71
Rolex
Ref. 8171
“Padellone”
A very attractive and important stainless steel triple calendar wristwatch with moon phases
完整圖錄內容
• Fresh to the auction market
• Very rare steel “Padellone” with remarkably original case and dial
The Rolex Reference 8171, known as the “Padellone” (Italian for large frying pan) amongst collectors, is one of the most legendary, best proportioned, and consequently sought-after vintage wristwatches ever made by any manufacturer. If one were to ask the worldwide community of watch collectors which model, in their view, should be on the all-time top ten list of collectors’ watches, Rolex’s large triple calendar reference 8171, would certainly be most often cited.
Rolex’s two full calendar watches – the references 8171 and 6062 - were only in production for a very short period during the early 1950s and both were available in yellow gold, pink gold, or stainless steel. The reference 8171 is especially sought after due to its large 38 mm diameter, especially when considering that a large gentleman’s watch in 1950 was around 35mm. Until very recently, these two references would be the most complicated references in Rolex’s catalogue.
The present 8171 was found at an estate sale in Vermont, United States, and comes directly from the gentleman who purchased it there. The original finishing and proportions of the case are evident, and the dial is in its original configuration and has aged without intervention. It’s a stunningly original example of a storied Rolex reference and one deserving of a place in a supremely discerning collection.
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.