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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 6241 Daytona}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 6241 Daytona}}
{{#seo:
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex Daytona 6241 'John Player Special' — 14k Gold, 1966–1969 | Rolexopedia
|title=Rolex Daytona 6241 reference guide | Rolexopedia
|description=Short-run Daytona with pump pushers and acrylic black bezel insert (1966 to 1969). The 14k yellow gold John Player Special variant — fewer than 400 produced, North American market — is the variant that defines the reference at auction.
|description=Reference 6241 is the pump-pusher Daytona with a black acrylic tachymeter bezel, produced in the late 1960s. Steel and gold examples use the Valjoux 72 family, with Paul Newman and John Player Special dial variants.
|keywords=Rolex 6241, Daytona 6241, JPS, John Player Special, Lotus 79, Andretti, 14k yellow gold, acrylic bezel, vintage Daytona
|keywords=Rolex, 6241, Daytona, Cosmograph, Paul Newman, John Player Special, JPS, Valjoux 72
|image=Ref 6241 hero.webp
|image=Ref 6241 hero.webp
|image_alt=Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6241
|image_alt=Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 6241
|type=Article
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-04-19T03:19:46Z
|published_time=2026-04-19T03:19:46Z
|modified_time=2026-08-04T00:13:56Z
|modified_time=2026-09-22T00:00:00Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}
}}
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<div class="rp-lead">
<div class="rp-lead">
[[File:Ref 6241 hero.webp|thumb|center|640px|alt=Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6241|Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6241]]
[[File:Ref 6241 hero.webp|thumb|center|640px|alt=Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 6241|Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 6241]]
</div>
</div>


The 6241 is the short-run manual-wind Cosmograph that put a black acrylic bezel insert on the pump-pusher Daytona case. Production runs from 1966 to 1969, parallel to the late 6239 (metal tachymetre bezel, pump pushers) and the contemporaneous 6240 (acrylic bezel, screw-down pushers). Around 3,000 examples in steel and roughly 300 in 14k yellow gold reserved for the North American market. The yellow gold is the case material that hosts the John Player Special (JPS), the black-dial Paul Newman in a yellow gold case that has come to define the reference at auction.
Reference 6241 is the pump-pusher Daytona with a black acrylic tachymeter bezel. Sources date the run to roughly 1966–1969, alongside the metal-bezel 6239 and screw-pusher 6240. It exists in stainless steel and yellow gold, including the 14K North American examples later called John Player Special (JPS). Paul Newman dials, standard Cosmograph dials, bracelets, and case details vary by watch.


<span id="core-facts"></span>
<span id="core-facts"></span>
 
==Core facts==
== Core facts ==


{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
! Field !! Value
! Field !! Value
|-
|-
| Reference || 6241
| reference || 6241
|-
| Family || Daytona (Cosmograph)
|-
| Production || 1966 to 1969 per Monochrome 2024 and ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual''
|-
| Total production || ~3,000 across all materials; fewer than 400 in 14k yellow gold per Bob Ridley's Revolution dissection (2017)
|-
| Case || 36mm stainless steel or 14k yellow gold; pump (non-screw) pushers; no crown guards
|-
|-
| Movement || cal 722, transitioning to cal 722-1 on late examples
| family || Daytona, Cosmograph
|-
|-
| Beat rate || 18,000 vph
| production || Published histories place examples around 1966–1969; exact factory dates are not public
|-
|-
| Power reserve || ~48 hours
| production estimate || Sources estimate roughly 2,000–3,000 steel examples and several hundred gold examples; no factory total located
|-
|-
| Bracelets || 7205 rivet (period of original delivery, in steel and 14k yellow gold); 7835 folded link on the very late tail
| case || About 36mm, pump pushers, no crown guards
|-
|-
| End links || 271
| movement || Rolex-marked Valjoux 72 family, commonly 722 or 722-1
|-
|-
| Crown || 7mm Twinlock, signed Rolex coronet (no Oyster designation)
| beat rate || 18,000 vph in the 722/722-1 generation
|-
|-
| Crystal || acrylic, flat
| bracelet || 7205 or 7835 with 271 end links in documented period configurations
|-
|-
| Bezel || black acrylic insert with tachymetric scale to 200 units per hour (the defining departure from the engraved-steel 6239 bezel)
| crystal || Flat acrylic
|-
|-
| Lume || tritium throughout
| bezel || Black acrylic insert with tachymeter scale, commonly to 200 units per hour
|-
|-
| Significance || first manual-wind Daytona to pair the new black acrylic bezel insert with the original pump pushers; canonical host case for the JPS yellow-gold Paul Newman variant
| dial branches || Standard Cosmograph, Paul Newman exotic, and yellow-gold JPS examples
|}
|}


