Rolex - Geneva Watch Auction: TWO Geneva Saturday, November 7, 2015 | Phillips

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  • Manufacturer: Rolex
    Year: 1972
    Reference No: 1807, 1803 stamped inside caseback
    Movement No: DD678'734
    Case No: 3'554'048
    Model Name: Day-Date
    Material: 18k yellow gold
    Calibre: Automatic, cal. 1556, 26 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: 18k yellow gold Rolex President with bark finished centre links, 200 mm max. length, endlinks stamped 53
    Clasp/Buckle: 18k yellow gold deployant folding clasp
    Dimensions: 36mm. Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement, and bracelet signed. Case back engraved with serial number 3554048 and UK import marks for 1973
    Accessories: Accompanied by guarantee dated 1974 by Asprey & Co., service invoice dated 1977, product literature and brown leather presentation box embossed with gold Khanjar logo

  • Catalogue Essay

    The Sultan of Oman, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said, is a well known collector and horological enthusiast and consequently ordered numerous personalized watches to be given as gifts to loyal servants and foreign dignitaries.

    The distinctive national emblem of Oman, the "Khanjar" with its crossed swords is unusually printed crisply in black on this example, rather than red or green, and would have been produced by special request by the Sultanate via the distinguished retailer, Asprey, at the time, the Middle East distributor of personalized Rolex watches for him and this region. His Highness has in this case opted for the 'bark finish' textured bezel and President bracelet, which would have been particularly popular during the late 1970s and early 1980s when Rolex was experimenting with interesting case and dial finishes. The case back and bracelet, as one would expect, carry the UK import marks, and like the majority of the Omani ordered Rolexes, the serial number is repeated inside the case back.

    It appears that the present watch was offered a few days before the holiday season in 1974. According to a handwritten note on the accompanied Rolex Day-Date booklet, the recipient received it from the Omani Ambassador at the request of Sultan Qaboos.

  • 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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217

Ref. 1807, 1803 stamped inside caseback
A very rare and important yellow gold calendar wristwatch with bracelet and centre seconds, made for the Sultanate of Oman, retailed by Asprey & Co.

1972
36mm. Diameter
Case, dial, movement, and bracelet signed. Case back engraved with serial number 3554048 and UK import marks for 1973

Estimate
CHF20,000 - 40,000 

Sold for CHF30,000

Contact Specialist
Nathalie Monbaron
+41 22 317 81 83

Geneva Watch Auction: TWO

Geneva Auction 7 & 8 November 2015 6:30pm