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

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  • Manufacturer: Rolex
    Year: Circa 1955
    Reference No: 6034
    Case No: 97'452
    Model Name: Oyster Chronograph
    Material: 18K pink gold
    Calibre: Manual, cal. 72, 17 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: 18K pink gold Gay Frères bracelet, max length 190mm
    Clasp/Buckle: 18K pink gold Gay Frères deployant clasp stamped 1.51
    Dimensions: 36mm Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed

  • Catalogue Essay

    Rolex has had a rich history of producing some of the most exquisite chronograph wristwatches of the 21st century. If the so-called “Pre-Daytona” reference 6238 can be considered the father of the Cosmograph, the reference 6034 is consequently its grandfather and one of the closest relatives of the Daytona in the evolution of the Rolex chronograph. Already sporting an Oyster case - although of course without the screw chronograph pushers which would be introduced with Daytona reference 6240, the model can be seen as a hybrid between a dress and a sports chronograph. It incorporates elements which would be the foundation of the Rolex sports chronograph but at the same time it maintains an elegance and finesse much closer to those of a dress chronograph from the 1940s.

    While already incredibly rare in stainless steel, examples in rose gold such as the present watch are far and few in between. The present watch in this configuration is an exceedingly rare example, with only two examples with the current dial configuration having appeared on the auction market. The reference 6034 with serial number 97'449 (only three digits away) was most notably sold in 2020 for 600,000 CHF, showing how the market responds to quality and rarity.

    The present watch is in equally impressive condition, with a beautiful dial that shows no signs of intervention throughout its lifetime. The case is preserved in exceptional condition with crisp and sharp numbers between the lugs. The back of the lugs have two crisp and deep hallmarks, attesting to the little, if any intervention the watch has seen throughout its lifetime. It is furthermore accompanied by a wonderful Gay Frères bracelet. Such well-preserved and original examples are far and few between, and will only continue to be so as watch collecting becomes more and more widespread.

  • 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. 6034
An important, rare and extremely well-preserved pink gold chronograph wristwatch with bracelet

Circa 1955
36mm Diameter
Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed

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

Sold for CHF453,600

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