20
Rolex
Ref. 6200
Submariner "Big Crown"
A highly rare, important and well-preserved stainless steel wristwatch with black lacquer "explorer" dial and bracelet
Full-Cataloguing
- Extremely rare diver's watch with "3-6-9" Explorer dial
- Serial number fits the range of known examples from 31.9xx to around 32.2xx
- Overall excellent condition with black lacquer dial and numerals that have aged with patina
Introduced at the 1954 Basel Fair, the Submariner was Rolex's version of a water-resistant dive watch. While references 6204 and 6205 were water resistant to a depth of 100 meters, the more robust reference 6200 offered water resistance up to a depth of 200 meters. This model was nicknamed the “Big Crown” due to its oversized 8-millimeter “Brevet” crown that enabled cutting-edge water resistance. Of all reference 6200s, the most iconic variant is without a doubt one with an "Explorer" 3-6-9 dial like the present watch.
Production numbers of the "Explorer Submariner" were extremely limited and their serial numbers range from 31.9xx to around 32.2xx. With a serial number of 32'289, the present watch is within a known batch of other reference 6200s from the period also with an "Explorer" dial.
This reference 6200 ticks all the boxes for the passionate collector. Boasting a large 37.5 mm case, it displays a highly desirable “Explorer” 3-6-9 lacquer dial. Most interestingly, this particular model has the "Submariner" script above 6 o'clock, making it a particularly rare variant as most known examples do not display writing on the dial. No more than a few correct examples are known in this configuration, underscoring the rarity of this timepiece.
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.