Rolex - The Geneva Watch Auction: XV Geneva Saturday, May 7, 2022 | Phillips

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  • Manufacturer: Rolex
    Year: Circa 1961
    Reference No: 6032
    Case No: 685’542
    Material: 18k pink gold
    Calibre: Manual, cal 23, 17 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: Leather and original Rolex strap
    Clasp/Buckle: Gilt pin buckle
    Dimensions: 36.5mm Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial and movement signed
    Literature: The present watch is prominently featured in John Golberger’s 100 Superlative Rolex book p85.

  • Catalogue Essay

    In the world of Rolex collecting there is rare and there is hardly ever seen rare. The present reference 6032 pink gold in utterly untouched condition is part of the latter, exclusive category.

    The reference 6032 is the second to last Rolex Oyster chronograph iteration with reference 6232 being the last. Both were two register chronographs however they differentiated in case construction as reference 6032 has a two piece case and reference 6232 has a 3 piece case.

    It is important to note that starting the late 1950s all Rolex chronographs featured 3 registers and since then this has been a design language still used by Rolex, thus underlining how rare two register chronographs by the brand are.

    Reference 6032 is such a rare reference that in the past two decades only two have ever graced the international auction market and this is the first time one is being offered at Phillips. The present watch is featured in John Golberger’s 100 Superlative Rolex book (p 85).

    To say that it is in untouched condition is an understatement. The watch is in the same condition as it left Rolex’s workshops close to 70 years ago. The pink gold case is amazing with nice thick lugs and original brushed and polished surfaces. The dial not only remains untouched but has not aged, the signature and scales are perfectly crisp. The inside caseback has no marks demonstrating that the movement has also remained untouched.

    There are numbers hand scratched beneath the lugs, most probably the retailer’s inventory numbers.

    The present reference 6032 is a time capsule and ticks all the boxes that make it a crown jewel in any collection, ultimate rarity, superlative condition and incredible good looks.

  • Artist Biography

    Rolex

    Swiss • 1905

    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.

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Ref. 6032
An incredibly rare, historically important and well preserved pink gold chronograph wristwatch

Circa 1961
36.5mm Diameter
Case, dial and movement signed

Estimate
CHF200,000 - 400,000 
€196,000-393,000
$212,000-425,000

Sold for CHF604,800

Contact Specialist

Alexandre Ghotbi
Head of Watches, Continental Europe and the Middle East

+41 22 317 81 81
AGhotbi@phillips.com

Tiffany To
Head of Sale, Geneva

+41 22 317 96 63
TiffanyTo@phillips.com

The Geneva Watch Auction: XV

Geneva Auction 7 - 8 May 2022