Manufacturer: Rolex Year: Circa 1959 Reference No: 6234 Case No: 425'765 Model Name: Oyster Chronograph Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Manual, cal. 72, 17 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Leather Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Rolex buckle Dimensions: 36mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and buckle signed Literature: For another example of reference 6234 in stainless steel, see 100 Superlative Rolex Watches by John Goldberger, p. 86.
Catalogue Essay
The present watch demonstrates how a watch can remain extremely original, even after 58 years since it left the Rolex factory.
The case is presented in extremely remarkable condition. It features full proportions and sharp finishes on the top of the lugs. The numbers between the lugs are particularly noteworthy. Deep and precise, the serial and reference numbers are engraved directly onto the factory-satin finish, demonstrating how they have never seen intervention in the past. Even the bottom edge of the lugs are sharp to the touch. The caseback is engraved "Stainless Steel", which is sharp and deep.
The "Swiss"signed dial is printed in English, most notably and correctly displaying a "miles" outer track and the word "anti-magnetic". It is preserved in excellent condition, with no major signs of tarnishing, which is impressive given the age of the watch. The movement is stamped ROW, which was an export code for the United States.
Founded 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.