Reference:neanderthal-daytona - Revision history

Admin: Resize hero: 340px -> 250px

2026-04-30T04:23:14Z

Resize hero: 340px -> 250px

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:23, 30 April 2026
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	The Neanderthal is a Paul Newman-configuration [[Reference:6240\|6240]] that Phillips sold in 2018 for CHF 3,012,500 including premium as the earliest known Paul Newman prototype. The nickname points to the dial's crude, proto-Paul-Newman look. Perezcope's 2022 dossier disputes the prototype story and argues for a later construction using a [[Reference:6238\|6238]] donor dial. Both readings remain on the public record.		The Neanderthal is a Paul Newman-configuration [[Reference:6240\|6240]] that Phillips sold in 2018 for CHF 3,012,500 including premium as the earliest known Paul Newman prototype. The nickname points to the dial's crude, proto-Paul-Newman look. Perezcope's 2022 dossier disputes the prototype story and argues for a later construction using a [[Reference:6238\|6238]] donor dial. Both readings remain on the public record.

	[[File:Ref 6240 hero.webp\|thumb\|right\|~~340px~~\|alt=The Neanderthal 6240 at Phillips Daytona Ultimatum, Geneva, 12 May 2018\|The Neanderthal 6240 at Phillips Daytona Ultimatum, Geneva, 12 May 2018]]		[[File:Ref 6240 hero.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=The Neanderthal 6240 at Phillips Daytona Ultimatum, Geneva, 12 May 2018\|The Neanderthal 6240 at Phillips Daytona Ultimatum, Geneva, 12 May 2018]]

	== What the Neanderthal is ==		== What the Neanderthal is ==

Admin: Category casing fix per audit. Normalize: working-draft → Working Draft; Explorer-Ii → Explorer II; Oyster-Perpetual → Oyster Perpetual; Daytona Manual-wind → Daytona Manual-Wind; Daytona In-house Gen 1 → Daytona In-House Gen 1. Drop redundant Category:References (not part of convention; family-and-status categories are sufficient).

2026-04-29T19:57:10Z

Category casing fix per audit. Normalize: working-draft → Working Draft; Explorer-Ii → Explorer II; Oyster-Perpetual → Oyster Perpetual; Daytona Manual-wind → Daytona Manual-Wind; Daytona In-house Gen 1 → Daytona In-House Gen 1. Drop redundant Category:References (not part of convention; family-and-status categories are sufficient).

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:57, 29 April 2026
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	[[Category:Daytona]]		[[Category:Daytona]]
	[[Category:Daytona Manual-~~wind~~]]		[[Category:Daytona Manual-Wind]]
	[[Category:Paul Newman]]		[[Category:Paul Newman]]
	[[Category:Disputed variant]]		[[Category:Disputed variant]]

Admin: SEO: og:image + image_alt + og_type + timestamps

2026-04-29T03:24:17Z

SEO: og:image + image_alt + og_type + timestamps

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:24, 29 April 2026
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	{{#seo:		{{#seo:
	\|title=Rolex ~~Neanderthal Daytona 6240 — Disputed Paul Newman Prototype~~ — BezelBase		\|title=Rolex neanderthal-daytona — Production, Dial Variants, Serial Ranges \| BezelBase
	\|description=The Neanderthal Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 6240 — the Phillips Daytona Ultimatum 2018 lot presented as the earliest Paul Newman prototype, sold for CHF 3,012,500. Perezcope's 2022 forensic dossier disputes the prototype framing using contemporaneous evidence from the April 1998 Orologi & Market magazine, arguing the dial is a late-1990s construction on a 6238 donor. Both positions remain on record.		\|description=The Neanderthal Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 6240 — the Phillips Daytona Ultimatum 2018 lot presented as the earliest Paul Newman prototype, sold for CHF 3,012,500. Perezcope's 2022 forensic dossier disputes the prototype framing using contemporaneous evidence from the April 1998 Orologi & Market magazine, arguing the dial is a late-1990s construction on a 6238 donor. Both positions remain on record.
	\|keywords=Neanderthal Daytona, Neanderthal 6240, Rolex Neanderthal, Phillips Daytona Ultimatum, Perezcope Neanderthal, Paul Newman prototype, 6240 disputed, Orologi Market 1998		\|keywords=Neanderthal Daytona, Neanderthal 6240, Rolex Neanderthal, Phillips Daytona Ultimatum, Perezcope Neanderthal, Paul Newman prototype, 6240 disputed, Orologi Market 1998
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	\|og_type=article		\|og_type=article
	\|published_time=2026-04-19T15:01:32Z		\|published_time=2026-04-19T15:01:32Z
	\|modified_time=2026-04-29T02:37:~~31Z~~		\|modified_time=2026-04-29T02:51:40Z
	\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large		\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
	}}		}}