<span id="where-it-sits-in-the-line"></span>
<span id="where-it-sits-in-the-line"></span>
== Where it sits in the line ==
==Where it sits in the line==


The 6241 is the pump-pusher black-bezel branch inside the late-1960s Daytona lineup. The 6239 keeps the metal bezel, the 6240 adds screw-down pushers, and the 6241 keeps pump pushers with the acrylic insert. It disappears once Rolex commits fully to the later screw-pusher direction.
The 6241 combines the 6239 case family’s pump pushers with the black acrylic bezel used on the 6240. The 6239 uses an engraved metal bezel; the 6240 uses screw-down pushers. All three references belong to the manual-wind Daytona generation that ended when the higher-frequency 727 references arrived around 1970.


<span id="production-outline"></span>
<span id="production-outline"></span>
== Production outline ==
==Production outline==


Three years of production, then closed. Erik Slaven's 2024 Monochrome history and ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' both date the 6241 from 1966 to 1969. Volume estimates are looser than the dates. Roughly 3,000 examples across all materials is the working figure; Bob Ridley's 2017 Revolution bench dissection of a 14k yellow gold JPS 6241 puts the 14k yellow gold subset at fewer than 400, all bound for the North American market on the strength of US import-tax treatment that favoured 14k over 18k. No 18k 6241 production has been documented.
Monochrome and other reference histories date 6241 production to 1966–1969. Published estimates differ: some sources give about 3,000 watches in steel and gold, while auction catalogues cite slightly more than 2,000 steel examples, roughly 300 in 18K gold, and roughly 400 in 14K gold. These are estimates assembled from surviving watches, not Rolex production records.


The 6241 sits mainly in the 1968–1969 production band and stays entirely in the pre-letter era. Dating depends on the serial chart and the movement generation, not on later clasp codes. Within that run it follows the same broad dial changes as the 6239: standard Cosmograph first, Paul Newman as the exotic option, and the yellow-gold JPS branch in mid-production.
The 14K gold examples were sold into the North American market. A 14K case is documented on the JPS branch, while auction records also show 18K gold examples. Do not turn one estimate into a fixed count or assume every gold 6241 is 14K.


<span id="movement-notes"></span>
<span id="movement-notes"></span>
== Movement notes ==
==Movement notes==
 
The 6241 uses the Rolex-marked Valjoux 72 family. Auction and reference sources identify Cal. 722 and Cal. 722-1; the exact movement marking should be read from the watch. The generation runs at 18,000 vph. The 727, used in later references such as 6262 and 6264, runs at 21,600 vph and is a different movement generation.


Inside is the Valjoux 72 family. The 6241 starts on [[Reference:Movements#cal-722|caliber 722]] and picks up [[Reference:Movements#cal-722-1|caliber 722-1]] late in the run, just as the 6239 does. The beat rate stays at 18,000 vph throughout; the jump to 21,600 waits for the 6262 and 6264. US-bound watches carry the usual ROW import code on the bridge, while a smaller Swiss-kept batch does not.
ROW import marks occur on some US-market movements. Their presence or absence is useful context, but a bridge may have been replaced during service. Do not treat the mark as a sole authentication test.


<span id="dial-map"></span>
<span id="dial-map"></span>
== Dial map ==
==Dial map==


=== Serial / year / dial / lume / bracelet ===
The public record includes standard black or silver dials, Paul Newman exotic dials, yellow-gold JPS examples, and tropical or retailer-signed watches. The sample is too small to establish a complete factory variant list.


