Rolex - The Hong Kong Watch Auction: FIVE Hong Kong Monday, November 27, 2017 | Phillips

Create your first list.

Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.

  • Manufacturer: Rolex
    Year: Circa 1977
    Reference No: 1603
    Case No: 5'259'988
    Model Name: DateJust
    Material: Stainless steel
    Calibre: Automatic, cal. 1570, 26 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Rolex Jubilee bracelet, max. length 185mm
    Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Rolex deployant clasp
    Dimensions: 35mm diameter
    Signed: Case, dial and movement signed

  • Catalogue Essay

    Over the course of the years, Rolex produced - in very limited quantities - special order timepieces for Middle-eastern clients, usually rulers or administrative departments of state. Nowadays such bespoken pieces are recognized for their rarity and historical interest and have developed what can be defined a "cult following" among the collectors' community. The present piece is a representative of this family: a wonderfully preserved timepiece bearing on its dial the crest of the Bahrain Police Force. Beyond its aesthetic and historical appeal, one has to underline the excellent condition of both case and dial, chiefly noticeable when examining the crisp milling of the bezel, which is preserved absolutely razor-sharp: a telltale sign of an unpolished case.

  • Artist Biography

    Rolex

    Swiss • 1905

    Founded in 1905 England by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis as Wilsdorf & Davis, it soon became known as the Rolex Watch Company in 1915, moving its headquarters to Geneva in 1919. Like no other company, the success of the wristwatch can be attributed to many of Rolex's innovations that made them one of the most respected and well-known of all luxury brands. These innovations include their famous "Oyster" case — the world's first water resistant and dustproof watch case, invented in 1926 — and their "Perpetual" — the first reliable self-winding movement for wristwatches launched in 1933. They would form the foundation for Rolex's Datejust and Day-Date, respectively introduced in 1945 and 1956, but also importantly for their sports watches, such as the Explorer, Submariner and GMT-Master launched in the mid-1950s.

    One of its most famous models is the Cosmograph Daytona. Launched in 1963, these chronographs are without any doubt amongst the most iconic and coveted of all collectible wristwatches. Other key collectible models include their most complicated vintage watches, including references 8171 and 6062 with triple calendar and moon phase, "Jean Claude Killy" triple date chronograph models and the Submariner, including early "big-crown" models and military-issued variants.

    View More Works

892

Ref. 1603
A fine and rare stainless steel wristwatch with sweep centre seconds, date and bracelet, made for the Bahrain Police Force

Circa 1977
35mm diameter
Case, dial and movement signed

Estimate
HK$32,000 - 64,000 
€3,500-7,000
$4,000-8,000

Sold for HK$50,000

Contact Specialist
Ziyong Ho
Specialist
+852 9386 2032
yong.ho@phillips.com

The Hong Kong Watch Auction: FIVE

Hong Kong Auction 28 November 2017