Designer Kim Jones spotted wearing a Rolex

At the Met Gala in New York, Kim Jones — artistic director of Dior Men and one of fashion's most consistently referenced style authorities — arrived wearing a vintage Rolex Pre-Daytona reference 6238 featuring a rare 'Gun Metal' dial. On a night defined by theatrical costume, Jones's choice of a restrained, decades-old steel chronograph read as a deliberate counter-statement.

The Rolex reference 6238 was produced between approximately 1963 and 1969, occupying a transitional moment in the brand's chronograph history. It preceded the official Cosmograph Daytona designation introduced with the reference 6239, meaning the 6238 carries no 'Daytona' text on the dial and features a smooth, ungraduated bezel rather than the tachymeter ring that would define its successor. Powered by the Valjoux 72 manual-wind movement — a column-wheel chronograph caliber respected for its mechanical refinement — the 6238 measures 37mm in steel and wears with the elegant restraint typical of mid-1960s Rolex sport references.

The 'Gun Metal' dial designation refers to a dark, charcoal-toned dial surface that shifts in appearance depending on light conditions, displaying blue, grey, and near-black tones. It is among the most sought-after dial variants on any Pre-Daytona, and examples in honest, unrestored condition surface rarely at auction. The combination of a Gun Metal dial with a 6238 case in presentable condition represents a genuinely significant vintage find, not a decorative curiosity.

For collectors, the Pre-Daytona 6238 occupies a specific and highly regarded niche. It appeals to buyers who prize mechanical and historical authenticity over brand recognition — the reference predates the Daytona's celebrity associations entirely. Jones, whose design work consistently references archival and collector-grade objects, wears the piece with evident understanding of its context rather than as a status signal.

On the grey market, Rolex Pre-Daytona 6238 examples with standard dials trade in the $30,000–$60,000 range depending on condition and configuration. A confirmed Gun Metal dial example in wearable condition with original parts would realistically command $70,000 to well over $100,000 at auction, with results at Christie's and Phillips in recent seasons confirming strong and rising demand for honest, rare-dial Pre-Daytona references.