After Paul Newman’s Rolex ‘Paul Newman’ Daytona ref. 6239 set a world record on October 26, 2017, selling for $17.7 Million USD including buyer’s fees, Phillips Watches just set another record with today’s sale of the Ultimate ‘Big Red’ Daytona ref. 6263 belonging to Paul Newman himself. Consigned by his Daughter, Clea Newman Soderlund, this incredible watch sold for $5,475,000 USD at the Racing Pulse Annual Flagship New York Watch Auction, today December 12th, 2020. Gifted to Paul Newman by his wife Joanne Woodward and engraved “Drive slowly Joanne”, this Paul Newman’s Rolex ‘Big Red’ Daytona ref. 6263 came out with an estimate in excess of $1 million USD but sold more than five times above the estimate.
The present black dial, “Big Red” reference 6263 with screw-down pushers was worn by Paul Newman, as seen in countless images, beginning with its purchase in 1983 by Joanne Woodward until 2008. It was the watch he wore the longest and was most often photographed wearing until Newman gifted it to his daughter, Clea Newman Soderlund in 2008 before his passing. Its case back is beautifully engraved with the phrase, “Drive slowly Joanne”. Woodward, no doubt still fearing for the safety of her husband whenever he left to pursue his passion on the track, wanted to make sure that her husband continued to remember to take care of himself.
This Rolex ‘Big Red’ Daytona ref. 6263 has a case measuring 37 mm in diameter, a matching steel bracelet and was produced circa 1980. Yet another spectacular watch auctioned by Phillips Watches. Newman was often photographed wearing the “Big Red” with its chronograph pushers unscrewed, so that he would have easy access to begin timing events – whether during a race or simply in his day-to-day activities, including timing his daughter Clea’s horseback riding at their home in Westport, Connecticut. So proud and confident he was of the accuracy of his Daytonas, he would place bets with friends that his watch was more accurate than theirs. After calling Central Time, a phone service providing exact time, Newman would collect his winnings.
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