Reference:pre-daytona-chronographs

Daytona › Pre-Daytona chronographs

Pre-Daytona chronograph from the Phillips Rolex Milestones catalogue, Hong Kong 2016, lot 828.

This guide follows Rolex hand-wound wrist chronographs from the early hinged-case 2021 monopusher, through the non-Oyster 2508 and Oyster 3525, to later tonneau and round Oyster models. The 6238 sits near the Cosmograph 6239 in case size, pump pushers, dial tachymeter and Valjoux 72 movement family. Collectors call it the Pre-Daytona; its production overlaps the 6239.

Early single-button chronographs (1920s–c.1940)

The 2021 is a large, hinged-case monopusher documented in gold and steel. Auction catalogues date individual examples from the 1920s into the 1930s, and disagree on movement size and the date of the same case. See the reference file for the examples and source records.

Ref. 2303 is another early monopusher. Hodinkee places it in the 1920s; MyWatch groups it with 1930s chronographs. Auction catalogues date individual examples c.1926–c.1936; the factory production span remains unverified. Its small round and tonneau cases differ from the hinged 2021; catalogues report 17-jewel lever movements and leave the caliber unnamed. Hodinkee MyWatch

MyWatch tentatively places refs. 1074, 1219 and 1226 among monopushers seen on the market in the late 1920s and early 1930s, while noting that some early auction catalogues used model names that did not exist.

Reference	Dated examples	Case	Movement	Key distinction
2021	1920s–1930s catalogue estimates; start and end unconfirmed	39–41mm, round hinged case; gold and steel examples	Manual chronograph; published dimensions and attribution vary	One side-mounted button; white-enamel, silvered and black dials documented
1074	Christie's dates one model 1074 listing to the 1920s and case no. 25433 as ref. 1074 to the 1930s	32mm gold cushion case in both catalogue descriptions	Both Christie's listings describe a nickel-plated movement, jewelled to the centre, with a bimetallic balance; neither names a caliber	Crown-operated, two-register monopusher
2022	Catalogue dates mostly in the 1930s; one Bonhams example circa 1947; factory span unconfirmed	32mm cushion case; silver, steel and yellow gold examples	Manual 17-jewel column-wheel description on one lot; VZ 23 naming does not establish fitment	Crown-operated monopusher; Bonhams documents fixed wire lugs on one gold example
2226	Individual catalogue estimates c.1920–c.1940; production span unverified	Round, open-face steel and gold cases, 47–48.2mm	Manual 17-line, 17-jewel movements described on several examples; caliber unconfirmed	Two-register single-button chronograph; catalogues label examples wristwatch or pocket watch
2303	c.1926–c.1936 dated examples; endpoints unconfirmed	26–30mm round or tonneau, snap-back; steel and gold	Manual lever, 17 jewels in cited examples; caliber not confirmed	Two registers; crown pusher on several examples, case-band pusher on one

Antimagnetique era (mid-1930s to late 1940s)

The earliest references here are non-Oyster chronographs. The 2508 has two registers and two pushers; auction catalogues and specialist literature disagree on its movement and case details. Later references added screw-down Oyster cases and their own documented movement fitments. Rolex’s wartime correspondence and later auction records document sales of 3525 chronographs to Allied prisoners of war; that history belongs to the individual watch and surviving archive.

Reference	Production	Case	Movement	Key distinction
2508	c.1935–1947 dated examples; endpoints unconfirmed	35–38mm round, snap-back, non-Oyster	Movement attribution disputed; see article	Two registers and two pushers; oval/olive and rectangular forms are documented; date and diameter overlap
3525	1939–1945	~35mm Monoblocco Oyster, screw-down crown and back; pump pushers	Rolex Cal. 13 (Valjoux 23 VZ base)	One of Rolex’s earliest two-pusher Oyster chronographs; earlier Oyster monopushers existed; one-piece upper case (Monoblocco / Barilotto); the WWII POW reference; Corporal Clive James Nutting's Stalag Luft III watch (case 185,983) was documented as sold "gratis" to Nutting in 1943
3668	c.1942–1946	~36mm Oyster, reeded gold bezel	Rolex Cal. 13 (Valjoux 23 VZ base)	Sister reference to the 3525 with a fluted gold bezel; the public record is limited. A pink-gold-and-steel example sold by Bonhams was catalogued "circa 1956," an outlier against the 1940s window used for the other documented examples
3833	c.1942–1946	Oyster	Cal. 13 (Valjoux 23 VZ base)	Less-documented sibling of the 3525; appears in the Pucci Papaleo and Mondani catalogues alongside the Monoblocco

