The iconic Rolex “Paul Newman Big Red” Cosmograph Daytona in stainless steel

Prince Mateen of Brunei, who is the tenth child and fourth son of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, wears the iconic Rolex “Paul Newman Big Red” Cosmograph Daytona in stainless steel.

The 37mm stainless steel watch has become nearly mythical over the last decades and is today many collectors’ absolute dream watch. Its silvery dial with the offset crisp has three black sub-dials and a red “Daytona” insignia printed above the lower center sub-dial at the 6 o’clock position.

About the Watch

The Rolex Daytona series was first introduced in 1963 and was built exclusively for the realm of automobile racing. It is perhaps one of the best renowned and well-respected watch collections in the whole Rolex line. The “Big Red” Rolex Daytona is certainly among the most popular, valuable, and instantly recognizable of the countless models that comprise this classic series of chronograph pieces.

The Rolex Paul Newman Big Red Cosmograph Daytona is a stainless steel piece with a unique dial, dubbed “exotic.” The design and layout of this dial differ from the usual dials found on iconic Rolex Daytona Cosmographs. This is also an iconic sports timepiece from the Daytona line that stands out for its refinement and elegance. The engraved black tachymeter bezel with 200 units every hour on all versions is a significant element. The distinctive subdials on the watch guarantee even greater legibility than its monochromatic rivals.

The modern 37mm stainless steel Rolex “Paul Newman Big Red” Cosmograph Daytona with a ceramic bezel is primarily influenced by the piece’s design. Besides, Daytona’s famous stainless steel Oyster bracelet fulfills the everlasting fascination of this renowned racing Chrono.

The red ‘Daytona’ logo curves just above the totalizer at 6 o’clock and is integral to the reference’s trademark design and most identifying element. Since the self-winding system was not featured on the Daytona till the late 1980s, this is a professional model.

In addition to a strong screw-down caseback and a watertight screw-down winding crown, the Rolex “Paul Newman Big Red” Cosmograph Daytona features screw-down chronograph pushers. The placement of the term “Oyster” on the dial of the timepiece as a way to advertise its improved water resistance was due to the screw-down pushers. Because Rolex did not bring an automatic-winding mechanism to the Daytona series, the watch is powered by a Valjoux-based manually wound Chrono movement.

This timepiece features a screw-down crown as well as chronograph pushers, which are typical of later-era Rolex Daytona models. Nonetheless, the 37-millimeter casing diameter mechanically wound Valjoux-based mechanism and acrylic crystal distinguish it as a classic wristwatch.

In the realm of antique timepiece collecting, the Rolex “Paul Newman Big Red” Cosmograph Daytona occupies a special place. The Daytona, perhaps more than any other Rolex watch line, has a unique ability to entice fans and achieve sky-high auction values. Most vintage Rolex pieces (especially those from the Daytona collection) have become legendary collectibles. It is widely regarded as among the most coveted classic Rolex Daytona versions of all time.

Price market: $110,000.00 USD

Photo: Prince Mateem