Watch Paparazzi

Singer Eric Clapton spotted wearing Rolex

Eric Clapton has long moved in circles where serious watch collecting is simply part of the culture, but his latest sighting raises the stakes considerably. The guitar legend was spotted wearing a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ref. 6239 in stainless steel, fitted with the white 'panda' dial configuration that collectors universally regard as one of the most desirable wristwatch configurations ever produced. For anyone who understands what sits beneath those subdials, the sighting is nothing short of remarkable.

The Rolex Daytona ref. 6239 holds a foundational place in horological history. Produced from approximately 1963 to 1969, it was the first reference to bear the Daytona name, introduced to appeal to the motorsport market at Daytona International Speedway. Power comes from the manually wound Valjoux 72 base calibre, offering 17 jewels, a 36,000 vph beat rate, and twin pushers screwed into a stainless steel case measuring a modest 37mm. The so-called 'Paul Newman' dial designation — a name that only entered collector vocabulary decades after production — describes the exotic printed chapter ring with Art Deco-style square indices and bold contrasting registers. On the white panda configuration, the subsidiary dials appear in black against the white main dial, creating the high-contrast aesthetic that defines the variant.

From a collector standpoint, a steel ref. 6239 Paul Newman panda dial occupies rarefied territory. The reference gained its popular name after Paul Newman was famously photographed wearing one gifted by Joanne Woodward, and a subsequent auction of Newman's own ref. 6239 in 2017 shattered expectations at $17.75 million. That moment crystallised what serious collectors had known for years: these dials are generational assets, not merely watches.

Clapton's affinity for vintage instruments of all kinds — guitars, cars, and evidently watches — is well documented. That he would gravitate toward a ref. 6239 feels entirely consistent with the collector sensibility he has demonstrated publicly over the years. It is a choice that signals genuine knowledge rather than acquisition by committee.

On the current market, steel Paul Newman Daytona ref. 6239 examples in white panda configuration trade at extraordinary premiums. Condition, originality of dial, and provenance drive values sharply, with strong examples regularly achieving well above one million dollars at the major auction houses.