Priority Bidding is here! Secure a lower Buyer’s Premium today (excludes Online Auctions and Watches). Learn More

78

Rolex

Ref. 6238, repeated inside caseback

"Pre-Daytona"

A possibly unique and strikingly attractive 14K yellow gold chronograph wristwatch with tachymeter scale and bracelet, case and bracelet engraved by Italian master engraver Marcello Pedini

Read Conditions of Sale
What sets this particular piece apart is that it is not the conventional gold 6238 commonly found on the market. The case and bracelet are exquisitely engraved throughout, including the bezel, the sides of the case, the caseback, and even the endlinks. Such extensive engravings are typically seen on knives, making this watch a rare exception. The engravings are further enhanced by a striking scene featuring a tiger alongside a lady, handcrafted by the renowned Italian master engraver Marcello Pedini, known for his work on fine knives.

Adding to its allure, this watch was featured in the Japanese Time Spec Magazine Issue No. 8 in 1991. The owner back in 1991, Mr. Yamanaka, acquired this valuable timepiece in the 1990s at a knife show in New York. The tiger motif, often associated with power and strength, holds particular significance in Japanese culture.

Research indicates that Rolex watches delivered to the United States were often cased in 14K yellow gold. This is further confirmed by the “ROW” signed movement.

Definitely a unique art piece on the wrist, this is a not-to-be-missed opportunity to acquire the most special Pre-Daytona in recent history.

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.

Browse Maker