Rolex - The Geneva Watch Auction: X Geneva Saturday, November 9, 2019 | Phillips

Create your first list.

Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.

  • Manufacturer: Rolex
    Year: Circa 1968
    Reference No: 6241
    Case No: 1'534'033
    Model Name: Cosmograph Daytona
    Material: 14K yellow gold
    Calibre: Manual, cal. 722, 17 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: 14K gold Rolex Oyster riveted bracelet, endlinks stamped "57", max length 185mm
    Clasp/Buckle: 14K gold Rolex deployant clasp stamped "E"
    Dimensions: 37.5mm Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement and clasp signed

  • Catalogue Essay

    The present timepiece is a representative of the superbly restricted family of the 14K gold 6241. Launched in 1965 together with its screw-down pushers brethren reference 6240, it remained in production for a very short time until circa 1969.

    Created as a tool watch for professional drivers, the main requisites of the Daytona were durability, accuracy and readability. This is why - especially in its early days - the watch was cased predominantly in stainless steel. A gold case, with its hefty weight and tender material, goes completely against the elected professional destination of the piece. With time, the Daytona became more of a status symbol piece than an actual tool watch, but in the 1960s this was still to happen. As a consequence, gold 6241 models are extremely rare. In this case, however, rarity jumps to an even higher tier, as the case is in 14K gold, rather than the more commonly seen 18K. It is speculated the 14K cases were made to limit the tax impact of importing 18K gold products in some countries.

    The rarity of this configuration is boosted even further by the absolutely outstanding overall condition of the watch. The black dial - an aesthetically powerful choice when contrasting with the luxurious gold case, is virtually flawless. Most notably, all the original luminous material is original without any kind of losses, and has now aged to an attractive vanilla hue which enhances the vintage appeal of the watch. the case as well is superbly well preserved, with full lugs, sharp edges and strong satin finish.

    Finally, the presence of the original riveted bracelet is the icing on the cake for the collector of important and impressive vintage Rolex timepieces.

  • 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.

    View More Works

138

Ref. 6241
A fine, superbly attractive and extremely rare 14K yellow gold chronograph wristwatch with black dial and bracelet

Circa 1968
37.5mm Diameter
Case, dial, movement and clasp signed

Estimate
CHF120,000 - 240,000 
€113,000-225,000
$125,000-249,000

Sold for CHF212,500

Contact Specialist
Alexandre Ghotbi
Head of Watches, Continental Europe and the Middle East
+ 41 79 637 1724
aghotbi@phillips.com

The Geneva Watch Auction: X

Geneva Auction 9-10 November 2019