Admin: SEO: og:image + image_alt + og_type + timestamps

2026-04-29T02:51:40Z

SEO: og:image + image_alt + og_type + timestamps

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:51, 29 April 2026
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	\|og_type=article		\|og_type=article
	\|published_time=2026-04-19T15:01:32Z		\|published_time=2026-04-19T15:01:32Z
	\|modified_time=2026-04-~~27T13~~:31:~~38Z~~		\|modified_time=2026-04-29T02:37:31Z
	\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large		\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
	}}		}}

Admin: SEO: og:image + image_alt + og_type + timestamps

2026-04-29T02:37:31Z

SEO: og:image + image_alt + og_type + timestamps

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:37, 29 April 2026
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	\|og_type=article		\|og_type=article
	\|published_time=2026-04-19T15:01:32Z		\|published_time=2026-04-19T15:01:32Z
	\|modified_time=2026-04-~~23T16~~:51:~~41Z~~		\|modified_time=2026-04-27T13:31:38Z
	\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large		\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
	}}		}}

Admin: Lexical slop sweep: filler adverbs, load-bearing, stands as, breadcrumb, register

2026-04-27T13:31:38Z

Lexical slop sweep: filler adverbs, load-bearing, stands as, breadcrumb, register

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:31, 27 April 2026
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	}}		}}

	<small>[[Reference:daytona\|Daytona]] → [[Reference:6240\|6240]] → '''Neanderthal'''</small>		<small>[[Reference:daytona\|Daytona]] -> [[Reference:6240\|6240]] → '''Neanderthal'''</small>

	= The Neanderthal (Daytona 6240) =		= The Neanderthal (Daytona 6240) =

Admin: SEO: og:image + image_alt + og_type + timestamps

2026-04-27T04:03:49Z

SEO: og:image + image_alt + og_type + timestamps

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:03, 27 April 2026
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	\|keywords=Neanderthal Daytona, Neanderthal 6240, Rolex Neanderthal, Phillips Daytona Ultimatum, Perezcope Neanderthal, Paul Newman prototype, 6240 disputed, Orologi Market 1998		\|keywords=Neanderthal Daytona, Neanderthal 6240, Rolex Neanderthal, Phillips Daytona Ultimatum, Perezcope Neanderthal, Paul Newman prototype, 6240 disputed, Orologi Market 1998
	\|image=Ref 6240 hero.webp		\|image=Ref 6240 hero.webp
			\|image_alt=The Neanderthal 6240 at Phillips Daytona Ultimatum, Geneva, 12 May 2018
	\|type=article		\|type=article
			\|og_type=article
			\|published_time=2026-04-19T15:01:32Z
			\|modified_time=2026-04-23T16:51:41Z
			\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
	}}		}}

Admin: Shorten utility sections on rare-variant pages

2026-04-23T16:51:41Z

Shorten utility sections on rare-variant pages

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:51, 23 April 2026
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	== Where to go next ==		== Where to go next ==

	- [[Reference:6240\|Reference 6240]] — ~~full treatment of the~~ host reference ~~including the Millerighe Mk0 pusher discussion and the 6239 → 6240 transition~~		- [[Reference:6240\|Reference 6240]] — host reference
	- [[Reference:paul-newman-daytona\|Paul Newman Daytona]] — the ~~exotic-~~dial ~~category the Neanderthal disputes its place in~~		- [[Reference:paul-newman-daytona\|Paul Newman Daytona]] — the disputed dial family context
	- [[Reference:albino-daytona\|Albino Daytona]] — parallel disputed variant ~~in the 6263 category~~		- [[Reference:albino-daytona\|Albino Daytona]] — parallel disputed variant
	- [[Reference:unicorn-daytona\|Unicorn Daytona]] — parallel disputed variant ~~in the 6265 category~~		- [[Reference:unicorn-daytona\|Unicorn Daytona]] — parallel disputed variant
	- [[Reference:daytona-glossary\|Daytona glossary]] — definitions ~~for Mk1-4, Mk1.75, and every other named variant~~		- [[Reference:daytona-glossary\|Daytona glossary]] — quick definitions