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
! Serial range !! Year !! Dial !! Lume !! Bracelet !! End links !! Notes
! Variant !! Evidence and limits
|-
|-
| 1.3M-1.6M (~1966-1967) || 1966-1967 || Cosmograph, Paul Newman exotic (Mk1) || tritium || 7205 || 271 || Introduction. Per Hodinkee Reference Points the Paul Newman exotic dial appeared on 6241 from 1966 — consistent with the 6239 Paul Newman emergence period.
| Standard Cosmograph || Panda and reverse-panda layouts are documented; Daytona placement and printing vary by dial generation.
|-
|-
| 1.6M-1.9M (~1968) || 1968 || Cosmograph, Paul Newman exotic || tritium || 7205 || 271 || Mid-production. Yellow-gold variant runs in parallel with steel — JPS dial sits in this batch per Revolution.
| Paul Newman exotic || Exotic numerals and sub-dial graphics occur on steel and gold watches. Mark labels are collector shorthand and should be checked against dial construction and source images.
|-
|-
| 1.9M-2.2M (~1969) || 1969 || Cosmograph, Paul Newman exotic || tritium || 7205, 7835 (transitional, late 1969) || 271 || Final year. The 7205 → 7835 folded bracelet transition starts at the very end of 1969; not all 6241s would have shipped on 7835 originally.
| JPS || Yellow-gold case with a black exotic dial and gold-tone printing. “JPS” is a later collector name tied to the black-and-gold colour scheme; it is not a Rolex factory designation.
|}
 
The 6241 carries fewer dial variants than its longer-running siblings, but enough that a table earns its place. The Paul Newman exotic dial appears on 6241 from 1966 onward and is documented across the same Mark progression that the 6239 went through, although the per-mark forensics on 6241 PN dials are less developed in the literature than on 6239 PN. The JPS yellow-gold variant is the dial that makes this reference collectible above its sibling lineup.
 
{| class="wikitable"
! Variant !! Years !! Distinguishing features !! Notable examples
|-
| Standard Cosmograph black/silver "Panda" || 1966 to 1969 || Black dial with silver sub-dials; "Rolex Cosmograph" at 12; no "Oyster" designation; tritium throughout. "Daytona" added below "Cosmograph" in 1966 to 1967, migrating above the 6 o'clock sub-dial from ~1967 to 1968 || Most common 6241 configuration; baseline market reference
|-
|-
| Standard Cosmograph silver/black "Reverse Panda" || 1966 to 1969 || Silver dial with black sub-dials; otherwise identical to the panda layout || Less common than black; documented across the captured auction archive
| Tropical || Aged black dials can turn brown or chocolate. Colour alone does not prove originality.
|-
|-
| Paul Newman exotic Mk1 || ~1966 to 1968 || Tri-color or panda exotic dial; sub-dial cross-hairs; art-deco numerals 15/30/45 in the registers (vs the 20/40/60 of standard sub-dials); square minute markers; Singer dial-maker stamp on the back || Cross-mark consistency with 6239 PN Mk1; documented in Ridley's Revolution bench dissection
| Retailer signed || Tiffany, Beyer, and Serpico y Laino signatures are reported in the wider Daytona record, but the cited 6241 lots are too few to treat them as a census.
|-
| Paul Newman exotic Mk2 || ~1967 to 1969 || Refined typography on the same exotic layout; minute track sits lower in the sub-dial colour band; "T SWISS T" tritium marking || Standard PN configuration in the mid-to-late run
|-
| Paul Newman exotic Mk3 || ~1968 to 1969 || Latest PN dial generation; tightest print proportions; "T SWISS T" || Late commercial production
|-
| JPS (John Player Special), 14k yellow gold case || ~1968 to 1969 || Black Paul Newman exotic dial set into a 14k yellow gold case; gold sub-dial markers and gold-tone register typography echoing the Lotus F1 black-and-gold sponsorship livery || The signature 6241 variant; &lt;400 14k YG 6241s produced (Revolution); Sotheby's offered a JPS 6241 in the Tom Brady GOAT Collection sale (2024)
|-
| Tropical 6241 || production-period dials, aged || Heat- or sun-aged black dials oxidizing toward brown; silver sub-dials browning to amber or copper in parallel || Auction examples surface periodically across the standard and PN configurations
|-
| Retailer-signed (Tiffany, Beyer, Serpico y Laino) || across the run || Standard Cosmograph dial with retailer name added below the Rolex coronet, applied locally rather than at Rolex Switzerland || One or two examples per signature is the working census
|}
|}


The Paul Newman checklist is the same here as everywhere else: block markers, cross-hairs, 15/30/45 sub-dial numerals, and the right Singer stamp. On the 6241 the important point is that the palette is panda and tri-color, not Oyster Sotto or Lemon.
[[File:Ref 6241 jps-yellow-gold-dial.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=John Player Special 6241 dial|John Player Special 6241 dial]]
The Paul Newman and JPS labels describe dial and case combinations, not separate Rolex references. Check the Singer stamp, printing, marker feet, sub-dial numerals, lume, and case material together. The Hodinkee dial guide for early Daytonas shows why a serial range alone cannot authenticate a dial.


