Day Of Reckoning

Hollywood legend Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona is quite possibly the most culturally significant wristwatch of the 20th century. And, as of three months ago, it’s also the most expensive one to be sold, ever

Unsold grail watches the world over must’ve breathed a collective sigh of relief – now that Paul Newman’s Rolex Cosmograph Daytona is off the market, other sought-after collector’s watches have a shot at the spotlight. Once word got out that Newman’s trusted Daytona was up for auction, the speculation mill promptly went off the rails. This wasn’t the Paul Newman watch, this was The Paul Newman Watch – the original Daytona chronograph that adorned Cool Hand Luke’s ineffably cool wrist, clocking lap records as he made his way past the chicanes of Willow Springs, Le Sarthe, Indianapolis – you name the race, he did it. Because Newman was as much a racer as he was a silver screen legend. He wasn’t some bored Hollywood hobbyist; he knew how to work a car. And on a good day, Newman was as quick as the best of them. His stardom wasn’t manufactured, it emanated organically from his piercing blue-eyed gaze, and his fierce and methodic approach to both acting and racing.