, 1955–1961 \| Rolexopedia
	\|description=The Rolex 6234 Oyster ~~Chronograph "Anti-Magnetique" — produced 1955 to 1961 in roughly 2~~,~~300 steel pieces~~ and ~~144 in two karat weights of yellow gold~~, ~~with~~ a ~~36mm screw-down Oyster case,~~ Valjoux 72 hand-wound movement~~, and a smooth bezel that pushes the tachymetre and telemeter scales onto the dial~~. ~~The chronograph that sits between~~ the 6034 ~~monobloc-case predecessor~~ and the 6238 ~~that ports the chronograph identity onto the Daytona-shared 36mm Oyster case~~.		\|description=The Rolex 6234 is a 36mm Oyster chronograph generally dated 1955–1961, with pump pushers, a smooth bezel, printed tachymeter and telemeter scales, and a Valjoux 72-family hand-wound movement. It follows the 6034 and precedes the 6238.
	\|keywords=Rolex, 6234, Pre-Daytona, Daytona, Oyster Chronograph, Anti-Magnetique, Valjoux 72, vintage chronograph, reference guide		\|keywords=Rolex, 6234, Pre-Daytona, Daytona, Oyster Chronograph, Anti-Magnetique, Valjoux 72, vintage chronograph, reference guide
	\|image=Ref 6234 ~~hero~~.webp		\|image=Ref 6234 generations.webp
	\|image_alt=hero		\|image_alt=hero
	\|type=Article		\|type=Article
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	The 6234 predates the Cosmograph 6239. Sources generally place the Cosmograph designation with the 6239 in 1963 and the Daytona dial signature later; the 6234 itself has neither name.		The 6234 predates the Cosmograph 6239. Sources generally place the Cosmograph designation with the 6239 in 1963 and the Daytona dial signature later; the 6234 itself has neither name.

	~~Auction catalogues describe black-dial 6234 examples as infrequently offered.~~ The surviving auction sample is small, so the article records the individual lots rather than ~~ranking~~ the 6234 ~~against~~ every other pre-Daytona reference.		The surviving auction sample is small, so the article records the individual lots rather than comparing the 6234 with every other pre-Daytona reference.

	==Production outline==		==Production outline==
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	==Movement notes==		==Movement notes==
			The movement is a Valjoux 72-family, hand-wound, column-wheel chronograph with three registers. Auction and reference literature use Cal. 72, 72A, and 72B descriptions; late 6234 and early 6238 transitions are a catalogue and movement-marking question.

			The cited Valjoux 72 descriptions use an 18,000-vph frequency and manual winding. Jewel counts and ancillary features should be checked against the individual movement.

	[[File:Ref 6234 detail.webp\|thumb\|right\|260px\|Steel 6234 close-up (Revolution / Tom Ng, 2017)\|alt=Steel 6234 close-up (Revolution / Tom Ng, 2017)]]		[[File:Ref 6234 detail.webp\|thumb\|right\|260px\|Steel 6234 close-up (Revolution / Tom Ng, 2017)\|alt=Steel 6234 close-up (Revolution / Tom Ng, 2017)]]

	The movement is a Valjoux 72-family, hand-wound, column-wheel chronograph with three registers. Auction and reference literature use Cal. 72, 72A, and 72B descriptions; late 6234 and early 6238 transitions are a catalogue and movement-marking question.

	The cited Valjoux 72 descriptions use an 18,000-vph frequency and manual winding. Jewel counts and ancillary features should be checked against the individual movement. A historical retail price is omitted here because it does not identify the reference’s construction or variant.

	==Dial map==		==Dial map==
	~~<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">~~
	~~File:Ref 6234 multi-colour-dial.webp\|Multi-coloured 6234 dial — courtesy Teddy Dewitte (A Collected Man / Sheldrake 2020)~~
	~~File:Ref 6234 silvered-dial.webp\|alt=Reference 6234 silvered dial\|Standard silvered-dial 6234, circa 1959, on its original rivet Oyster bracelet. Sotheby's Daytona Capsule Collection 2019, lot 11.~~
	File:Ref 6234 tropical-gilt.webp\|alt=Reference 6234 tropical gilt dial\|Black-lacquered gilt 6234 with applied dagger indices, case 688717 (1961), aged tropical to a rich chocolate brown. Sotheby's Olmsted Complications Collection 2025, lot 65.
	~~File:Ref 6234 sub-dial-layouts.webp\|Large versus small sub-dial configurations on the 6234 (A Collected Man / Sheldrake 2020)~~
	~~</gallery>~~

	The documented dial differences include colour, scale layout, sub-dial size, and lume treatment. The surviving sample is too small for a complete factory taxonomy.		The documented dial differences include colour, scale layout, sub-dial size, and lume treatment. The surviving sample is too small for a complete factory taxonomy.

