Rolex - The Geneva Watch Auction: XVI Geneva Saturday, November 5, 2022 | Phillips

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  • Manufacturer: Rolex
    Year: Circa 1967
    Reference No: 6239
    Case No: 1'626'428
    Model Name: Cosmograph Daytona
    Material: Stainless steel
    Calibre: Manual, cal. 722-1, 17 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet, max length 190mm
    Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Rolex deployant clasp
    Dimensions: 36.5mm Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed
    Accessories: Accompanied by two Rolex guarantees, product literature and presentation box.

  • Catalogue Essay

    The present watch is a stunning example of reference 6239. Launched in 1963, reference 6239 was cased mostly in stainless steel. Early examples did not display the "Daytona" signature on the dial. It was only later that the manufacture experimented with dial design, and printed Daytona in various positions to celebrate Rolex's sponsorship of the famed Nascar Stock Car race in Daytona Beach, Florida. The very first "Cosmograph" wristwatch, reference 6239, most notably featured the tachymeter scale on the bezel, unlike its predecessors reference 6238 or 6234 which featured the tachymeter scale on the dial.

    The present example features the "Daytona" text above the subsidiary register at 6 o'clock. Most notably, the subsidiary registers have aged to a particularly even and stunning brown tone, contrasting against the bold and unblemished white graphics. The dial also displays luminous dots that have aged with light patina.

    As an even nicer touch, the present watch is accompanied by two Rolex guarantees, product literature and presentation box.

  • 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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163

Ref. 6239
An attractive stainless steel chronograph wristwatch with brown "tropical" subsidiary registers, bracelet, guarantee and presentation box

Circa 1967
36.5mm Diameter
Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed

Estimate
CHF50,000 - 100,000 
€51,500-103,000
$50,100-100,000

Sold for CHF81,900

Contact Specialist

Alexandre Ghotbi
Head of Watches, Continental Europe and the Middle East
+41 22 317 81 81
AGhotbi@phillips.com
 

Tiffany To
Head of Sale, Geneva
+41 22 317 96 63
TiffanyTo@phillips.com

The Geneva Watch Auction: XVI

Geneva Auction 5 - 6 November 2022