Rolex - The Geneva Watch Auction: SIX Geneva Friday, November 10, 2017 | Phillips

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  • Manufacturer: Rolex
    Year: Circa 1974
    Reference No: 1804 inside caseback stamped 3'699'624
    Movement No: DD'611'174
    Case No: 3'699'624
    Model Name: Day-Date
    Material: Platinum and diamonds
    Calibre: Automatic, cal. 1556, 26 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: Platinum Rolex President bracelet, end links stamped 53, max length 195 mm.
    Clasp/Buckle: Platinum Rolex concealed folding deployant clasp
    Dimensions: 36mm. Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed

  • Catalogue Essay

    Platinum Day-Dates have a special place among clients from the Arab States in the Gulf. Starting from the 1950s, Rolex produced a number of Day-Dates, such as reference 6612 or 6613, for clients from the region. It was important for Rolex to use this material, as Islam prohibits wearing gold.

    With the introduction of reference 1804, Rolex produced Day-Dates that completely differed from anything the firm had ever produced. Some watches not only featured Arabic Day and Date wheels, they even displayed applied Eastern Arabic numerals in lieu of regular baton numerals.

    The present watch is among the superlative 1804s that Rolex produced in the 1970s. Emblazoned with a red “Khanjar” symbol at 6 o’clock, the watch is furthermore fitted with a diamond bezel – a defining feature of reference 1804 – and diamond-set numerals. Such watches were made on special order from His Majesty Qaboos bin Said al Said. It is important to note that the diamond-set numerals are slightly larger than those set on normal Day-Dates - a feature that is reserved for platinum examples of reference 1802 and 1804.

    The case back number is furthermore repeated in the inside case back of the watch, a further sign that it was made upon special order, and a feature that is commonly seen on correct Omani ordered watches.

    The rarity of this timepiece cannot be overstated. It is only one among a handful of known and correct Omani-ordered Day-Dates to be cased in the noblest of all metals.

  • 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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141

Ref. 1804 inside caseback stamped 3'699'624
A highly rare and very attractive platinum and diamond-set calendar wristwatch with bracelet, made for the Sultanate of Oman

Circa 1974
36mm. Diameter
Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed

Estimate
CHF50,000 - 100,000 
€43,200-86,300
$51,700-103,000

Sold for CHF68,750

Contact Specialist
Alexandre Ghotbi
+41 22 317 81 89
aghotbi@phillips.com

The Geneva Watch Auction: SIX

Geneva Auctions 11 - 12 November 2017