<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown"></span>
<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown"></span>
== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==
==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown==
 
The 6241 is about 36mm with pump pushers and no crown guards. Its defining bezel is a black acrylic insert with a tachymeter scale. The case can be stainless steel, 14K yellow gold, or 18K gold in documented auction records. Water-resistance descriptions and crown specifications should be taken from the individual case; a chronograph of this age should not be treated as a modern dive watch.


[[File:Ref 6241 pushers-detail.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=6241 pump pushers|6241 pump pushers]]
[[File:Ref 6241 pushers-detail.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=6241 pump pushers|6241 pump pushers]]
The 6241’s acrylic crystal, bezel insert, pushers, crown, and caseback are commonly replaced or refinished. Inspect the case reference between the lugs, the case serial, pusher tubes, bezel scale, and hallmarks on gold examples. A period-correct part can still be a later replacement on the watch head.


The 6241 case is 36mm, stainless steel for the bulk of production, 14k yellow gold for the North American JPS variant. No crown guards, in the 3-6-9 chronograph idiom Rolex carried over from the 6238 / 6239, with pump pushers throughout. The crown is a 7mm Twinlock signed with the Rolex coronet, no "Oyster" designation, since the watch is not Oyster-rated. Water resistance stays at 50m, the same as the 6239. Crystal is flat acrylic. Lugs are 19mm, which sets the bracelet vocabulary that runs through all manual-wind Daytonas.
<span id="bracelets-end-links-and-clasps"></span>
==Bracelets, end links, and clasps==


The bezel is the headline part. A black acrylic insert with a tachymetric scale graduated to 200 units per hour, framed in a steel or yellow gold bezel ring depending on case material. This is the visual point of separation from the 6239 (engraved steel tachymetre on the same case) and the common ground with the 6240 (same insert, screw-pusher case). The acrylic bezel insert is the design language that carries forward into the 6262, 6263, and 6265; the 6241 is its first appearance on a pump-pusher Daytona.
Period records associate the 6241 with 7205 rivet and 7835 folded Oyster bracelets and 271 end links. A late 7835 can fit the production period, but bracelet originality needs clasp, end-link, and case-fit evidence. Gold examples may have gold bracelets or straps depending on the lot.


Case authentication on the 14k yellow gold examples follows the practice Revolution documented in 2017: the case interior bears a "14K" stamp plus a large squirrel hallmark; a second small squirrel hallmark sits on the case lug; the reference number 6241 is engraved between the lugs. The squirrel mark is the Swiss assay office hallmark for 14k gold consistent with the period.
Clasp codes date the bracelet, not the chronograph. The 6241 predates Rolex’s later single-letter clasp-code system; a quarterly clasp stamp can date the component but cannot establish the watch’s production year by itself.


<span id="bracelets-end-links-and-clasps"></span>
<span id="special-branches"></span>
== Bracelets, end links, and clasps ==
==Special branches==
 
===JPS, or John Player Special===


Two bracelets span the 6241 run: mainly 7205, then 7835 at the very end. A late 7835 can be right, but it needs the date logic to support it.
The JPS name describes a yellow-gold 6241 with a black Paul Newman-style dial and gold-tone printing. The black-and-gold palette resembles the John Player Special Team Lotus livery, but the sources do not show that Rolex used the name at the factory. Treat JPS as collector terminology.


End links are the 271 family throughout, fitting both the 7205 rivet and the 7835 folded bracelet. A propagated "771" code in some aggregator end-link tables is an OCR error of "271"; period photographs only ever stamp 271. Yellow gold 6241 examples ship on the 14k yellow gold 7205, never on the 8385 President bracelet — the 8385 is a Day-Date / President fitment and does not appear on the 6241.
Revolution’s technical article documents 14K hallmarks, the movement, and dial checks on a gold 6241. The article is evidence for that watch and its construction, not a complete production census. Phillips and Heritage auction records also show gold 6241 examples with different case metals and provenance.


