The Paul Newman Daytona

What is a Paul Newman Daytona? Browsing Rolex's website, I saw a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona with white dial and black-sub-dials and thought that this was a modern version homage to the original Paul Newman Daytona.

Today all Rolex Daytona's with contrasting sub-dials have are known as Paul Newman Daytona's. To the pursit, that the only true Paul Newman Daytona's are Ref. 6239 and 6241 stainless steel Daytona's with either the cream dial with black sub-dials (or more correctly "registers") or the black dial with white sub-dials. Of these two, it is Ref. 6241 the cream dial with black sub-dials that is more closely associated with Paul Newman.

Rolex Daytona Ref. 6241. Image from

100 Superlative Rolex Watches by John Goldberger.

The watch which, Paul Newman's wife, Joanne Woodward, gave to him in 1972 was actually a Rolex Daytona Ref. 6263, which had a black dial and white sub-dials.

Why did the while dialed version became associate with Paul Newman? A search of available pictures shows that Paul Newman had worn on different occasions both Ref. 6239 and 6241, with a black leather strap replacing the steel bracelet. Simply, Paul Newman owned both a white dialed and a black dialed Daytona. In fact he owned several others, including a stainless steel and white gold model. But we digress.

Contemporary Paul Newman Daytona's. For over three decades every Rolex Daytona with a contrasting dial has come to be known as a "Paul Newman Daytona".

A Paul Newman Daytona in Yellow Gold

A Paul Newman Daytona in Rose Gold

But the newest "Paul Newman" Daytona dial from Rolex is the one that really reminds us of the original watch from the 70's. With a white dial and black sub-dials, it comes closest to the Ref. 6241 Daytona.

White Gold Paul Newman Daytona

Available, in white or yellow gold, and either with a bracelet of leather strap, this model, to me is the true modern version of the original Paul Newman Daytona.

About Rolex. Rolex SA is a Swiss manufacturer of wristwatches and accessories founded in 1905 by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis. Rolex is the largest single luxury watch brand by far, producing over 2000 watches per day. Rolex is the best known and most sought after watch brand in the world.