Introduced in the early half of 1950’s, the reference 6034 was among one of the earliest series of chronographs in the ref. 6000 range. Launched prior to the coveted “Cosmograph Daytona”, the ref. 6034 was modeled as the Oyster Chronograph.
With most examples encased in stainless steel, with some in 18K yellow gold and a small sum in 14K yellow gold made for the US market, stainless steel examples featuring blue tachometer and red telemeter scales on the dial are most certainly rare, which is the case for this present example. Furthermore, the present example features the original “Super Oyster” crown, which were usually changed to a Twinlock “600” crown by Rolex during servicing in the mid 1960’s, indicating the originality of the present timepiece.
Presented in attractive overall condition with a rare dial configuration and unrestored, the present example is fresh to the market and is a remarkable specimen of the reference from circa 1951.
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.
