283
Rolex
Ref. 6309
Datejust "Thunderbird"
A very attractive stainless steel and yellow gold wristwatch with "roulette" date and calibrated revolving bezel
- Estimate
- CHF5,000 - 7,000
CHF6,875
Lot Details
- Manufacturer
- Rolex
- Year
- 1955
- Reference No
- 6309
- Movement No
- 00'838
- Case No
- 80'842
- Model Name
- Datejust "Thunderbird"
- Material
- Stainless steel and 18k yellow gold
- Calibre
- Automatic, cal. A296, 18 jewels
- Bracelet/Strap
- Leather
- Clasp/Buckle
- Stainless steel buckle
- Dimensions
- 35mm. Diameter
- Signed
- Case, dial, movement and buckle signed. Case inside further stamped Brevet and caseback stamped 1.55/18
Specialist
Full-Cataloguing
Catalogue Essay
Following the production and consequently after the failure of the reference 6202 "Turn-O-Graph", Rolex decided to instead re-produce their rotating bezel with attractive relief markers on the more tried and tested Datejust model, resulting in the Reference 6309.
The first catalogues advertised these watches with the image of the U.S. Air Force demonstration flying team, ‘The Thunderbirds’ and the watch quickly adopted the nickname. This particular watch also features the caliber A.296 movement, a variant of the movement usually found in the Rolex "Bubbleback", but which was only produced from 1950 until around 1955. The watch also retains its wonderful original Brevet crown and sports the crisp red "Datejust" designation text towards the centre.
The present reference 6309 is preserved in wonderfully crisp and original condition and represents fantastic value for collectors and wearers alike.
The first catalogues advertised these watches with the image of the U.S. Air Force demonstration flying team, ‘The Thunderbirds’ and the watch quickly adopted the nickname. This particular watch also features the caliber A.296 movement, a variant of the movement usually found in the Rolex "Bubbleback", but which was only produced from 1950 until around 1955. The watch also retains its wonderful original Brevet crown and sports the crisp red "Datejust" designation text towards the centre.
The present reference 6309 is preserved in wonderfully crisp and original condition and represents fantastic value for collectors and wearers alike.
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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