Tonneau Oyster chronographs (late 1940s)

Post-war tonneau Oyster chronographs include the 4099, 4500, 4537, 4767 and 5034 in specialist and auction tables. Their cases and material combinations vary, and public sources do not provide a dependable production census. The Valjoux 23 family attribution is useful orientation; the movement and case should still be checked on each example.

Reference	Production	Case	Movement	Key distinction
4099	c.1946–1948	Tonneau Oyster, ~35mm	Cal. 13 (Valjoux 23 base)	Earliest of the post-war tonneau Oyster chronographs; very small production
4500	c.1947–1950	Tonneau Oyster, ~36mm	Cal. 13 (Valjoux 23 base)	Documented in steel and yellow gold; the surviving record is not a complete production census
4537	c.1947–1950	Tonneau Oyster	Cal. 13 (Valjoux 23 base)	Sibling reference; thin published record
4767	c.1948–1950	Tonneau Oyster	Cal. 13 (Valjoux 23 base)	Late tonneau-era reference; the surviving auction record is limited
5034	c.1949–1952	Tonneau Oyster	Cal. 13 (Valjoux 23 base)	Last of the tonneau Oyster chronographs; bridges into the 6034 generation

Pre-Cosmograph round Oyster chronographs (1950–1968)

Round Oyster chronographs in the 6034, 6234 and 6238 families use pump pushers in the cited descriptions. The 6234 is generally dated to 1955–1961, with approximately 500 made per year in published historical summaries. The 6238 is usually dated to the early-to-late 1960s and overlaps the first 6239 production. It retains the dial tachymeter and smooth bezel; the 6239 moves the scale to the bezel and introduces the Cosmograph name.

Reference	Production	Case	Movement	Key distinction
6034	introduced c.1950; endpoint disputed	34–37 mm reported; screw-back case; round pump pushers	Cal. 72 in multiple lots; one 13-ligne/17-jewel example has no caliber named	Dial and case-metal variants; case-construction terminology varies
6234	1955–1961	36mm round Oyster, pump pushers	Cal. 72B (Valjoux 72 base)	~500 watches per year is a published estimate; the immediate predecessor of the 6238
6238	1962–1968 (overlap with the 6239)	36mm Oyster, smooth bezel, pump pushers	Cal. 72B then Cal. 722 (Valjoux 72 base)	Pre-Daytona / Pre-Cosmograph; ~3,965 produced (Dewitte) across steel, 14k, and 18k yellow gold; the layout the 6239 inherits

Triple-calendar parallels

Two related references get grouped with the pre-Daytona chronographs but sit on a different mechanical platform, and neither belongs in the direct line that hands off to the Cosmograph Daytona.

The 6036 and 6236 carry the Jean-Claude Killy nickname, after the French Olympic skier who owned a 6236, and run the Valjoux 72C, the calendar variant of the Valjoux 72. The 6036 came first (c.1951–1957), then the 6236 (1958–1962). Both are chronograph triple-calendar watches, distinct triple-calendar branch. Pucci Papaleo's I Cronografi Rolex – La Leggenda treats them as their own family rather than a step in the Daytona lineage.

The 8171 Padellone is a triple-calendar moonphase without a chronograph, and belongs in the pre-Daytona historical context only as a sibling complication.