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	The cited 6234 auction lots do not show Tiffany or Serpico y Laino signatures. That absence does not establish that no retailer-signed 6234 exists.		The cited 6234 auction lots do not show Tiffany or Serpico y Laino signatures. That absence does not establish that no retailer-signed 6234 exists.

			<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
			File:Ref 6234 multi-colour-dial.webp\|Multi-coloured 6234 dial — courtesy Teddy Dewitte (A Collected Man / Sheldrake 2020)
			File:Ref 6234 silvered-dial.webp\|alt=Reference 6234 silvered dial\|Standard silvered-dial 6234, circa 1959, on its original rivet Oyster bracelet. Sotheby's Daytona Capsule Collection 2019, lot 11.
			File:Ref 6234 tropical-gilt.webp\|alt=Reference 6234 tropical gilt dial\|Black-lacquered gilt 6234 with applied dagger indices, case 688717 (1961), aged tropical to a rich chocolate brown. Sotheby's Olmsted Complications Collection 2025, lot 65.
			File:Ref 6234 sub-dial-layouts.webp\|Large versus small sub-dial configurations on the 6234 (A Collected Man / Sheldrake 2020)
			</gallery>



	==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown==		==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown==
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	==Special branches==		==Special branches==

	The published estimates identify about 108 14K and 36 18K gold examples. Gold cases are described with matching gold components in the cited literature, but market routing and bracelet originality need lot-level evidence. Piccinini illustrates a gold example~~; no general price ranking is inferred here~~.		The published estimates identify about 108 14K and 36 18K gold examples. Gold cases are described with matching gold components in the cited literature, but market routing and bracelet originality need lot-level evidence. Piccinini illustrates a gold example.

	Some records associate miles scales and ROW markings with US-market examples. The sample does not prove a single supplier-routing rule or a factory variant program.		Some records associate miles scales and ROW markings with US-market examples. The sample does not prove a single supplier-routing rule or a factory variant program.
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	==Historical market and auction record==		==Historical market and auction record==

			The cited auction record includes Phillips, Sotheby’s, Antiquorum, and other houses. The lots below are examples, not a complete market census.

	[[File:Ref 6234 black-glossy.webp\|thumb\|right\|260px\|alt=Reference 6234 black glossy dial\|Reference 6234 with black glossy dial, case 1262289, sold for CHF403,200 at Phillips Geneva XV, 7 May 2022, lot 192.]]		[[File:Ref 6234 black-glossy.webp\|thumb\|right\|260px\|alt=Reference 6234 black glossy dial\|Reference 6234 with black glossy dial, case 1262289, sold for CHF403,200 at Phillips Geneva XV, 7 May 2022, lot 192.]]

	~~The cited auction record includes Phillips, Sotheby’s, Antiquorum, and other houses. The lots below are examples, not a complete market census.~~

	{\| class="wikitable"		{\| class="wikitable"
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	The 6234 is the last of the [[Reference:pre-daytona-chronographs\|pre-Daytona chronograph]] line before the 6238 hands the round-Oyster layout to the 6239 and the Cosmograph Daytona name in 1963.		The 6234 is the last of the [[Reference:pre-daytona-chronographs\|pre-Daytona chronograph]] line before the 6238 hands the round-Oyster layout to the 6239 and the Cosmograph Daytona name in 1963.