Clasps date the bracelet, not the watch head. A 6241 sits in the pre-letter-code era throughout: the single-letter year code (A=1976, B=1977, and so on) only starts in 1976. Inside-clasp quarterly stamps on the format &lt;Roman quarter&gt;.&lt;two-digit year&gt; ("II.68" reads second quarter 1968) appear on Gay Frères clasps from the late 1950s through 1975, and a 6241 clasp will sit inside that window. For the date-code key see [[Reference:Bracelets]].
===Paul Newman dials===


<span id="special-branches"></span>
Paul Newman is a collector name for the exotic dial layout. Compare the numerals, cross-hairs, minute tracks, lume, and Singer markings with the case and movement. Mark I, II, and III labels vary between references and authors; they should not be treated as a universal factory numbering system.
== Special branches ==


[[File:Ref 6241 reference-engraving.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Between-lugs reference engraving|Between-lugs reference engraving]]
===Tropical and retailer-signed===


<span id="jps-john-player-special"></span>
Tropical dials are original dials that changed colour with age, if the dial construction and printing support that conclusion. Retailer signatures need image-backed provenance. A rare colour or signature is a lead for inspection, not proof that the dial and case left Rolex together.
=== JPS — John Player Special ===


[[File:Ref 6241 jps-yellow-gold-dial.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=John Player Special yellow gold Paul Newman dial|John Player Special yellow gold Paul Newman dial]]
<span id="historical-market-and-auction-record"></span>
The JPS is the variant that carries the 6241 in the modern auction market. A 14k yellow gold case, a black Paul Newman exotic dial, gold-tone sub-dial typography against the black field. The dial echoes the John Player &amp; Sons sponsorship livery of Team Lotus's Formula 1 cars in the 1970s: black with gold trim, the colour palette JPS-liveried Lotuses wore through three Constructors' Championships, including Mario Andretti's 1978 Drivers' title in the Lotus 79. Whether Rolex set out to evoke it or whether the connection was made by collectors afterward is not documented.
==Auction record==


The forensic detail comes from Ridley's 2017 Revolution bench dissection of a 14k yellow gold 6241 PN, the canonical photographic documentation of the JPS at the bench: case interior squirrel hallmarks, cal 722 with the labelled balance-bridge modifications and the no-ROW import-code variant, the four-marker Paul Newman dial authentication checklist, the Singer dial-maker stamp on the back. The example documented is one of the no-ROW Swiss-market batch, single-owner provenance, gifted in 1972 by a Swiss family friend who picked it up in Switzerland.
The 6241 auction record is dominated by Paul Newman and gold examples. Results below describe individual lots and should not be read as a market range.


The JPS framing extends in collector shorthand to the gold 6263 PN, but the same dissection notes that gold 6263 examples surfacing at auction are usually the Lemon Dial variant rather than a black tri-color or panda PN. The JPS-as-named is therefore a 6241 designation first; gold-case PN configurations on 6263 occupy a related but narrower category.
{| class="wikitable"
! Venue !! Date !! Reference !! Configuration !! Result
|-
| Heritage Auctions, lot 54391 || October 2018 || 6241, circa 1969 || 14K gold JPS Paul Newman, original Rolex USA bracelet attributed to Van Cleef & Arpels || USD 804,500 incl. buyer's premium
|-
| Phillips, Daytona Ultimatum || May 2018 || 6241 || JPS and Paul Newman examples in the auction catalogue || Catalogue entry; no result stated here
|-
| Christie's, lot 5731678 || 1969 || 6241 || 14K gold champagne Paul Newman dial, case 2'112'949 || Catalogue entry; no result stated here
|}


<span id="paul-newman-dials-on-6241"></span>
The cited records document the JPS branch, 14K and 18K gold cases, and several exotic dial configurations. They do not establish a complete production count, a fixed serial range, or a general price ranking.
=== Paul Newman dials on 6241 ===


Paul Newman dials are documented on 6241 in the panda and tri-color colour types, both in steel cases and (as the JPS) in 14k yellow gold. The 6241 PN is less commonly seen at auction than the 6239 PN or the 6263 PN, in line with the shorter production run and lower volume. Per-mark sub-categorisation on 6241 PN tracks the 6239 PN progression in principle but is less developed in the published literature; mark identification on a specific 6241 PN should reference the Phillips Daytona Ultimatum lot essays (2018) and Pucci Papaleo's ''Ultimate Rolex Daytona'' for forensic sub-typing.
<span id="authentication"></span>
==Authentication==


<span id="tropical-and-retailer-signed"></span>
Check the reference and serial between the lugs, the movement marking, bezel insert, pushers, dial printing, lume, and bracelet separately. A Cal. 722 or 722-1 fits the documented generation; a 727 or later movement needs an explanation.
=== Tropical and retailer-signed ===


Tropical 6241 examples — production-period black dials oxidized to brown or chocolate under decades of UV and heat — surface periodically across both the standard Cosmograph and Paul Newman configurations. Tropical dials are aged production dials, valued for the patina rather than the print configuration. Retailer-signed 6241 examples (Tiffany &amp; Co., Beyer, Serpico y Laino) carry the retailer's name printed below the Rolex coronet, applied locally rather than at Rolex Switzerland; none are common on 6241, with one or two examples per signature as the working census.
On gold watches, inspect the metal marks and case construction. On a JPS claim, confirm that the black exotic dial, gold case, gold-tone printing, and movement all belong together. A 14K hallmark supports the case metal but does not prove the dial or bracelet is original.


