Rolex - The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XV Hong Kong Monday, November 28, 2022 | Phillips

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  • Manufacturer: Rolex
    Year: Circa 1978
    Reference No: 3729
    Case No: 4'273'717
    Model Name: Cellini
    Material: 18K yellow gold
    Calibre: Manual, cal. 1601, 19 jewels
    Dimensions: 38.5mm length x 32.5mm width
    Signed: Case, dial and movement signed

  • Catalogue Essay

    Coveted for its robust sports watches, the Rolex catalogue is unexpectedly inclusive with diverse aesthetics catered to varied personalities. In the 1970s, Rolex produced the last of their pocket watches in delicate white and yellow gold variants attached to the ultra-elegant Cellini collection.

    The present timepiece has been well preserved for over 40 years and is still in excellent overall condition. Encased in yellow gold, the dial is in the same warm and inviting hue, featuring a railway track surrounded by Roman numerals and a pair of hands, all in black livery. Finished with an ethereal sunburst effect, the dial shimmers under the sun as light hits its surface. Devoted to Benvenuto Cellini, the present example is a true reflection of the Cellini collection, which very much takes after the 16th-century master goldsmith’s dedication to methods of engraving, casting metal and perfecting intricate details.

  • 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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847

Lot offered with No Reserve

Ref. 3729
A fine and attractive yellow gold open face pocket watch

Circa 1978
38.5mm length x 32.5mm width
Case, dial and movement signed

Estimate
HK$20,000 - 30,000 
€2,400-3,600
$2,600-3,800

Sold for HK$18,900

Contact Specialist

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

The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XV

28 - 29 November 2022 (Online Registration ends 27 Nov, 2pm HKT)