Rolex Ref 6239, Rare “Small Daytona” Stainless Steel Chronograph, circa 1966

Ref 6239 was the first model of the celebrated "Daytona" series and was launched in 1963. The watch was first sold in the US in 1963, and subsequently was featured in sales catalogues in Europe as of 1964. This model was available in stainless steel, 14k and 18k gold. Whereas Rolex had a history of making fine chronographs, reference 6239 represented a lot of firsts for the company. Many of these design innovations came because the 6239 was marketed specifically to race car enthusiasts: 6239 was the firm's first chronograph with the tachometer scale engraved on the bezel and the subsidiary dials printed in a different color than the main dial for better readability. Whereas the first 6239s simply said Cosmograph on the dial, but shortly after the release of the watch, the name nickname “Daytona” was added to celebrate the association between Rolex and Motorsports. Something that we love about the early 6239 is that Rolex was still experimenting with the placement and font size &