Rolex - The Geneva Watch Auction: EIGHT Geneva Saturday, November 10, 2018 | Phillips

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  • Manufacturer: Rolex
    Year: Circa 1991
    Reference No: 16570
    Movement No: 6'431'815
    Case No: X'717'450
    Model Name: Explorer II
    Material: Stainless steel
    Calibre: Automatic, cal. 3185, 31 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet, max length 185mm
    Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Rolex deployant clasp stamped R11
    Dimensions: 39.5mm Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed
    Accessories: Accompanied by Rolex guarantee stating the watch was sold at Tiffany & Co., Full One Year Service Warranty dated May 12, 1994, product literature, original box and polishing cloth.

  • Catalogue Essay

    In 1989, Rolex unveiled an updated version of the Explorer II. Reference 16570 was initially upgraded with the new caliber 3185. Later generation models would house the caliber 3186. Rugged and robust, the watch retained the design codes of the original Explorer II with its 24-hour hand and bezel with the 24-hour markings.

    Displaying the Tiffany & Co. signature at 6 o'clock, the present watch is presented in nearly pristine condition and is replete with its original accessories, including the original Rolex USA guarantee stating the watch was indeed sold at the storied jeweler. Furthermore, the guarantee is stamped with a red date code, which is correct for Rolex watches sold in the United States.

    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.

  • 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. 16570
A rare and attractive stainless steel wristwatch with 24-hour indication, date, bracelet, guarantee and presentation box, retailed by Tiffany & Co.

Circa 1991
39.5mm Diameter
Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed

Estimate
CHF12,000 - 24,000 
€10,600-21,100
$12,300-24,600

Sold for CHF31,250

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

The Geneva Watch Auction: EIGHT

Geneva Auction 10-11 November 2018