The NFL legend Tom Brady was seen wearing the illustrious Paul Newman Daytona while honored by the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. In an emotionally charged halftime ceremony, Brady, the star quarterback who served the Patriots for two remarkable decades, stood alongside the longtime team owner, Robert Kraft.
Brady expressed his gratitude before a raucous crowd of 65,000 Patriots fans, stating, “Another day in this stadium that I will never forget.” In a dramatic flourish, he capped it off with a classic Brady sideline sprint, his wrist adorned with the iconic Rolex.
This particular Daytona, known by its reference number 6241, boasts a striking dial affectionately dubbed the “John Player Special” after the British firm John Player & Sons. This Nottingham-based tobacco and cigarette manufacturer, often known simply as Player’s, sponsored the Lotus Formula One team during the 1970s and crafted an iconic livery for their racing cars. The watch dial mirrors the same black and gold palette as those iconic autos and features three chronograph subdials adorned with square lollipop hash marks. Brady’s timepiece appears to be paired with a matching gold jubilee bracelet.
The John Player Special is indeed a fitting choice for a seven-time Super Bowl champion. This model is exceedingly rare and commands a substantial price on the secondary market. In 2020, a similar piece achieved a record-breaking sale price of $1.5 million at a Sotheby’s auction.
Sam Hines, the worldwide head of watches for Sotheby’s, remarked at the time, “An 18-karat yellow-gold 6264 is the rarest gold configuration of the legendary Paul Newman. Only a handful are known to exist, so it is difficult to overstate the fascination it arouses among vintage watch collectors.“
It’s worth noting that this Rolex is just one of many in Brady’s impressive collection. The legendary quarterback has been spotted wearing other Rolex models, including the “Jigsaw” Day-Date and a platinum Rolex Day-Date 40 earlier this year. Although he has been an ambassador for IWC since 2019, one might wonder if he should consider officially representing the Rolex brand, given his affinity for their timepieces.
