Watch Paparazzi

Actor Jason Statham spotted wearing Rolex

Jason Statham, the British actor best known for his roles in the Transporter franchise and the Expendables series, was recently spotted wearing what appears to be a Rolex Daytona Paul Newman Reference 6241 — a vintage chronograph that sits at the absolute apex of collector desirability and auction room drama.

The Rolex Daytona Ref. 6241 was produced in small numbers from approximately 1969 to 1972, making it one of the shortest-production references in the Daytona lineage. It is mechanically powered by the Valjoux 72 manual-wind movement, housed in a 37mm stainless steel case with the signature pump pushers flanking a screw-down crown. What separates the 6241 from its siblings — the 6239, 6262, and 6264 — is its use of a Rolex Oyster bracelet rather than the more common Oyster or leather strap configurations, and critically, the availability of the exotic 'Paul Newman' dial: a two-register or three-register face featuring an Art Deco-style typeface, square chapter ring markers, and contrasting sub-dial colors that give the watch an unmistakable graphic boldness.

The Paul Newman designation itself has an interesting provenance. The nickname originated in reference to the dial style famously worn by actor Paul Newman in the film 'Winning' (1969), and the moniker stuck in the collecting community long before it was ever formally acknowledged by Rolex. Newman's personal Ref. 6239 sold at Phillips in 2017 for $17.75 million, cementing the Paul Newman Daytona's status as the single most culturally charged reference in vintage watch collecting.

The Ref. 6241 with an exotic dial in good originality is exceptionally rare — surviving examples with unpolished cases, intact tritium lume, and matching-serial bracelets command serious premiums. The combination of low production numbers, high attrition from polishing and dial damage, and intense global demand means authenticated examples rarely surface publicly.

Statham has previously been photographed with a refined taste in timepieces, gravitating toward serious, understated pieces rather than flashy complications. Wearing a Rolex Daytona Paul Newman Ref. 6241 places him firmly in the company of the most knowledgeable watch collectors in Hollywood. On the current grey market, a well-preserved Ref. 6241 Paul Newman commands upward of $150,000 USD, with exceptional examples exceeding that figure significantly at major auction houses.