6240 with screw pushers on vrf

[red series 3]

http://www.network54.com/Forum/207673/message/1276750891/FS-+HOLY+GRAIL+Rolex+Cosmograph+Daytona+Brownish+6240+B%2BP+%2819+Pictures%29

I saw this on the vintage rolex forum and thought it was an interesting combo that is genuine

[wiesn089]

There's indeed been a discussion going on in the gen world for several years now, if these non-oyster 6240s are genuine. I don't think a definite "verdict" has been reached so far.

Personally I believe there are numerous explanations why a non-oyster dial might have been installed in a watch when it was first delivered to the original buyer. For one ADs back in the days had parts lying around in piles and might have just opted to change a black dial for a silver one when they didn't have one in stock and the customer desperately wanted one. Another explanation might be that Rolex Geneva themselves used what they had lying around for these models, after all 6240s were in some kind of prototype status back then and not readily available as far as I'm aware...

If i were to buy one of these though, I'd pay less than for an Oyster version for sure.

[alligoat]

'Rolex Daytona, a legend is born' refers to them as experimental. And a dial being swapped out doesn't seem like a big deal to me. These watches didn't exactly fly off the shelves in the late 60's, they weren't all that popular.

I sure do like that non-Oyster dial!

[freddy333]

I like the dial, too, but this is 1 of those rare occasions when I have to disagree with you, Alligoat. All of the 6240s I've checked in my picture archive (not to mention the Daytona Bible) have Oyster dials & the 6240 was experimental only because it was the 1st Rolex ever fitted with screw-down (waterproof) pushers. I do not believe it was an experiment where Rolex was toying around with dials - whether to use an 'Oyster' dial or not. And with the dial being the most important & valuable part of a vintage Rolex watch, I would have to think twice (or more) before plunking down any serious cash on a non-Oyster dialed Daytona with screw-down pushers.

[alligoat]

I see your point Freddy and if you're paying today's prices you'd certainly want the correct dial.

Here's one in black from Robert Maron w/o the Oyster

http://robertmaron.com/popup_image.php?type=D&id=16272&title=ROLEX%206240%20VINTAGE%20COSMOGRAPH%20DAYTONA%20&area=C&page=1

If you got the watch in '66 or '67 and paid $400-500 for it, and it didn't have the oyster, well then I'd figure it is what it is.

Kinda like this 6238 w/ a 6239 dial- stuff happened back in those days

As a collector, the biggest challenge is deciding what you can accept and what you won't accept, especially when making 5 figure purchases!

[alligoat]

A pair of non-Oyster 6240s, maybe they're not that rare...

[panerai153]

I'm not a Daytona expert at all. I've only owned one and I kept it for a couple of months and traded it even up for a Seadweller. As alligoat said, they were not the most popular watch in the Rolex line, no date and manual wind were a pretty big turn off to a lot of folks,including me. The thing about back then, dealers, AD's possibly even RSC's swapped out stuff when watches came in for service, and the owner was none the wiser, because there weren't many Rolex "Experts" back in the late 60's and early 70's. i believe that most people were thrilled to death when their well used Rolex went off for service and came back looking like a brand new watch. Just imagine how many Red sub and DRSD dials were changed at RSC's for white dials. Probably to a lot of owners, a dial was a dial,and a new white was better than a dreary Red.

I absolutely agree with Freddy, that was then and today is today. There are lots of very, very astute Rolex aficionados, and anything out of the norm will have a negative affect on the price. The owner may like it just fine, but should he try to sell, then the questionable part/parts will have serious consequences.

[lhooq]

It's also interesting to note that on many examples I've seen of RCD-dialed 6240s, the subdial hands are the older types found on 6239s and earlier Rolex chronographs i.e. dagger-like hour and minute counters, needle running seconds. To me, that would seem to be evidence against a later replacement of these dials during service.