Manufacturer: Rolex Year: Circa 1959 Reference No: 6234 Case No: 530’063 Model Name: Oyster Chronograph Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Manual, cal. 72A, 17 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Leather Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Dimensions: 36mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement, strap, and buckle signed.
Catalogue Essay
Rolex’s production of the reference 6234 was extremely limited. Scholars theorize that, since the reference’s launch in 1955, approximately 2300 examples were produced in stainless steel while less than 150 examples were cased in 14k or 18k yellow gold. The reference ceased production after approximately six years of manufacture, replaced by reference 6238 in 1961 – the last “Pre-Daytona” reference.
Reference 6234 was fitted with a variety of dials, ranging from those with a matte or lacquer finish, to various subsidiary register sizes, and different scales and color combinations. These variations were most likley used to gauge the market’s aesthetic tastes for chronograph wristwatches. Fitted with a smooth bezel, the tachymeter scale is most notably printed on the dial - a feature shared with its successor reference.
Preserved in attractive overall condition, and consigned by an important American private collector, this is a rare opportunity to acquire a desirable and versatile example of Rolex’s Pre-Daytona chronograph, still aesthetically relevant in the modern era.
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.