Rolex - The New York Watch Auction: EIGHT New York Saturday, June 10, 2023 | Phillips

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  • Manufacturer: Rolex
    Year: Circa 1988
    Reference No: 16520; inside caseback stamped 16500
    Movement No: 12’703
    Case No: R’864’908
    Model Name: Cosmograph Daytona “Porcelain, Floating Cosmograph”
    Material: Stainless steel
    Calibre: Automatic, cal. 4030, 31 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet, reference 78360, endlinks stamped 503, max overall approximate length 210mm
    Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Rolex deployant clasp, reference 78360, stamped ‘M5’ for 1988
    Dimensions: 40mm Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement, and bracelet signed.

  • Catalogue Essay

    Rolex’s Cosmograph Daytona is one of the most iconic and cherished wristwatches for collectors today, and its evolution is legendary. Over its 70-year lifespan, it has become revered for its timeless design, durability, and wearability.

    Though the reference 16250 has increased in collectability in recent years, examples from the first few years of production are particularly coveted due to their idiosyncratic details. R-serial reference 16520s, the first year of production, have possibly the most distinct traits of the entire reference. This early, R-series example features a so-called ‘porcelain’ dial, named for its highly lacquered and reflective surface which makes the black ink printing reflect below the surface of the dial. Of additional interest is the “staccato” or “floating” Cosmograph logo, only found on the earliest variants.

    Other details include the “inverted 6” on the 12-hour counter and early bezel calibrated to 200 units per hour rather than 400 units found on later examples. Not only the first Daytona fitted with an automatic movement, it was also the first to feature a sapphire crystal and larger case diameter measuring 40 millimeters.

    In celebration of the Daytona’s 25th anniversary, Rolex released at Basel in 1988 the first self-winding chronograph model in their history. The technically innovative reference 16520 was powered by an automatic Zenith El Primero caliber, which was substantially modified by Rolex. At the time of the launch, the reference became a cult classic and garnered an immediate waiting list at Rolex retailers. Remaining in our opinion unpolished, the present lot offers an opportunity to obtain a wearable classic with highly coveted features found only on the rarest of examples.

  • 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

Ο16

Ref. 16520; inside caseback stamped 16500
A highly rare and attractive stainless steel chronograph wristwatch with ‘porcelain’ dial, ‘floating’ logo, and bracelet

Circa 1988
40mm Diameter
Case, dial, movement, and bracelet signed.

Estimate
$40,000 - 80,000 
CHF36,000-72,000
€37,000-74,000
HK$313,000-625,000
S$53,800-108,000

Sold for $55,880

Contact Specialist

Paul Boutros
Head of Watches, Americas
+1 (212) 940-1293
WatchesNY@Phillips.com
 
Isabella Proia
Head of Sale, New York
+1 (212) 940 1285
iproia@phillips.com

The New York Watch Auction: EIGHT

New York Auction 10 - 11 June 2023