1046
Rolex
Ref. 6609
DateJust 'Thunderbird'
A fine and rare yellow gold wristwatch with sweep centre seconds, date, black lacquer dial and calibrated revolving bezel
- Estimate
- HK$60,000 - 80,000€7,000 - 9,400$7,500 - 10,000
HK$81,250
Lot Details
- Manufacturer
- Rolex
- Year
- Circa 1957
- Reference No
- 6609
- Movement No
- N739960
- Case No
- 221'961
- Model Name
- DateJust 'Thunderbird'
- Material
- 18k yellow gold
- Calibre
- Automatic, 1065, 25 jewels
- Bracelet/Strap
- Dark Brown leather strap
- Clasp/Buckle
- Gilt <em>Rolex </em>buckle
- Dimensions
- 35 mm. diameter
- Signed
- <em>Case, dial and movement signed </em>
Full-Cataloguing
Catalogue Essay
DateJusts fitted with the revolving 'Turn-o-graph' bezel were originally used for the U.S Air Force demonstration flying team, known as the 'Thunderbirds'. The watch eventually adopted this nickname, which endures today. The present watch, cased in solid 18k yellow gold, is fitted with a beautiful black lacquer dial and applied yellow gold spade-shaped hour markers. Examples of reference 6609 are very rare to come by, as its successor, reference 1625 appears more frequently on the market.
Rolex
Swiss | 1905Founded 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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