Manufacturer: Rolex Year: Circa 1952 Reference No: 6024 Case No: 866'826 Model Name: Oyster Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Manual, 17 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Leather Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Rolex buckle Dimensions: 36mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and buckle signed
Catalogue Essay
This charming stainless steel reference 6024 displays an attractive black lacquer explorer dial, with the numbers 3, 6, 9 applied. As a further point of interest, the dial also displays luminous dots and hands, giving the timepiece a charming vintage appearance. Furthermore, the black lacquer remains glossy and vibrant, which is quite remarkable, given the age of the timepiece. The case is preserved in equally excellent condition, with very crisp and visible numbers between the lugs.
Such well-preserved examples hardly appear on the market, no less in such a charming configuration.
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.