Rolex Daytona 6240

Rolex Reference 6240 ‘Small’ Daytona | A stainless steel chronograph wristwatch with bracelet, Circa 1966

Dial: black Caliber: cal. Valjoux 722 mechanical, 17 jewels Movement number: Case: stainless steel, screw down case back stamped 6239 Case number: 1'297'631 Closure: stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet with folding clasp Size: 37mm diameter, Signed: case, dial, and movement Box: no Papers: noThe Reference 6240 is a reference that is significant not only for its technical achievement but also for how it influenced the subsequent lineup of Rolex Cosmograph Daytonas. Initially produced as a prototype, the 6240 stands out as the first truly waterproof Daytona by replacing the pump pushers of the References 6239 and 6241 with screw-down pushers. As the first waterproof Daytona, the 6240 was also the first Reference to bear ‘Oyster’ on its dials. Manufactured only in steel and fitted with a black Bakelite tachymeter bezel calibrated to 200, it was produced only during the second half of the 1960s, and it is thought that no more than 1750 examples were made. The 6240 featured several dial configurations. Earlier examples can be distinguished by their dials which lack the ‘Oyster’ print, indicating that Rolex was fitting the 6240 with older dials that were made for the non-waterproof Reference 6239. Our present Reference 6240 features such a dial where the print of the ‘Daytona’ is smaller than the Rolex and Cosmograph above it. Coined the ‘Small’ Daytona by collectors, the dial configuration was seen in earlier examples from the 1960s and in the Reference 6239. Notably, the dial does not feature ‘Oyster’. At its heart beats the calibre Valjoux 722, a modified version of the Valjoux 72 with a frequency of 18000 vph and a 48 hour power-reserve. Fitted on a folded link Oyster bracelet, this present timepiece is a particularly important Reference in the history of Rolex Daytonas and makes for an incredibly enjoyable piece for sophisticated collectors.