	== Source list ==		== Source list ==

Admin: Trim remaining dense variant prose

2026-04-23T16:49:06Z

Trim remaining dense variant prose

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:49, 23 April 2026
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	== The Phillips sale (12 May 2018) ==		== The Phillips sale (12 May 2018) ==

	Phillips ~~Daytona Ultimatum was a 32-watch thematic sale curated by Pucci Papaleo with Aurel Bacs at~~ the ~~rostrum. The~~ Neanderthal ~~was~~ Lot 32 and ~~the penultimate lot of the auction. Phillips's lot essay~~ framed ~~the watch~~ as the earliest known Paul Newman prototype ~~— the~~ dial ~~that preceded~~ the documented Mk1 ~~production~~ run ~~and carried~~ typography and ~~sub-dial~~ proportions Rolex ~~settled away from before standardising the Mk1 look~~.		Phillips sold the Neanderthal as Lot 32 at Daytona Ultimatum and framed it as the earliest known Paul Newman prototype: a dial from before the documented Mk1 run, with typography and proportions Rolex later abandoned.

	{\| class="wikitable"		{\| class="wikitable"
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	=== Sub-dial geometry from 6238 donor ===		=== Sub-dial geometry from 6238 donor ===

	~~The sub-dial outer-ring proportions and cross-hair placements on the Neanderthal dial match, per~~ Perezcope~~, the 6238 Pre-Daytona dial geometry rather than the 6239-era Paul Newman~~ geometry~~. The~~ argument ~~extends~~ that the ~~Neanderthal~~ dial ~~was built on a 6238 donor —~~ a [[Reference:6238\|~~Pre-Daytona~~]] ~~dial repurposed and re~~-~~printed with~~ Paul Newman~~-style markers~~, ~~cross-hairs~~, ~~and 15/30/45 sub-dial numerals~~.		Perezcope's geometry argument is that the dial reads more like a [[Reference:6238\|6238]] donor than a true 6239-era Paul Newman dial. On that reading, the Neanderthal is a reworked 6238 dial, not a lost prototype.

	=== Singer stamp comparison ===		=== Singer stamp comparison ===
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	\|}		\|}

	~~Each dispute follows the same~~ pattern~~: high-value~~ auction-house ~~lot presented~~ with ~~an origin-~~story ~~framing that elevates rarity;~~ forensic counter-dossier ~~published after the sale with period-correct or contemporaneous documentary evidence that contradicts the origin story;~~ no ~~editorial resolution by either~~ the ~~auction house or Rolex~~. The market ~~absorbs each dispute~~ with ~~partial pricing adjustments at subsequent sales~~.		The pattern is familiar. An auction house presents a watch with a rarity story, a forensic counter-dossier appears later, and no final authority closes the argument. The market then keeps trading the watch with that uncertainty attached.

	== Host reference ==		== Host reference ==

Admin: Tighten remaining dense glossary and variant prose

2026-04-23T16:45:36Z

Tighten remaining dense glossary and variant prose

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:45, 23 April 2026
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	=== Mk1.75 typeface analysis ===		=== Mk1.75 typeface analysis ===

	Perezcope's typeface ~~analysis compares the Neanderthal dial's printed text — the "COSMOGRAPH" stack, the sub-dial numerals, the minute track — against authenticated Mk1 Paul Newman dials from known production. The~~ argument: the ~~typography~~ does not ~~represent~~ a pre-Mk1 ~~generation but rather a late-1990s interpretation of what~~ a ~~pre-Mk1 dial might look like~~. ~~Specific font weights~~, ~~kerning patterns~~, and stroke endings ~~diverge from~~ period~~-correct 1960s~~ Singer ~~printing in ways the dossier documents with comparative photography~~.		Perezcope's typeface argument is simple: the printing does not look like a missing pre-Mk1 step, it looks like a later attempt to imagine one. Font weight, spacing, and stroke endings all read wrong against period Singer dials.