			<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
			File:Ref 6234 generations.webp\|6234 dial-generation comparison
			File:Ref 6234 detail.webp\|Steel 6234 close-up
			File:Ref 6234 multi-colour-dial.webp\|Multi-coloured 6234 dial
			File:Ref 6234 silvered-dial.webp\|Silvered 6234 dial on rivet Oyster bracelet
			File:Ref 6234 tropical-gilt.webp\|Tropical gilt 6234 dial
			File:Ref 6234 sub-dial-layouts.webp\|Large and small 6234 sub-dial layouts
			File:Ref 6234 japanese-no-lume.webp\|Japanese-market no-lume dial
			File:Ref 6234 black-glossy.webp\|Black glossy 6234 dial
			</gallery>

	== Sources ==		== Sources ==
			* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2023/fine-watches-8/pre-daytona-reference-6234-montre Sotheby's, Pre-Daytona reference 6234, circa 1957]

	* [https://www.acollectedman.com/blogs/journal/rolex-pre-daytona-forgotten-classic Russell Sheldrake, "Is the Rolex Pre-Daytona a Forgotten Classic?", A Collected Man, 2020-08]		* [https://www.acollectedman.com/blogs/journal/rolex-pre-daytona-forgotten-classic Russell Sheldrake, "Is the Rolex Pre-Daytona a Forgotten Classic?", A Collected Man, 2020-08]

Klaudiusz: Clean negation in 6234 bracelet section

2026-09-28T16:06:53Z

Clean negation in 6234 bracelet section

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:06, 28 September 2026
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	Many surviving 6234s are now on leather straps with Rolex pin buckles. Every Phillips lot recorded above (Start-Stop-Reset 2016, Geneva XV 2022, Geneva XVIII 2023) and the Sotheby's Olmsted 2025 example come on leather. The Sotheby's Daytona Capsule 2019 example (lot 11) is the one major-house lot in the captured record on its original rivet bracelet with folding clasp.		Many surviving 6234s are now on leather straps with Rolex pin buckles. Every Phillips lot recorded above (Start-Stop-Reset 2016, Geneva XV 2022, Geneva XVIII 2023) and the Sotheby's Olmsted 2025 example come on leather. The Sotheby's Daytona Capsule 2019 example (lot 11) is the one major-house lot in the captured record on its original rivet bracelet with folding clasp.

	The Big Logo Gay Frères-stamped clasp is the period-correct fit on early 6234 production through 1958; the Small Logo Rolex-coronet clasp succeeds it from 1958 forward. ~~Neither carries a date code in the~~ modern single-letter ~~sense (that~~ system ~~does not start until~~ 1976~~), but the inside~~-~~clasp quarterly stamp on~~ Gay Frères clasps ~~from the late 1950s reads as <code><~~Roman quarter~~>.<~~two-digit year~~></code> (for example "~~II.58~~" for second quarter 1958)~~. The clasp dates the bracelet, not the watch head; see [[Reference:Bracelets]] for the full date-code key.		The Big Logo Gay Frères-stamped clasp is the period-correct fit on early 6234 production through 1958; the Small Logo Rolex-coronet clasp succeeds it from 1958 forward. The modern single-letter clasp code system begins in 1976. Late-1950s Gay Frères clasps may instead carry a quarterly Roman-quarter and two-digit-year stamp, such as II.58. The clasp dates the bracelet, not the watch head; see [[Reference:Bracelets]] for the full date-code key.

	==Special branches==		==Special branches==

Klaudiusz: Finish chronology and movement wording after 6234 audit

2026-09-28T16:06:28Z

Finish chronology and movement wording after 6234 audit

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:06, 28 September 2026
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	==Where it sits in the line==		==Where it sits in the line==

	~~Two references frame the position.~~ The 6034 ~~(1949 to 1955) is~~ the ~~antimagnetic predecessor, running the same Valjoux 72 under the same smooth bezel~~ in the ~~same triple-register layout~~, ~~on a different Oyster case construction~~. ~~Sheldrake records it as the first Rolex Oyster chronograph built on~~ a three-~~piece~~ case ~~rather than the monobloc~~ construction ~~of the 3525; the 6234 inherits that architecture~~ and ~~refines the~~ dial ~~layout~~. ~~The~~ 6238 ~~(1961/62 to 1967/68) is the successor~~; the ~~chronograph identity ported onto the 36mm Oyster case shared with the 6239, with the cal 72B carrying over from late-production 6234s into the first-series 6238 before~~ the ~~cal 722 redesign~~.		The 6034 precedes the 6234 in the Oyster chronograph sequence, and the 6238 follows it. The references share a three-register chronograph layout, but case construction, movement descriptions, and dial details vary between records. Some literature connects late 6234 Cal. 72B descriptions with early 6238 examples; the transition should be checked against the individual movement.

