134

Rolex

Ref. 6202

Turn-O-Graph

A well-preserved, rare, and early stainless steel wristwatch with glossy black dial, bracelet, and guarantee

Estimate
$15,000 - 30,000
$25,400
Lot Details
Manufacturer
Rolex
Year
Circa 1953
Reference No
6202
Movement No
218
Case No
953’379; also stamped 18, interior caseback stamped I.54 – 18 - 6202
Model Name
Turn-O-Graph
Material
Stainless steel
Calibre
Automatic, cal. A260, 19 jewels
Bracelet/Strap
Stainless steel riveted stretch Rolex Oyster bracelet, endlinks 58, max overall length 185mm
Clasp/Buckle
Stainless steel Rolex deployant clasp, stamped 4.61
Dimensions
36.5mm Diameter
Signed
Case, dial, movement, and bracelet signed.
Accessories
Accompanied by Rolex guarantee dated 1962, product literature, and plastic wallet.

Catalogue Essay

One of the earliest Rolex sports watches produced in series, the reference 6202 was introduced to the market in 1953, changing the landscape for sports watches forever. Bearing the unwieldy moniker “Turn-O-Graph”, it stayed in production for only a few short years, but its influence was nevertheless long-lasting.

One of the most remarkable innovations was the rotating bezel, calibrated to 60 minutes, allowing for more precise time measurement. Though the 6202 is not the first Rolex wristwatch to be fitted with the rotating bezel, it is the first reference to be widely distributed, and the ancestor of the more specialized Submariner, GMT-Master, and Milgauss. However, soon the demand for the sons came to eclipse that of the father, and the popularity of the latter references overshadowed the small but mighty Turn-O-Graph.

Accompanied with its original guarantee, the present reference 6202 Turn-O-Graph is fitted with an exceptionally well-preserved bezel and lovely gloss dial.

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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