14
Rolex
Ref. 3761
An exceptional, incredibly well-preserved and astoundingly rare pink gold chronograph wristwatch with salmon dial, telemetre scale, tachymetre scale, ribbed lugs, warranty and box, retailed by Verga
Full-Cataloguing
- Chronograph
- An example of the extremely elusive ref. 3761, made even more scarce by the pink-on-pink configuration
- Incredible practically NOS condition
- Retailed and signed by Verga
- Offered with its original Verga/Rolex Warranty and box
It is the dream of any collector to find that timepiece which reunites in the same object a rare model, incredible new-old-stock condition, the presence of the original document, an uncommon configuration of the model and a retailer signature. Pure horological science fiction, one might say. And yet sometimes it does happen, as exemplified by the present watch. With hardly any appearance on the market ever, reference 3761 is such a rare bird that it often happens that even seasoned collectors never heard of it. Which is a shame, given its remarkable design defined by the unusual ribbed lugs coupled with a generous-for-the-time 36mm diameter.
It is possible that such unconventional architecture, while it makes the timepiece incredibly modern for today’s standards, was at the time little understood. In fact, it would appear that the watch sat in the inventory of Verga Milano for a very long time given the “occasione” stamp on the original warranty - the Italian equivalent of a “for sale” tag. And even after it was purchased, it was obviously hardly ever - if ever! - worn, as testified by its absurdly well-preserved condition: the case fully retains its architecture and original finish without any trace of polishing nor any relevant wear. The dial is equally breathtaking, with the only hint of the passage of time being the slight fading of the telemetric scale.
While the condition of the present piece, the presence of its original accessories, the retailer signature on the dial, and the rarity of the model would be already more than enough to propel the watch to the top of Mount Olympus of Rolex watch collecting, it even features the extremely attractive and sought-after “PoP” (Pink-on-Pink) configuration, with pink gold case and salmon dial - furthermore multiscale: tachymeter and telemeter, in addition to fifth-of-a-second divisions.
If a vintage Rolex collector were looking for one of the ultimate non-Daytona chronographs by the brand, it would be hard to find something to top the present horological treasure.
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.