Manufacturer: Rolex Year: Circa 1953 Reference No: 6034 Case No: 847'307 Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Manual, cal. 72, 17 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet, max length 195mm Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Rolex deployant clasp stamped WAB Dimensions: 36mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed
Catalogue Essay
Introduced in the early 1950s, reference 6034 was among one of the earliest series of chronographs in the ref. 6000 range. Sometimes referred to as the Pre-Daytona alongside the reference 6238 or reference 6234, it is in fact an ancestor or precursor of the 6238, thus making it the great-grandfather of the Daytona.
Indeed, the watch employs an Oyster case, paving the way to what would become one of the most popular designs of the 20th century: the coveted Cosmograph Daytona. Worth noting is that Rolex considered such a design an Oyster one - as mentioned on the dial - even though it lacks screw-down pushers. Only after their introduction of the ref. 6240 the would the pushers be considered a fundamental part of an Oyster case (and indeed 1970s ref. 6262 and 6264 with pump pushers do not usually bear the “Oyster” designation).
The present watch displays an exceedingly attractive dial configuration whereby the numbers are in black. Furthermore the dial has a multi-tone finish, giving it an incredibly attractive appearance. An extremely rare dial variant, it was fitted on the very early reference 6034s.
An even nicer detail is the crisp serial and reference number between the lugs, along with the original Super Oyster crown. Crisp and deep, it shows how the watch has barely seen any type of intervention throughout its lifetime, which is an incredibly rare feat.
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.