Movement and case lineage

Era	Movement	Case construction	Pushers	References
Early monopusher (1920s–30s)	Case-specific descriptions vary; no shared caliber assigned	Round, hinged, non-Oyster; 39–41mm examples	One side button	2021
Open-face single-button chronograph (dated examples c.1920–c.1940)	17-line, 17-jewel manual movements on several catalogued watches; no numeric caliber identified	Round cases with snap-on backs in several records; 47–48.2mm	Crown-integrated button in Christie's lot	2226
Early compact monopusher (1920s–30s)	17-jewel lever movement reported; caliber unconfirmed	Round or tonneau, snap-back, non-Oyster; 26–30mm examples	Crown or case-band button	2303
Cushion monopusher (1930s examples; later catalogue date)	Bonhams describes a 17-jewel column-wheel movement; VZ 23 nomenclature is documented, but fitment to ref. 2022 is unverified	Cushion case; 32mm Bonhams example with snap-on back and fixed wire lugs	One, coaxial with the winding crown	2022
Ref. 2023 (examples catalogued c.1925, 1930, and 1930s; these dates do not establish a production span)	Antiquorum lists “Caliber 13” for one example; the Field Manual lists V23; Bonhams gives no caliber	Catalogued at 32–33mm in silver and gold	One button; coaxial with the crown on the 1992 example	2023 (no article)
Non-Oyster two-pusher (1930s–40s)	Records name Valjoux 22, V23 or VZ; movement-size descriptions conflict on individual examples	Round snap-back, non-Oyster	Two; oval/olive or rectangular	2508
Monoblocco Oyster (1939–1946)	Rolex Cal. 13 (Valjoux 23 VZ)	One-piece upper case, screw-down caseback	Pump	3525, 3668, 3833
Tonneau Oyster (late 1940s)	Cal. 13 (Valjoux 23)	Three-piece Oyster, tonneau silhouette	Pump on most	4099, 4500, 4537, 4767, 5034
Round Oyster chronographs	Cal. 72 is listed on individual 6034 lots; later references include 72A / 72B / 722 labels	Case dimensions and construction descriptions vary by reference	Pump pushers in cited descriptions	6034, 6234, 6238

The 1951 Ebauches S.A. technical guide labels a two-pusher, 13-line movement VZ 23; Stephen Foskett's Valjoux table lists V23 at 13 lignes and V22 at 14. Antiquorum's 14-ligne VZ attribution for case 49'412 conflicts with those references. The size data do not identify that watch's movement.

Published surveys describe a 72B-to-722 transition within the 6238 family, with the later 722 also used in early Cosmograph references. The exact movement marking should be read from the watch; service replacements are possible. Valjoux 72-family movements are manual wind chronographs and do not provide a date quickset. Detailed jewel counts, hacking status and adjustment grades belong to the individual caliber record.

Why the line matters

Earlier references established the Oyster case, two-register layout and Valjoux-derived chronograph architecture that appear again in the 6238 and 6239. The 6238 and 6239 overlap in published production dates, so “pre-Daytona” describes the 6238’s collector position rather than a clean factory succession. Auction records can document wartime provenance or a particular dial, but estimates and isolated results do not define the whole reference family.

Phillips, ref. 6034, case 847'307 Christies, ref. 6034, case 907'744

Related references

• Daytona family index (Cosmograph line beginning with the 1963 6239)
• 2226 (early open-face single-button chronograph)
• 2303 (early compact monopusher chronograph)
• Ref. 2023 (early monopusher; no reference article yet)
• 3525 (wartime Monoblocco chronograph)
• 6234 (round Oyster chronograph)
• 6238 (collector “Pre-Daytona”)
• 6239 (first reference carrying the Daytona name)
• 8171 Padellone (triple-calendar moonphase sibling)
• Movements (Valjoux 23 and Valjoux 72 families)
• Bracelets (early rivet bracelets and end links)
• 2022 (cushion-case monopusher)

• 
  3525 — an early two-pusher Oyster chronograph, the WWII 'Monoblocco'
• 
  6234 — pump-pusher round Oyster, ~500 a year through the 1950s
• 
  6238 — the "Pre-Daytona," direct predecessor to the 6239

Sources

• Danny Milton, "Understanding The Rolex (Non-Paul Newman) Daytona" — Hodinkee (9 November 2022). Places ref. 2303 in the 1920s; does not cite the underlying advertisement.
• "Rolex Chronographs, Part One" — MyWatch (21 October 2012). Groups ref. 2303 with 1930s chronographs and warns that early reference dates are uncertain.
• Christie's, model 1074, London, 18 March 1998, lot 140
• Christie's, ref. 1074 case 25433, London, 9 June 1999, lot 282
• Sotheby's, "The Rolex Daytona: A Complete Collector's Guide"

