Rolex - The Hong Kong Watch Auction: SEVEN Hong Kong Monday, November 26, 2018 | Phillips

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  • Manufacturer: Rolex
    Year: Circa 1972
    Reference No: 6263, inside case back stamped 6262
    Case No: 3’048’196
    Model Name: Oyster Cosmograph
    Material: Stainless steel
    Calibre: Manual, cal. 727, 17 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet, endlinks stamped 371, max length 170mm
    Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Rolex deployant clasp stamped 2.72
    Dimensions: 37.5 mm. diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed
    Accessories: Accompanied with Rolex Guarantee, Rolex green leather presentation box, product literature and outer packaging.

  • Catalogue Essay

    In production for nearly two decades, references 6263 and 6265 were offered in either stainless steel or gold. Today, the market generally acknowledges that a non-"Paul Newman" stainless steel reference 6263 should generally feature a black or silvered dial, with three subsidiary registers featuring concentric circles of various sizes and textures, depending on the year of production of the watch.

    Lovingly dubbed by watch collectors as “Big Eye”, the dial layout of the present lot is most likely part of a series of test dials as the subsidiary dials are notably larger than those found on other examples. Furthermore, the Rolex Oyster Cosmograph signature is located further from the crown - a detail that is characteristic of the earlier Cosmograph examples.

    To add another element of intrigue, the case back of the present watch is stamped 6262 – an indicator that Rolex likely produced the present timepiece during a transitional period. However, the most arresting element of the dial is the color of the oversized subsidiary registers which have aged delicately into an attractive “tropical” coffee brown tone, giving the wristwatch an almost climactic appearance. With its overall excellent condition and striking dial, the present timepiece is sure to please all who sees its attractive and unique look.

  • 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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1053

Ref. 6263, inside case back stamped 6262
A very rare and attractive stainless steel chronograph wristwatch with oversized tropical “Big Eye” subsidiary dials, guarantee and presentation box

Circa 1972
37.5 mm. diameter
Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed

Estimate
HK$1,100,000 - 2,000,000 
€122,000-221,000
$141,000-256,000

Sold for HK$1,500,000

Contact Specialist

Thomas Perazzi
Head of Watches, Asia
+852 2318 2001
thomasperazzi@phillips.com

Ziyong Ho
Specialist
+852 9386 2032
ziyongho@phillips.com

Jill Chen
Specialist
+852 2318 2033
jillchen@phillips.com

The Hong Kong Watch Auction: SEVEN

Hong Kong Auction 27 November 2018