Manufacturer: Rolex Year: Circa 1950 Reference No: 4062 Case No: 872'017, inside caseback further stamped 019 Material: 18K yellow gold Calibre: Manual, cal. 23, 17 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Leather Dimensions: 36mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial and movement signed
Catalogue Essay
Reference 4062 was launched in 1942 and remained in production until circa 1963. Its large-for-the-time 36mm diameter together with some design details such as the teardrop lugs and ribbed bezel grant it a very unusual look for a Rolex wristwatch, sharing the general aesthetics with, for example, the first iteration of the Killy line of wristwatches - reference 4768 - albeit in that case the lug design is slightly different and the case does not feature a ribbed band. The model was executed in yellow gold, pink gold, steel-and-gold and stainless steel. Very few examples are known with black dial, such as this fresh to the market piece.
The piece was purchased in the 1950s in Brescia, Italy by Mr. Bruno Morosini, Italian entrepreneur and owner of the footwear brand Superga, which dominated the italian market for good part of the second half of the past century. While the original owner is known to have throughly enjoyed the piece, his descendant - who inherited the watch in 1974 - only sparsely used it on occasion an never restored or serviced it. Thus, the piece is offered in absolutely honest condition. The dial most impressively not only doesn’t present any sign of cosmetic intervention, but it also lacks any kind of scratch or mark which may be caused when removing the hands. The gilt designations are absolutely pristine and the indexes follow suit. The “Rolex Chronographe” and “Anti-Magnetique” designations have aged to a very charming brick-red tone, and the black finish acquired an intense matte, off-black patina.
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.