228
Rolex
Ref. 6202
Turn-O-Graph
A very rare and attractive stainless steel and yellow gold wristwatch with bracelet, "Explorer"-type dial, calibrated revolving bezel, box and original rating certificate
Full-Cataloguing
An audacious aesthetic, particularly for the 1950s, the two-tone version was ahead of its time. It was very quickly discontinued, explaining why only a dozen of these watches are known to date. Some two decades later, Rolex would try again, launching two-tone GMT-Master and Submariner models, to a market that was finally mature enough to appreciate the look. The present two-tone reference 6202 impresses with its amazing condition. The cream-colored dial is all original with a pleasing mix of Arabic and faceted baton hour markers complemented by its original dauphine hands. The bezel is crisp with very deep relief throughout, and the engraving “Model Depose, Registered Design” on the case back remains visible to the naked eye. Complete with its original box and chronometer certificate, it’s an exceptionally rare Rolex sports watch offering great wearability and outstanding value.
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.