<span id="historical-market-and-auction-record"></span>
A bracelet or clasp dates the bracelet. A service bezel, crystal, pusher, crown, or dial can be period-correct and still be later to the watch.
== Historical market and auction record ==


The JPS variant carries the headline numbers in the 6241 world. Phillips Daytona Ultimatum and the later Sotheby's Tom Brady sale are the key market anchors, but the broad point is simple: when collectors think JPS, they usually mean the gold 6241. Standard steel watches trade lower, and Paul Newman examples sit in a separate premium tier.
==Related references==


== Related references ==
* [[Reference:6239|Daytona 6239]], metal bezel and pump pushers
* [[Reference:6240|Daytona 6240]], acrylic bezel and screw-down pushers
* [[Reference:6262|Daytona 6262]], later pump-pusher reference with Cal. 727
* [[Reference:6263|Daytona 6263]], later screw-pusher reference
* [[Reference:6264|Daytona 6264]], later pump-pusher reference with Cal. 727
* [[Reference:6265|Daytona 6265]], later screw-pusher reference


* [[Reference:6240|Daytona 6240]] — First Screw-Down-Pusher Daytona (1965–1969)
See also the [[Reference:daytona|Daytona family index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet and clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].
* [[Reference:6262|Daytona 6262]] — Pump-Pusher Daytona (1970–1972)
* [[Reference:6264|Daytona 6264]] — Paul Newman Dials (1970–1972)
* [[Reference:6234|Daytona 6234]] — Pre-Daytona (1955–1961)
* [[Reference:6263|Daytona 6263]] — Paul Newman, Big Red & RCO Dials (1969–1988)
* [[Reference:6265|Daytona 6265]] — Screw-Pusher Oyster (1971–1988)


See also the [[Reference:daytona|Daytona family index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].
<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
Ref 6241 hero.webp|6241 Daytona
Ref 6241 pushers-detail.webp|Pump pushers
Ref 6241 reference-engraving.webp|Between-lugs reference
Ref 6241 jps-yellow-gold-dial.webp|JPS dial
</gallery>


== Sources ==
== Sources ==
* [https://revolutionwatch.com/rolex-john-player-special-paul-newman-daytona-ref-6241/ The Rolex "John Player Special" Paul Newman Daytona Ref. 6241] — Bob Ridley (Watchmakers International), Revolution Watch
* [https://revolutionwatch.com/rolex-john-player-special-paul-newman-daytona-ref-6241/ Revolution, John Player Special 6241]
* [https://www.phillips.com/auctions/auction/CH080318 Phillips — Daytona Ultimatum (Geneva, 12 May 2018)] — Pucci Papaleo (curator); Aurel Bacs (auctioneer), Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo
* [https://www.phillips.com/auctions/auction/CH080318 Phillips, Daytona Ultimatum]
* [https://www.phillips.com/article/150046101/manual-wind-rolex-daytonas-phillips-november-2024 A Round-Up of 14 Manual-Wind Rolex Daytonas in the Geneva Watch Auction XX] — Phillips
* [https://www.ha.com/itm/timepieces/rolex-very-fine-and-rare-14k-gold-ref-6241-paul-newman-cosmograph-daytona-john-player-special-circa-1969/a/5369-54391.s Heritage Auctions, 14K gold 6241]
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/history-rolex-daytona-chronograph-1963-in-depth-review/ In-Depth: The History of the Rolex Daytona, The Emblematic Racing Chronograph] — Erik Slaven, Monochrome
* [https://www.christies.com/zh-cn/lot/lot-5731678 Christie's, 1969 14K gold 6241]
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-first-rolex-daytona-by-benjamin-clymer Historical Perspectives: The Very First Rolex Daytona, Explained (Or, What Is A Double-Swiss Underline Daytona?)] — Benjamin Clymer, Hodinkee
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/history-rolex-daytona-chronograph-1963-in-depth-review/ Monochrome, Daytona history]
* [https://www.acollectedman.com/blogs/journal/rolex-pre-daytona-forgotten-classic Is the Rolex Pre-Daytona a Forgotten Classic?] — Russell Sheldrake, A Collected Man
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-first-rolex-daytona-by-benjamin-clymer Hodinkee, early Daytona dial guide]
* [https://watchesbysjx.com/2018/05/penultimate-picks-from-daytona-ultimatum-at-phillips.html Penultimate Picks from Daytona Ultimatum at Phillips] — Richard Lee, SJX Watches
* [https://irp-cdn.multiscreensite.com/0b5fdf83/files/uploaded/1.0%20RolexBook-23Mar.pdf Colin A. White, *The Vintage Rolex Field Manual*] — reference table and period specifications
* [https://www.watchtime.com/brands/watches/tracking-the-rolex-daytona-a-53-year-history Tracking the Rolex Daytona: A 55-Year History] — WatchTime Team, WatchTime
* [https://goldammer.me/blogs/articles/reference-guide-rolex-daytona A Beginner's Guide to the Early Rolex Daytona (1963-88)] — Marcus Siems, Goldammer
* [https://www.vintagewatchstraps.com/ Vintage Watch Straps — Rolex bracelet and clasp reference] — David Boettcher, vintagewatchstraps.com
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra


[[Category:Daytona Manual-Wind]]
[[Category:Daytona Manual-Wind]]
[[Category:Daytona]]
[[Category:Daytona]]

Latest revision as of 08:05, 29 September 2026


Daytona › 6241

Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 6241
Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 6241

Reference 6241 is the pump-pusher Daytona with a black acrylic tachymeter bezel. Sources date the run to roughly 1966–1969, alongside the metal-bezel 6239 and screw-pusher 6240. It exists in stainless steel and yellow gold, including the 14K North American examples later called John Player Special (JPS). Paul Newman dials, standard Cosmograph dials, bracelets, and case details vary by watch.

Core facts

Field Value
reference 6241
family Daytona, Cosmograph
production Published histories place examples around 1966–1969; exact factory dates are not public
production estimate Sources estimate roughly 2,000–3,000 steel examples and several hundred gold examples; no factory total located
case About 36mm, pump pushers, no crown guards
movement Rolex-marked Valjoux 72 family, commonly 722 or 722-1
beat rate 18,000 vph in the 722/722-1 generation
bracelet 7205 or 7835 with 271 end links in documented period configurations
crystal Flat acrylic
bezel Black acrylic insert with tachymeter scale, commonly to 200 units per hour
dial branches Standard Cosmograph, Paul Newman exotic, and yellow-gold JPS examples

Where it sits in the line

The 6241 combines the 6239 case family’s pump pushers with the black acrylic bezel used on the 6240. The 6239 uses an engraved metal bezel; the 6240 uses screw-down pushers. All three references belong to the manual-wind Daytona generation that ended when the higher-frequency 727 references arrived around 1970.

Production outline

Monochrome and other reference histories date 6241 production to 1966–1969. Published estimates differ: some sources give about 3,000 watches in steel and gold, while auction catalogues cite slightly more than 2,000 steel examples, roughly 300 in 18K gold, and roughly 400 in 14K gold. These are estimates assembled from surviving watches, not Rolex production records.

The 14K gold examples were sold into the North American market. A 14K case is documented on the JPS branch, while auction records also show 18K gold examples. Do not turn one estimate into a fixed count or assume every gold 6241 is 14K.

Movement notes

The 6241 uses the Rolex-marked Valjoux 72 family. Auction and reference sources identify Cal. 722 and Cal. 722-1; the exact movement marking should be read from the watch. The generation runs at 18,000 vph. The 727, used in later references such as 6262 and 6264, runs at 21,600 vph and is a different movement generation.

ROW import marks occur on some US-market movements. Their presence or absence is useful context, but a bridge may have been replaced during service. Do not treat the mark as a sole authentication test.

Dial map

The public record includes standard black or silver dials, Paul Newman exotic dials, yellow-gold JPS examples, and tropical or retailer-signed watches. The sample is too small to establish a complete factory variant list.