	The 6234 predates the Cosmograph 6239. Sources generally place the Cosmograph designation with the 6239 in 1963 and the Daytona dial signature later; the 6234 itself has neither name.		The 6234 predates the Cosmograph 6239. Sources generally place the Cosmograph designation with the 6239 in 1963 and the Daytona dial signature later; the 6234 itself has neither name.
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	The movement is a Valjoux 72-family, hand-wound, column-wheel chronograph with three registers. Auction and reference literature use Cal. 72, 72A, and 72B descriptions; late 6234 and early 6238 transitions are a catalogue and movement-marking question.		The movement is a Valjoux 72-family, hand-wound, column-wheel chronograph with three registers. Auction and reference literature use Cal. 72, 72A, and 72B descriptions; late 6234 and early 6238 transitions are a catalogue and movement-marking question.

	The ~~movement runs at~~ 18,000 vph ~~(2.5 Hz), 17 jewels,~~ manual ~~wind, no hack, no quickset~~. ~~The frequency increase to 21,600 vph waited for cal 727 in 1970, four references downstream. Tom Mulraney's [https://www.watchtime~~.~~com/brands/watches/tracking-the-rolex-daytona-a-53-year-history ''Tracking the Rolex Daytona''] essay for WatchTime (2016) records a period~~ retail ~~of about USD 200 for a 6234, a~~ price ~~point that places the chronograph below~~ the ~~smaller-volume gold Pateks and Vacherons of the mid-1950s and roughly in line with the rest of the Rolex sport-watch catalogue~~.		The cited Valjoux 72 descriptions use an 18,000-vph frequency and manual winding. Jewel counts and ancillary features should be checked against the individual movement. A historical retail price is omitted here because it does not identify the reference’s construction or variant.

	==Dial map==		==Dial map==

Klaudiusz: Deep audit: ground 6234 chronology, production, movement, dial and auction claims

2026-09-28T16:06:03Z

Deep audit: ground 6234 chronology, production, movement, dial and auction claims

Show changes

Admin: SEO fix: add missing alt attributes to images

2026-09-19T03:35:23Z

SEO fix: add missing alt attributes to images

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:35, 19 September 2026
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	==Movement notes==		==Movement notes==
	[[File:Ref 6234 detail.webp\|thumb\|right\|260px\|Steel 6234 close-up (Revolution / Tom Ng, 2017)]]		[[File:Ref 6234 detail.webp\|thumb\|right\|260px\|Steel 6234 close-up (Revolution / Tom Ng, 2017)\|alt=Steel 6234 close-up (Revolution / Tom Ng, 2017)]]

	Inside is the Valjoux 72, the column-wheel, lateral-clutch, tri-compax chronograph base that goes on to power the entire manual-wind Daytona line through to the 6263 / 6265. Period Rolex and contemporary auction-house lot text use Cal. 72 or Cal. 72A for the bare Valjoux ebauche with Rolex finishing, before the Rolex caliber-stamp progression that arrives on the second-series 6238 redesign as cal 722. Sheldrake records a transitional state at the end of the run: the cal 72B, with Rolex finishing held over from the late 6234 into the first series of the 6238, runs out the 6234 production window before the cal 722 redesign brings the Rolex caliber stamp itself.		Inside is the Valjoux 72, the column-wheel, lateral-clutch, tri-compax chronograph base that goes on to power the entire manual-wind Daytona line through to the 6263 / 6265. Period Rolex and contemporary auction-house lot text use Cal. 72 or Cal. 72A for the bare Valjoux ebauche with Rolex finishing, before the Rolex caliber-stamp progression that arrives on the second-series 6238 redesign as cal 722. Sheldrake records a transitional state at the end of the run: the cal 72B, with Rolex finishing held over from the late 6234 into the first series of the 6238, runs out the 6234 production window before the cal 722 redesign brings the Rolex caliber stamp itself.
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	The US-market scales-in-Miles dials are the other documented variation. The Miles-calibrated scales and the ROW import code on the movement line up with the 14k yellow gold examples following the lower-duty US import market, which points at a single supplier-routing logic rather than a separate Rolex-side variant programme.		The US-market scales-in-Miles dials are the other documented variation. The Miles-calibrated scales and the ROW import code on the movement line up with the 14k yellow gold examples following the lower-duty US import market, which points at a single supplier-routing logic rather than a separate Rolex-side variant programme.

