Rolex - The Hong Kong Watch Auction: EIGHT Hong Kong Monday, May 27, 2019 | Phillips

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  • Manufacturer: Rolex
    Year: 1990
    Reference No: 16520
    Case No: L688'075, case back stamped 16500
    Model Name: Cosmograph Daytona, “Zenith”
    Material: Stainless steel
    Calibre: Automatic, cal. 4030, 31 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet stamped "78360", endlinks stamped "503", max length 200mm
    Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Rolex deployant clasp, stamped "78360" and "011"
    Dimensions: 39mm Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement and buckle signed
    Accessories: Accompanied by Rolex Guarantee stamped Monetti & C. s.r.l., Roma and dated July 1991, green leather Rolex presentation box, hang tag, additional bracelet link, leather envelop, product literature and outer packaging.

  • Catalogue Essay

    Reference 16520 was a game changing chronograph released in 1988. Rolex moved from their long tradition using manual chronograph movements and introduced the caliber 4030, a modified Zenith-based movement. Additionally, the case was upgraded to 39mm diameter and it was the first Daytona to feature a sapphire crystal.

    The reference 16520 bearing an “L” on the serial number, can be witnessed from the second half of 1988 until the first half of 1990, making the series a rare example of the early examples of Zenith Daytona. The first half of the production of the “L” series houses a 4-Liner dial with a 200 units per hour bezel insert. However, in the later production of the “L” series, the watch features the updated 5-Liner dial and fitted with a 400 units per hour bezel insert.

    This lovely “L” series from 1990 features five lines of text at the 12 o’clock and serifs on the subsidiary dial with the 12-hour register featuring an inverted 6. The subsidiary dials have turned a charming yellowish light brown, which complement the black dial. Furthermore, it is also fitted with the upgraded 400 units per hour bezel insert, making the present example one of the last transitional examples from the late “L” series.

  • 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

935

Ref. 16520
A very fine and rare stainless steel chronograph wristwatch with black dial, bracelet, guarantee and presentation box

1990
39mm Diameter
Case, dial, movement and buckle signed

Estimate
HK$180,000 - 250,000 
€20,300-28,200
$23,100-32,100

Sold for HK$275,000

Contact Specialist

Thomas Perazzi
Head of Watches, Asia
thomasperazzi@phillips.com
+852 2318 2001

The Hong Kong Watch Auction: EIGHT

Hong Kong Auction 28 May 2019