Manufacturer: Rolex Year: 1951 Reference No: 8171 Movement No: 67'806 Case No: 791'075 and 072 Model Name: 'Padellone" Material: 18k pink gold Calibre: Automatic Super Balance, 10 1/2''' Bracelet/Strap: Leather Clasp/Buckle: 18k pink gold buckle Dimensions: 38mm. Diameter Signed:Case, dial and movement signed Literature: For an example of a pink reference 8171 without Precision dial, please see 100 Superlative Rolex Watches, by John Goldberger, page 55
Catalogue Essay
Reference 8171 is one of only two models ever made by Rolex featuring a triple-calendar and phases of the moon.
The other reference, 6062, has an Oyster case while reference 8171 has a snap-on-back case. Thanks to its generous diameter of 38mm, it is one of the largest vintage wristwatches. Cased in either stainless steel or gold, examples in rose gold are particularly rare.
The present “Padellone” (italian for “large pan”) is one of the most beautiful and best preserved pink gold examples seen on the market in recent years. It stands out from the ordinary (is there such a thing?) reference 8171 by a number of qualities, rendering it a premium example. It’s all original and unrestored condition, with minimal signs of wear, harmonises beautifully with the excellently preserved and untouched graine two-tone dial with applied facetted hour markers and the very rare luminous dots and hands. The “Precision” signature, commonly associated with the steel version (being however all correct on this watch as the movement is not marked “Chronometer” by Rolex) is a rarity by itself for a gold reference 8171. The case back still features the finely engraved coronet and serial number which is nearer to the centre in order to allow sufficient space for the gold marks, a legal requirement for watches originally exported to South America.
Not only one of the most important Rolex models in absolute terms but also a fantastic watch to wear, the “Padellone” has long ago reached its elite position within the community of collectors. Examples of such extraordinary quality and condition even more so.
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.