Daytona Ref. 6240 "Espresso Oyster"

A rare Daytona.

Introduced in 1965, reference 6240 was the first Daytona to bring a complete Oyster construction to the chronograph, with screw-down pushers complementing a more substantial screw-down crown and case back. It made the Daytona more water-resistant, more solid, and considerably rarer than its predecessors. Produced for just five years, fewer than 2,000 examples were made.

This one is particularly special. It remains unpolished and in remarkable condition, with provenance tracing back to the original owners’ family in Hong Kong. Its 1.2 million serial places it among the early examples of the reference–and according to our research, is within the ten earliest examples to be offered at auction in the last decade.

A MK1 acrylic bezel retains its distinctive early font, while the case still has its thick, sharp-edged lugs, original brushed finish, and crisp lug holes—the kind of details that tend to disappear with time and polishing. Inside, the case back is stamped 6239, reflecting the overlap between the two references during production. The dial retains the wide silver Daytona signature and thin register hands, further preserving the character of this early configuration.

Rare by reference, exceptional in condition, and extremely well preserved, this 6240 is an early Daytona at its most compelling.