Rolex - The Geneva Watch Auction: XIV Geneva Friday, November 5, 2021 | Phillips

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  • Manufacturer: Rolex
    Year: Circa 2000
    Reference No: 116520, inside caseback stamped "2100"
    Movement No: C0028946
    Case No: P607470
    Model Name: Cosmograph Daytona "Cream Dial"
    Material: Stainless steel
    Calibre: Automatic, cal. 4130, 44 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet stamped "DE 78490" to the endlinks, max length 200mm
    Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Rolex deployant clasp stamped "DE10 78490"
    Dimensions: 40mm Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement and clasp signed
    Accessories: Accompanied by Rolex undated punched Guarantee stamped by Oriental Watch Co., LTD. Hong Kong, green document holder, fitted presentation box and outer packaging.

  • Catalogue Essay

    Introduced in 2000, the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ref. 116520 was the first model to house caliber 4130, a self-winding in-house chronograph movement made fully in-house by the firm and replacing its predecessor based on the Zenith El Primero ébauche. With steel examples produced in black and white dial it was an instant success upon its launch. Early examples of the production are now known to have the potential, due to a defect in some batches of paint used for the white dial, to develop a dial color shift to cream. This topicalization has so far been documented only on examples made between 2000 to 2002 with a P, K, or Y serials, thus it is very rare. Beyond its rarity, the cream/ivory color of the dial grants the timepiece substantially different aesthetics than normal white pieces, imbuing the piece with a somewhat vintage vibe - a very attractive contrast with the modern looks of the case.

    The present example bearing a P serial is indeed a representative of this rarified family. Offered with its original guarantee and accessories, this “beautiful mistake” by the firm certainly boosts the collectability of the piece, and “Cream 116520” are already now, two short decades after its production, a modern classic of watch collecting.

  • 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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5

Ref. 116520, inside caseback stamped "2100"
A surprising, early and very collectible stainless steel chronograph wristwatch with cream dial, bracelet, guarantee and box

Circa 2000
40mm Diameter
Case, dial, movement and clasp signed

Estimate
CHF20,000 - 30,000 
€18,600-28,000
$21,600-32,400

Sold for CHF37,800

Contact Specialist

Alexandre Ghotbi
Head of Watches, Continental Europe and the Middle East Director
AGhotbi@phillips.com

The Geneva Watch Auction: XIV

Geneva Auction 5 & 7 November 2021