Variant Evidence and limits
Standard Cosmograph Panda and reverse-panda layouts are documented; Daytona placement and printing vary by dial generation.
Paul Newman exotic Exotic numerals and sub-dial graphics occur on steel and gold watches. Mark labels are collector shorthand and should be checked against dial construction and source images.
JPS Yellow-gold case with a black exotic dial and gold-tone printing. “JPS” is a later collector name tied to the black-and-gold colour scheme; it is not a Rolex factory designation.
Tropical Aged black dials can turn brown or chocolate. Colour alone does not prove originality.
Retailer signed Tiffany, Beyer, and Serpico y Laino signatures are reported in the wider Daytona record, but the cited 6241 lots are too few to treat them as a census.
John Player Special 6241 dial
John Player Special 6241 dial

The Paul Newman and JPS labels describe dial and case combinations, not separate Rolex references. Check the Singer stamp, printing, marker feet, sub-dial numerals, lume, and case material together. The Hodinkee dial guide for early Daytonas shows why a serial range alone cannot authenticate a dial.

Case, bezel, crystal, and crown

The 6241 is about 36mm with pump pushers and no crown guards. Its defining bezel is a black acrylic insert with a tachymeter scale. The case can be stainless steel, 14K yellow gold, or 18K gold in documented auction records. Water-resistance descriptions and crown specifications should be taken from the individual case; a chronograph of this age should not be treated as a modern dive watch.

6241 pump pushers
6241 pump pushers

The 6241’s acrylic crystal, bezel insert, pushers, crown, and caseback are commonly replaced or refinished. Inspect the case reference between the lugs, the case serial, pusher tubes, bezel scale, and hallmarks on gold examples. A period-correct part can still be a later replacement on the watch head.

Bracelets, end links, and clasps

Period records associate the 6241 with 7205 rivet and 7835 folded Oyster bracelets and 271 end links. A late 7835 can fit the production period, but bracelet originality needs clasp, end-link, and case-fit evidence. Gold examples may have gold bracelets or straps depending on the lot.

Clasp codes date the bracelet, not the chronograph. The 6241 predates Rolex’s later single-letter clasp-code system; a quarterly clasp stamp can date the component but cannot establish the watch’s production year by itself.

Special branches

JPS, or John Player Special

The JPS name describes a yellow-gold 6241 with a black Paul Newman-style dial and gold-tone printing. The black-and-gold palette resembles the John Player Special Team Lotus livery, but the sources do not show that Rolex used the name at the factory. Treat JPS as collector terminology.

Revolution’s technical article documents 14K hallmarks, the movement, and dial checks on a gold 6241. The article is evidence for that watch and its construction, not a complete production census. Phillips and Heritage auction records also show gold 6241 examples with different case metals and provenance.

Paul Newman dials

Paul Newman is a collector name for the exotic dial layout. Compare the numerals, cross-hairs, minute tracks, lume, and Singer markings with the case and movement. Mark I, II, and III labels vary between references and authors; they should not be treated as a universal factory numbering system.

Tropical and retailer-signed

Tropical dials are original dials that changed colour with age, if the dial construction and printing support that conclusion. Retailer signatures need image-backed provenance. A rare colour or signature is a lead for inspection, not proof that the dial and case left Rolex together.

Auction record

The 6241 auction record is dominated by Paul Newman and gold examples. Results below describe individual lots and should not be read as a market range.

Venue Date Reference Configuration Result
Heritage Auctions, lot 54391 October 2018 6241, circa 1969 14K gold JPS Paul Newman, original Rolex USA bracelet attributed to Van Cleef & Arpels USD 804,500 incl. buyer's premium
Phillips, Daytona Ultimatum May 2018 6241 JPS and Paul Newman examples in the auction catalogue Catalogue entry; no result stated here
Christie's, lot 5731678 1969 6241 14K gold champagne Paul Newman dial, case 2'112'949 Catalogue entry; no result stated here

The cited records document the JPS branch, 14K and 18K gold cases, and several exotic dial configurations. They do not establish a complete production count, a fixed serial range, or a general price ranking.

Authentication

Check the reference and serial between the lugs, the movement marking, bezel insert, pushers, dial printing, lume, and bracelet separately. A Cal. 722 or 722-1 fits the documented generation; a 727 or later movement needs an explanation.

On gold watches, inspect the metal marks and case construction. On a JPS claim, confirm that the black exotic dial, gold case, gold-tone printing, and movement all belong together. A 14K hallmark supports the case metal but does not prove the dial or bracelet is original.

A bracelet or clasp dates the bracelet. A service bezel, crystal, pusher, crown, or dial can be period-correct and still be later to the watch.

Related references

See also the Daytona family index, movement reference, bracelet and clasp guide, and serial numbers by year.

  • 6241 Daytona
    6241 Daytona
  • Pump pushers
    Pump pushers
  • Between-lugs reference
    Between-lugs reference
  • JPS dial
    JPS dial

Sources

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