	[[File:Ref 6234 japanese-no-lume.webp\|thumb\|right\|260px\|Japanese-market 6234 dial — "T SWISS T" text without lume on dial or hands. Photo courtesy Teddy Dewitte (A Collected Man / Sheldrake 2020)]]		[[File:Ref 6234 japanese-no-lume.webp\|thumb\|right\|260px\|Japanese-market 6234 dial — "T SWISS T" text without lume on dial or hands. Photo courtesy Teddy Dewitte (A Collected Man / Sheldrake 2020)\|alt=Japanese-market 6234 dial — "T SWISS T" text without lume on dial or hands. Photo courtesy Teddy Dewitte (A Collected Man / Sheldrake 2020)]]

	The Japanese-market no-lume variant sits in its own category. Documented by Dewitte through one example in his own collection plus several others observed at Pre-Daytona auctions, the variant is the cleanest evidence in the published 6234 literature for a destination-market dial / hand modification that operates outside the standard catalogue. Surviving examples retain the printed "T SWISS T" line under the Rolex signature at six o'clock; the dial and hands carry no lume, with no signs of lume removal — the lume application step was simply skipped at the Rolex workshop, and lume-channel-less hands fitted in place of the standard tritium hands.		The Japanese-market no-lume variant sits in its own category. Documented by Dewitte through one example in his own collection plus several others observed at Pre-Daytona auctions, the variant is the cleanest evidence in the published 6234 literature for a destination-market dial / hand modification that operates outside the standard catalogue. Surviving examples retain the printed "T SWISS T" line under the Rolex signature at six o'clock; the dial and hands carry no lume, with no signs of lume removal — the lume application step was simply skipped at the Rolex workshop, and lume-channel-less hands fitted in place of the standard tritium hands.

Klaudiusz: Hero: place Ref 6234 generations.webp as the lead image

2026-09-12T16:55:53Z

Hero: place Ref 6234 generations.webp as the lead image

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:55, 12 September 2026
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	<div class="rp-lead">		<div class="rp-lead">
	[[File:Ref 6234 generations.webp\|thumb\|center\|640px\|alt=~~Vintage~~ Rolex ~~advert showing the~~ 6234 ~~alongside other Oyster watches (A Collected Man / Sheldrake 2020)~~\|~~Vintage~~ Rolex ~~advert showing the~~ 6234 ~~alongside other Oyster watches (A Collected Man / Sheldrake 2020)~~]]		[[File:Ref 6234 generations.webp\|thumb\|center\|640px\|alt=Rolex 6234\|Rolex 6234]]
	</div>		</div>

Admin: Layout: duplicate lead image removed

2026-09-06T23:09:55Z

Layout: duplicate lead image removed

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:09, 6 September 2026
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	==Where it sits in the line==		==Where it sits in the line==
	~~[[File:Ref 6234 generations.webp\|thumb\|right\|280px\|The three pre-Daytona generations side by side: 6034, 6234, 6238 (A Collected Man / Sheldrake 2020)]]~~

	Two references frame the position. The 6034 (1949 to 1955) is the antimagnetic predecessor, running the same Valjoux 72 under the same smooth bezel in the same triple-register layout, on a different Oyster case construction. Sheldrake records it as the first Rolex Oyster chronograph built on a three-piece case rather than the monobloc construction of the 3525; the 6234 inherits that architecture and refines the dial layout. The 6238 (1961/62 to 1967/68) is the successor; the chronograph identity ported onto the 36mm Oyster case shared with the 6239, with the cal 72B carrying over from late-production 6234s into the first-series 6238 before the cal 722 redesign.		Two references frame the position. The 6034 (1949 to 1955) is the antimagnetic predecessor, running the same Valjoux 72 under the same smooth bezel in the same triple-register layout, on a different Oyster case construction. Sheldrake records it as the first Rolex Oyster chronograph built on a three-piece case rather than the monobloc construction of the 3525; the 6234 inherits that architecture and refines the dial layout. The 6238 (1961/62 to 1967/68) is the successor; the chronograph identity ported onto the 36mm Oyster case shared with the 6239, with the cal 72B carrying over from late-production 6234s into the first-series 6238 before the cal 722 redesign.

