1039
Rolex
Ref. 16550, repeated inside caseback
Explorer II
A fine and rare stainless steel dual time wristwatch with center seconds, date, 24-hour indication, “cream” rail dial, bracelet, guarantee and presentation box
- Estimate
- HK$120,000 - 200,000€12,900 - 21,600$15,400 - 25,600
HK$302,400
Lot Details
- Manufacturer
- Rolex
- Year
- Circa 1984
- Reference No
- 16550, repeated inside caseback
- Movement No
- 1’069’533
- Case No
- 8’399’271
- Model Name
- Explorer II
- Material
- Stainless steel
- Calibre
- Automatic, cal. 3085, 27 jewels
- Bracelet/Strap
- Stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet stamped “78360”, endlinks stamped “501”, max length 205mm
- Clasp/Buckle
- Stainless steel Rolex Oyster deployant clasp “I4”
- Dimensions
- 40mm diameter
- Signed
- Case, dial, movement, bracelet and clasp signed
- Accessories
- Accompanied by blank Rolex guarantee, instruction manual, product literature, green card holder, hang tag, Rolex Japan service quotation, outer packaging and fitted presentation box.
Specialist
Full-Cataloguing
Catalogue Essay
The Rolex Explorer II is one of the most desirable professional sports watch that the firm released especially examples fitted with a white dial. Highly collectible and sought after by collectors of fine vintage timepieces, the ref. 16550 in white has a common trait of developing a creamy patina over time due the nature of the material used, however what makes it rare is that they develop randomly. Early examples of the reference featured applied white gold luminous indexes with later examples featuring blackened indexes.
The present example from circa 1984 with a "cream" rail dial is perhaps one of the earliest examples of the reference to be sold and manufactured by Rolex bearing an 8.39 million serial. With an attractive creamy hue on the dial developed uniformly with matching luminous material, the case is also attractive boasting nice and crisp edges. Furthermore it is accompanied by a blank Rolex guarantee with punched case numbers matching the numbers in between the lugs.
The present example from circa 1984 with a "cream" rail dial is perhaps one of the earliest examples of the reference to be sold and manufactured by Rolex bearing an 8.39 million serial. With an attractive creamy hue on the dial developed uniformly with matching luminous material, the case is also attractive boasting nice and crisp edges. Furthermore it is accompanied by a blank Rolex guarantee with punched case numbers matching the numbers in between the lugs.
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.
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