133
Rolex
Ref. 6234
Oyster Chronograph
A rare and extremely well-preserved 14k yellow gold chronograph wristwatch
Full-Cataloguing
- Chronograph
- Displays rare 14k yellow gold case, made for the American market
- Preserved in overall excellent condition
Please see the Archivio Pucci Papaleo digital archive record here.
Production of gold examples of the Rolex reference 6234 was exceptionally limited. Scholars estimate that, from the reference’s introduction in 1955, approximately 2,300 examples were produced in stainless steel, while fewer than 150 were cased in either 14K or 18K yellow gold. After roughly six years of production, the reference was discontinued and succeeded by the reference 6238.
It is generally believed that the majority of yellow gold examples were destined for the American market.
The reference 6234 was offered with a diverse range of dial configurations, including matte and lacquered finishes, varying subsidiary register sizes, and numerous combinations of scales and colors. These variations are thought to have reflected Rolex’s efforts to gauge market preferences for its chronograph wristwatches.
The present reference 6234 is distinguished by its particularly attractive and unusual dial configuration, featuring a black base-1,000 tachymeter scale complemented by a robin’s-egg-blue telemeter scale calibrated in miles—another compelling indication of its intended American market. The dial is further enhanced by luminous detailing and a matching luminous handset.
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.