製造商: Rolex 年份: Circa 1940 材料: Stainless steel 錶帶/ 錶鏈: Leather 錶扣: Stainless steel pin buckle 尺寸: 32mm Diameter 簽名: Case and dial signed
圖錄文章
A most unusual proposal, this wrist tool fully epitomizes Rolex's original vocation as a tool watch company. In this instance, the concept is truly brought to the extreme: the movement is practically absent - only a blank movement plate is present in the case. The piece is exclusively a compass: an obvious effort to provide a more resistant and practical version of this tool (hence the waterproof Oyster case and the wrist-version) to be used in the most extreme situations and expedition: the same philosophy behind another - more renowned - Rolex creation: the Explorer. This remarkable wrist-tool exemplifies how Rolex was light-years ahead of any other brand - even already in pre-war times - concerning the development of professional, sturdy and extremely reliable mechanical instruments.
The lack of reference and serial number on the case is a typical trait of prototype/workstudy Rolex timepieces, which leads us to believe this to be the case ion this occurrence as well. Furthermore, in order to accomodate the raised needle a bezel considerably higher than the norm was developed for this case. Soldering marks around the bezel are testament to the archetypal and artisanal construction methodology employed for this visionary study. Lastly, the unfinished movement plate was obviously never intended to be completed, it simple serves as an anchoring point for the dial. The lack of any kind of sign of wear on the case amply confirms the fact that the watch was actually born like this, dispelling even the faintest shade of doubt about this being a modified bubble back.
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.
