In 1968, actor and racing driver Paul Newman received a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona from his wife, Joanne Woodward. The caseback carried a personal warning: “DRIVE CAREFULLY ME.”
A gift shaped by racing
Rolex places the moment just before filming began on Winning, the 1969 motor-racing film starring Newman and Woodward. Phillips identifies the watch as a stainless-steel Cosmograph Daytona reference 6239, manufactured in 1968 and fitted with the contrasting “exotic” dial that collectors would later associate with Newman’s name.
The watch behind the nickname
Newman wore the ref. 6239 for years, including around his growing involvement in motor sport. Its unusual dial—with an off-white field, dark subsidiary registers and red accents—became so closely connected with him that collectors began calling this style the “Paul Newman” Daytona.
Phillips documented the watch’s provenance with an attestation from Newman’s daughter, Nell Newman, and offered it at auction in New York in October 2017. The result confirmed its place among the most consequential celebrity-owned watches ever sold.
Why it matters
The ref. 6239 is more than a famous watch worn by a famous person. It joins a personal family story, Newman’s transition from screen racing to real competition, and the rise of vintage-watch collecting in a single object. The engraved message keeps the story intimate: a racing chronograph paired with a reminder to return safely.
Sources: Rolex, Cosmograph Daytona: Beyond the racetrack; Phillips, Winning Icons, lot 8.
Editorial note: This article discusses a documented historical watch. SEKUND.STORE is not affiliated with Paul Newman, his estate, Joanne Woodward or Rolex. No endorsement is implied. SEKUND.STORE does not state or imply that it stocks the featured watch. The accompanying artwork is an AI-generated editorial illustration.