Rolex - The Geneva Watch Auction: FIVE Geneva Friday, May 12, 2017 | Phillips

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  • Manufacturer: Rolex
    Year: 1971
    Reference No: 6264
    Case No: 2'802'738
    Model Name: Cosmograph Daytona
    Material: 14K yellow gold
    Calibre: Manual, cal. 727, 17 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: 14K yellow gold Rolex Oyster bracelet, reference 7205, end links stamped 57, max length 190mm.
    Clasp/Buckle: 14K yellow gold folding deployant clasp stamped F
    Dimensions: 37.5mm. Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed
    Literature: The present watch is prominently displayed in Ultimate Rolex Daytona by Pucci Papaleo, page 6.

  • Catalogue Essay

    The present watch, reference 6264, is an exceedingly rare model which was produced for a very short period in the early 1970s. The model features the caliber 727. In contrast, its predecessors, such as reference 6239 or 6241 were fitted with caliber 722. Reference 6264 is most notably fitted with a black acrylic bezel and pump pushers.

    Due to the reference's short production period, it is incredibly rare to find an example cased in yellow gold. Yet, to find one in 14k gold such as the present watch is almost unheard of. Research suggests that Rolex watches delivered to the United States were cased in 14K yellow gold due to import reasons. The fact is especially pertinent when one considers the Tiffany & Co signature on the dial, supporting the fact that the present watch was made for the American market, and retailed at the jeweler. Originally founded as Tiffany & Young by Charles Lewis Tiffany and John B. Young in 1837, the American firm retailed some of the most exquisite watches from watchmakers such as Patek Philippe and Rolex.

    The case has been preserved in excellent condition, with the hallmark for 14K gold, a squirrel, punched under the lug. All gold marks are crisp and legible, and the top of the lugs feature sharp finishes throughout. There is a light layer of patina near the pushers, which gives this watch so much charisma. It takes a long time for patina to "build", and one can conclude that the present watch has been untouched for years, having seen no intervention.

    The most eye catching feature however, is the dial. On top of the cherished Tiffany & Co signature, the watch also features subsidiary registers which have turned a beautiful brown shade over time. This "tropical" effect gives the watch immense character, and provides warmth and contrast to the dial, especially against the gold graphics and champagne background.

    Proudly displayed in Ultimate Rolex Daytona, the present watch offers innumerable pleasure and striking details for even the most discerning collector.

  • 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.

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Ref. 6264
An extremely rare 14k yellow gold chronograph wristwatch with tobacco-brown "tropical" subsidiary registers and bracelet, retailed by Tiffany & Co.

1971
37.5mm. Diameter
Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed

Estimate
CHF150,000 - 250,000 
€139,000-232,000
$149,000-248,000

Sold for CHF430,000

Contact Specialist
Alexandre Ghotbi
+41 22 317 81 89

The Geneva Watch Auction: FIVE

Geneva Auctions 13 – 14 May 2017