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31 October 2023
UP TO £30,000 EXPECTED FOR C.1965 PRE-DAYTONA MADE FOR JAPANESE MARKET
Luminescence has long been a standard feature of watch faces for viewing in the dark, but a chronograph in this sale was designed for the Japanese market with no lume to the dial or hands.
Around 2,000 to 2,500 of the reference 6238 were produced between 1962 and 1968. Known as the ‘Pre-Daytona’ by collectors, it was the predecessor of the reference 6239 Cosmograph Daytona model, marking a turning point in the development of the chronograph and how it is known today.
The makers thought that having any radioactive material on a watch would put off buyers in Japan after the atomic bombings – hence the lack of lume on watches produced for that market.
With an engine-turned subsidiary dial for constant seconds, the dial has a 30-minute and 12-hour register.
Accompanied by its original receipt from the Asian retailer, service guarantee, spare link and presentation case, the circa 1965 example in this sale is estimated at £20,000-£30,000.
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