Rolex Daytona 6240 “Neanderthal”
“Neanderthal” is the auction nickname for a single stainless-steel Rolex Cosmograph reference 6240, case 1'439'122. Phillips catalogued it in 2018 as a pre-Paul-Newman or earliest Paul Newman-style dial and sold it as lot 32. A later Perezcope dossier disputes the dial’s period and argues that a photograph in an April 1998 issue of Orologi & Market shows the same dial in another watch. The page records both positions; it does not resolve authenticity from catalogues alone.
Core facts
| detail | value |
|---|---|
| host reference | 6240 |
| case | stainless steel, case 1'439'122 |
| catalogue date | circa 1966, Phillips |
| movement | manual caliber 72B, 17 jewels, as catalogued by Phillips |
| case size | 37.5 mm, Phillips catalogue measurement |
| pushers and bezel | screw-down pushers and acrylic tachymeter bezel, as described in the Phillips essay |
| bracelet | Rolex Oyster reference 6635, end links stamped 57; clasp stamped 4.65 |
| dispute | Phillips presents an early exotic-dial interpretation; Perezcope argues for a later dial construction on an early 6240 case |
What Phillips catalogued
Phillips’ 2018 lot 32 describes reference 6240, circa 1966, in stainless steel with manual caliber 72B, 17 jewels, a 37.5 mm case, Oyster bracelet 6635, end links 57, and clasp 4.65. The catalogue calls the dial “pre-Paul Newman” and says it has oversized registers, a white outer seconds track, and no Cosmograph, Oyster, or Daytona designation.
Those are catalogue statements about the offered watch. Phillips’ historical framing describes the reference 6240 as the first Cosmograph with screw-down pushers and places it before references 6263 and 6265. It does not provide a Rolex production document that proves the dial was made as a prototype in 1966.
Dial and typeface
The dial is the disputed component. Phillips describes a black-and-white layout with oversized subsidiary registers and treats it as an early design stage before the serially produced Paul Newman dials. Collectors sometimes call the typography “Mk1.75”; that is a later descriptive label, not a Rolex designation.
Perezcope’s dossier reads the sub-dial geometry, printing, luminous details, and Singer stamp differently. It argues that the dial is a later construction associated with a 6238 donor and points to an April 1998 Orologi & Market photograph that it identifies as the same dial fitted in another watch. The magazine photograph is a primary period publication for that image, while Perezcope’s identification of the dial is an interpretation. The catalogue and dossier therefore support competing readings rather than a settled chronology.
Case, movement, and bracelet
The 6240 case is not the disputed point in the published dossier. Phillips describes a stainless-steel case with screw-down pushers, an acrylic tachymeter bezel, and a twinlock 700-series crown. The lot lists manual caliber 72B with 17 jewels. These details identify the offered lot; they do not independently prove that the dial was delivered with the case.
The bracelet is catalogued as Rolex Oyster reference 6635 with end links stamped 57 and clasp 4.65. Those markings identify the bracelet components in the lot. They do not by themselves establish when the bracelet was fitted to the case or whether it was the original delivery bracelet.
Phillips sale
Phillips sold lot 32 at Daytona Ultimatum in Geneva on 12 May 2018. The result was CHF 3,012,500 including the buyer’s premium. The sale result records the market’s response to the catalogue description at that time; it does not settle the later dial dispute.
| sale date | house and lot | catalogue description | result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 May 2018 | Phillips Geneva, Daytona Ultimatum, lot 32 | Reference 6240, circa 1966, case 1'439'122, “pre-Paul Newman” dial | CHF 3,012,500 |
Limits of the evidence
The reviewed sources establish the case and the descriptions attached to the 2018 sale. They do not establish a Rolex archive record for a 6240 prototype, prove the dial’s manufacture date, or prove that a later dial was installed on the case. A physical examination of the dial back, case, movement, and documented chain of custody would be needed to resolve those questions.
Related references
- Daytona 6240, host reference
- Daytona 6239, early Cosmograph reference
- Paul Newman Daytona, dial-family context
- Daytona family index
Gallery
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Phillips’ circa-1966 reference 6240, case 1'439'122
Sources
- Pucci Papaleo (curator); Aurel Bacs (auctioneer), "Phillips — Daytona Ultimatum (Geneva, 12 May 2018)", Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo, 2018-05-12
- Jose Pereztroika, "Rolex Daytona 6240 Paul Newman "Neanderthal" — A Myth Goes Extinct", Perezcope, 2022-11-03
- "Orologi & Market magazine no. 8 (April 1998)", Orologi & Market (Italy), 1998-04