• Is the Rolex Pre-Daytona a Forgotten Classic? — Russell Sheldrake, A Collected Man (2020). Most thorough English-language Pre-Daytona survey, built on first-hand interviews with Aurel Bacs, Edmond Saran, and Teddy Dewitte.
• Interview: Aurel Bacs — A Collected Man (October 2017). Bacs's framing of the 6238 as a Daytona sibling rather than a clean predecessor.
• In-Depth: The History of the Rolex Daytona, The Emblematic Racing Chronograph — Erik Slaven, Monochrome (December 2024). Family-level long-form covering the Pre-Daytona handoff.
• In-Depth Review: Rolex 6238 Pre-Daytona — Edmond Saran, Le Monde Edmond (June 2016). First major scholarly examination of the 6238; cataloged 14 distinct dial / case iterations.
• I Cronografi Rolex – La Leggenda — Pucci Papaleo. Italian-language reference catalogue covering the full chronograph line including the Antimagnetique era and the Jean-Claude Killy 6036 / 6236.
• The Vintage Rolex Field Manual — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra.
• Stephen Foskett, "Valjoux calibres" — Watch Wiki. Lists Valjoux 22 at 14 lignes and Valjoux 23 at 13; used only to explain reported movement sizes, not to identify any one 2508 movement.
• Ebauches S.A., Valjoux VZ 23: Technical and Practical Communication for the Guidance of Watch Repairers, 2nd edition, March 1953 (copyright 1951)
• Antiquorum, ref. 2023, lot 2 (Vicenza Oro, 18 January 1992). Catalogue describes a 33mm gold monopusher with black dial and crown-mounted pusher.
• Antiquorum, ref. 2023, lot 381 (Monaco, 17 July 2018). Catalogue identifies case 130016, a 32mm silver example and “Caliber 13.”
• Rolex ref. 2022 — dated examples, movement conflict and source-by-source auction record; includes Bonhams London, 14 December 2016, lot 83.
• Bonhams, ref. 2022, serial 618***, London, 14 December 2016, lot 83
• Bonhams, ref. 2023, lot 840 (Hong Kong, 29 November 2024). Bonhams dates the watch to circa 1925, identifies its case as 90267, and shows “2023” engraved on the outer caseback.
• Wikipedia, "Rolex" — Rolex chronograph and wartime history Comprehensive vintage Rolex reference covering 1442 references, including the pre-Daytona chronograph line.
• Antiquorum — Clive Nutting's POW Stalag Luft III watch, ref. 3525 case 185,983 (Geneva, 13 May 2007). Sold "gratis" to Nutting in 1943; full wartime archive; estimate CHF 130,000–160,000.
• Antiquorum — 3525 POW watch delivered to USAAF 1st Lt Leon W. Brownlee (Geneva, 15 May 2023). Stalag VII-A Moosburg; estimate CHF 60,000+.
• Antiquorum — 3525 Monoblocco, case 147,854, pink gold (The Mondani Collection, Geneva, 14 May 2006).
• Sotheby's — 3525 Monoblocco lot (2019). Glossy black gilt steel example, case 186,144, c.1942.
• Sotheby's — 3525 Monoblocco lot (2020). Silvered dial steel example, case 372,822, c.1945.
• Phillips — 3525 Dickins POW lot. RAF Wing Commander Douglas S. Dickins.
• Bonhams — 3668 pink gold and steel chronograph (17 May 2004). Catalogued "circa 1956"; estimate CHF 40,000.
• Alpha Hands — 3525 case-number research. Project recording case-number bands across the 1939–1945 production window.
• Wind Vintage — 3525 POW research.

• Christie's, ref. 2226 case 1004619, London 2000 lot 713
• Collector Square archive of Antiquorum Geneva 2011 lot 203, case 1004626
• Antiquorum Geneva 2023 lot 504, case 1005651
• Antiquorum Geneva 2024 lot 10, case 1004623