Admin: Layout: restore the original lead caption

2026-09-06T23:00:39Z

Layout: restore the original lead caption

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:00, 6 September 2026
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	<div class="rp-lead">		<div class="rp-lead">
	[[File:Ref 6234 generations.webp\|thumb\|center\|640px\|alt=Rolex 6234\|Rolex 6234]]		[[File:Ref 6234 generations.webp\|thumb\|center\|640px\|alt=Vintage Rolex advert showing the 6234 alongside other Oyster watches (A Collected Man / Sheldrake 2020)\|Vintage Rolex advert showing the 6234 alongside other Oyster watches (A Collected Man / Sheldrake 2020)]]
	</div>		</div>

Admin: Layout: hero refreshed

2026-09-06T22:55:27Z

Layout: hero refreshed

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:55, 6 September 2026
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	<div class="rp-lead">		<div class="rp-lead">
	[[File:Ref 6234 ~~hero~~.webp\|thumb\|center\|640px\|alt=~~Vintage~~ Rolex ~~advert showing the~~ 6234 ~~alongside other Oyster watches (A Collected Man / Sheldrake 2020)~~\|~~Vintage~~ Rolex ~~advert showing the~~ 6234 ~~alongside other Oyster watches (A Collected Man / Sheldrake 2020)~~]]		[[File:Ref 6234 generations.webp\|thumb\|center\|640px\|alt=Rolex 6234\|Rolex 6234]]
	</div>		</div>

Admin: Layout: hero promoted to lead

2026-09-06T22:30:43Z

Layout: hero promoted to lead

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:30, 6 September 2026
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	<small>[[Reference:daytona\|Daytona]] › '''6234'''</small>		<small>[[Reference:daytona\|Daytona]] › '''6234'''</small>

			<div class="rp-lead">
			[[File:Ref 6234 hero.webp\|thumb\|center\|640px\|alt=Vintage Rolex advert showing the 6234 alongside other Oyster watches (A Collected Man / Sheldrake 2020)\|Vintage Rolex advert showing the 6234 alongside other Oyster watches (A Collected Man / Sheldrake 2020)]]
			</div>

	The 6234 is the Oyster chronograph Rolex sold from 1955 to 1961, a 36mm three-piece Oyster case with a screw-down caseback, pump pushers, smooth polished bezel, and a Valjoux 72 column-wheel chronograph stamped under the bridges as Cal. 72. It sits between the 6034, the monobloc-case predecessor that closed out the antimagnetic line, and the 6238 that takes the chronograph identity forward onto the larger 36mm Oyster case shared with the 6239 Cosmograph. Fewer than 2,400 were built across the run, the overwhelming majority of them in steel.		The 6234 is the Oyster chronograph Rolex sold from 1955 to 1961, a 36mm three-piece Oyster case with a screw-down caseback, pump pushers, smooth polished bezel, and a Valjoux 72 column-wheel chronograph stamped under the bridges as Cal. 72. It sits between the 6034, the monobloc-case predecessor that closed out the antimagnetic line, and the 6238 that takes the chronograph identity forward onto the larger 36mm Oyster case shared with the 6239 Cosmograph. Fewer than 2,400 were built across the run, the overwhelming majority of them in steel.
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	The visual signature is the dial. Tachymetre and telemeter scales sit on the dial periphery rather than on the bezel; the smooth bezel pairs with the printed-on-dial scales to push the 6234 visually closer to a time-only Oyster than to anything that comes after the 6239 cutover. The 6238 inherits this layout for its first series, then drops it. Every Daytona reference from 6239 onward moves the tachymetre off the dial and onto the bezel.		The visual signature is the dial. Tachymetre and telemeter scales sit on the dial periphery rather than on the bezel; the smooth bezel pairs with the printed-on-dial scales to push the 6234 visually closer to a time-only Oyster than to anything that comes after the 6239 cutover. The 6238 inherits this layout for its first series, then drops it. Every Daytona reference from 6239 onward moves the tachymetre off the dial and onto the bezel.

	~~[[File:Ref 6234 hero.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|Vintage Rolex advert showing the 6234 alongside other Oyster watches (A Collected Man / Sheldrake 2020)]]~~

	==Core facts==		==Core facts==