Watch Paparazzi

Basketball player Michael Jordan spotted wearing Rolex

Michael Jordan was recently spotted wearing one of the most coveted vintage Rolex references in existence — the stainless steel 36mm Rolex Daytona reference 6241, fitted with a black Paul Newman dial displaying three silver subsidiary registers. The sighting is a reminder that Jordan's watch collection operates at a tier few collectors, celebrity or otherwise, can match.

The Rolex Daytona ref 6241 occupies a singular position in horological history. Produced between approximately 1969 and 1972, it was the only Daytona reference ever to combine the exotic 'Paul Newman' dial — characterized by its Art Deco-style typography, square index markers on the subdials, and contrasting chapter rings — with a screw-down crown mechanism. The pump pushers at 2 and 4 o'clock distinguish it visually from the later ref 6263 and 6265. Powered by the manually wound Valjoux 72B caliber, the movement offered a 17-jewel construction with a column wheel chronograph mechanism — technically straightforward but extraordinarily reliable. The case measures 36mm in the Oyster steel case, with an acrylic crystal protecting the dial.

The black Paul Newman variant of the 6241 is particularly scarce. Rolex produced relatively few examples with this dial configuration during the reference's short production run, and attrition over five decades means surviving, unrestored examples with honest dials are genuinely rare. Collectors prize originality above all: untouched lacquer, intact printing, and original tritium lume plots that have aged consistently are non-negotiable criteria at the top of the market.

Jordan has long been documented as a serious horological collector, with a taste that runs from grail-level sports Rolexes to complicated dress watches. Wearing a ref 6241 Paul Newman rather than storing it signals the approach of a collector who actually engages with the objects — a distinction that separates enthusiasts from investors.

On the market, the Rolex Daytona reference 6241 in stainless steel with a black Paul Newman dial rarely surfaces below $230,000 USD at auction, with exceptional examples and provenance-rich pieces regularly exceeding that figure. The market for pre-Daytona and early Daytona Paul Newman references has shown sustained upward pressure, and the 6241 specifically benefits from its compressed production window and technical uniqueness. No retail price exists for a vintage reference of this nature.