	=== Sub-dial geometry from 6238 donor ===		=== Sub-dial geometry from 6238 donor ===
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	== Phillips's position and the Neanderthal's case ==		== Phillips's position and the Neanderthal's case ==

	Phillips~~'s 2018 lot essay~~ did not claim ~~the dial was a documented pre~~-~~production piece from~~ Rolex ~~archives — the framing was "earliest known Paul Newman~~ prototype~~," with the prototype status inferred~~ from the dial~~'s divergence from documented~~ Mk1 production~~. The catalogue text positioned the Neanderthal as a transitional example from~~ a pre-Mk1 phase ~~in Paul Newman development, with~~ the ~~dial's divergence from standard chronology read as pre-production evolution rather than post-production construction~~.		Phillips did not claim an archive-backed Rolex prototype. The house argued from the dial itself: if it did not fit Mk1 production, it might belong to a pre-Mk1 phase. That is the exact reading Perezcope rejects.

	The case itself — the 6240 stainless-steel case with screw-down pushers, acrylic crystal, and acrylic bezel insert — is not disputed. The 6240 production years (1965–1969) are period-correct for a pre-Mk1 Paul Newman framing, and the case authentication passes through the standard 6240 verification checkpoints. The dispute is dial-specific, not case-specific or movement-specific.		The case itself — the 6240 stainless-steel case with screw-down pushers, acrylic crystal, and acrylic bezel insert — is not disputed. The 6240 production years (1965–1969) are period-correct for a pre-Mk1 Paul Newman framing, and the case authentication passes through the standard 6240 verification checkpoints. The dispute is dial-specific, not case-specific or movement-specific.
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	== Why the dispute matters ==		== Why the dispute matters ==

	Phillips~~'s prototype framing and Perezcope's 6238-donor-construction framing cannot both be true. A genuine Rolex-issued pre-Mk1 prototype on a 6240 case changes~~ the early Paul Newman chronology ~~materially — introducing a documented Mk0 or Mk0~~.~~5 sub-generation that~~ the ~~existing Mk1-Mk4 scaffold would need to accommodate. A late-1990s construction on a period-correct 6240 case means the dial is a made-up object and the Phillips sale result reflects a~~ market ~~that priced~~ a construction ~~as a prototype~~.		The disagreement matters because the two readings imply completely different objects. If Phillips was right, the watch rewrites early Paul Newman chronology. If Perezcope was right, the market paid prototype money for a later construction.

	Both positions stay on the record per BezelBase's never-pick-one-truth rule. The market's read on the Perezcope dossier will emerge at the next public sale of the Neanderthal, should it surface — the lot has not been re-catalogued publicly since the 2018 sale.		Both positions stay on the record per BezelBase's never-pick-one-truth rule. The market's read on the Perezcope dossier will emerge at the next public sale of the Neanderthal, should it surface — the lot has not been re-catalogued publicly since the 2018 sale.

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:51, 23 April 2026
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	== Where to go next ==		== Where to go next ==

	- [[Reference:6240\|Reference 6240]] — ~~full treatment of the~~ host reference ~~including the Millerighe Mk0 pusher discussion and the 6239 → 6240 transition~~		- [[Reference:6240\|Reference 6240]] — host reference
	- [[Reference:paul-newman-daytona\|Paul Newman Daytona]] — the ~~exotic-~~dial ~~category the Neanderthal disputes its place in~~		- [[Reference:paul-newman-daytona\|Paul Newman Daytona]] — the disputed dial family context
	- [[Reference:albino-daytona\|Albino Daytona]] — parallel disputed variant ~~in the 6263 category~~		- [[Reference:albino-daytona\|Albino Daytona]] — parallel disputed variant
	- [[Reference:unicorn-daytona\|Unicorn Daytona]] — parallel disputed variant ~~in the 6265 category~~		- [[Reference:unicorn-daytona\|Unicorn Daytona]] — parallel disputed variant
	- [[Reference:daytona-glossary\|Daytona glossary]] — definitions ~~for Mk1-4, Mk1.75, and every other named variant~~		- [[Reference:daytona-glossary\|Daytona glossary]] — quick definitions

	== Source list ==		== Source list ==