163
Rolex
Ref. 6263
Cosmograph Daytona "Sigma Dial"
An attractive and very well preserved stainless steel chronograph wristwatch with sigma dial, bracelet, Guarantee and box
完整圖錄內容
The present version with black dial and silver subdials has a stealth and sporty feel but also grants the timepiece an undeniably enormous aesthetic impact thanks to the black/white chromatic scheme which alternates obviously on the dial, but on the case as well thanks to the black bezel contrasting with the shiny metal.
The present example manufactured circa 1975 is a variant from the norm as it features an elegant and attractive "Sigma’" dial. The "T Swiss T" signature at 6 o'clock is flanked by the Greek symbol Sigma, denoting the markers are white gold. Research shows that the "Sigma" notation appeared on Rolex dials in the early 1970s, following the issue of a set of guidelines by APRIOR (Association pour la promotion industrielle de l’or: Association for the industrial promotion of gold). Such guidelines indeed suggested (but it was not compulsory, hence not all dials with gold bear the sigma) to add the Greek letter sigma to the dial of watches bearing gold details (such as the markers, in this case). Possibly due to the very cryptic nature of this designation, it was abandoned after a few years.
In overall very pleasing condition with its crisp case and well preserved dial, the present Cosmograph with sigma dial is a rare variant of an already very desirable model. The presence of its original box and papers is a final addition that classifies this watch as one of the “best in class” for the configuration. A poetic note to the ensemble is given by the fact that the guarantee card (issued by Italian retailer Calderoni Gioielli) does not bear a specific date, but it instead reads “Natale 76”: Christmas 76, betraying the fact that the present watch was most probably originally intended as a Christmas present.
Rolex
Swiss | 1905Founded 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.