Rolex - The Geneva Watch Auction: XVII Geneva Saturday, May 13, 2023 | Phillips

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  • Manufacturer: Rolex
    Year: Circa 1987
    Reference No: 16520
    Movement No: 12684
    Case No: R938706
    Model Name: Cosmograph Daytona "Tiffany & Co."
    Material: Stainless steel
    Calibre: Automatic, cal. 4030, 31 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet, max length 190mm
    Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Rolex deployant clasp
    Dimensions: 40mm Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed
    Accessories: Accompanied by Tiffany & Co. presentation box and outer packaging.

  • Catalogue Essay

    Reference 16520 is among Rolex's most innovative models to date. Housing a modified Zenith-based caliber 4030 mechanism, the model was fitted with the first automatic chronograph movement in the firm's history. At the time of its launch in 1988, the watch garnered an immediate waiting list at Rolex retailers. As it often happens with Rolex timepieces, one can notice a subtle but well-defined evolution of the dial design in the early years of the model. The earliest specimens - such as the present watch - feature five lines of script at 12, but the fifth line “Cosmograph” is noticeably more spaced from the 4th line, compared to the spacing between all the other lines. This gives the impression of the word Cosmograph floating away from the rest, thus its nickname “Floating Cosmograph” (or “Staccato”, as it is known to Italian collectors). Given its status as the earliest iteration of the dial and its supreme scarcity, this configuration is considered one of the most collectable versions of the Zenith Daytona. In addition, the watch is preserved in excellent condition with its caseback sticker still intact. As an even rarer detail, one can find the Tiffany & Co. signature on the dial below the suspended "Cosmograph". The details of any "Tiffany & Co." font are particular and depend on the age of the timepiece; for the R series, the serifs of the "T" almost touch the "i" and the serifs are extra pronounced in the "C" of "Co".

    Some of the rarest, most historically important and valuable Rolex wristwatches have been sold through the American retailer Tiffany & Co. The present watch featuring the jeweler's signature is an extraordinarily rare specimen. To date no more than a handful of correct examples have appeared on the market. Few retailers have had a relationship with Rolex like Tiffany & Co. has. The jeweler has proudly emblazoned its logo on a variety of Rolex wristwatches, ranging from the GMT-Master to the Cosmograph Daytona. Historically, the storied boutique has been the destination for collectors in pursuit of the finest and most attractive wristwatches. Furthermore, Tiffany & Co. has been mentioned numerous times in popular culture, ranging from literature to film.

  • 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. 16520
An extremely rare and attractive stainless steel chronograph wristwatch with floating signature, bracelet and presentation box, retailed by Tiffany & Co.

Circa 1987
40mm Diameter
Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed

Estimate
CHF80,000 - 160,000 
€83,300-167,000
$91,400-183,000

Sold for CHF152,400

Contact Specialist

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

+41 79 637 17 24
AGhotbi@phillips.com

Tiffany To
Head of Sale, Geneva

+41 79 460 55 88
TiffanyTo@phillips.com

The Geneva Watch Auction: XVII

Geneva Auction 13 - 14 May 2023