129
Rolex
Ref. 1601
Datejust
A highly rare and attractive white gold calendar wristwatch with "lapis lazuli" dial, center seconds and bracelet
- Estimate
- CHF15,000 - 30,000€16,000 - 31,900$17,400 - 34,900
CHF120,650
Lot Details
- Manufacturer
- Rolex
- Year
- Circa 1973
- Reference No
- 1601
- Movement No
- D626611
- Case No
- 3'822'686
- Model Name
- Datejust
- Material
- 18K white gold
- Calibre
- Automatic, cal. 1570, 26 jewels
- Bracelet/Strap
- 18K white gold Rolex President bracelet, max length 210mm
- Clasp/Buckle
- 18K white gold Rolex deployant clasp
- Dimensions
- 36mm Diameter
- Signed
- Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed
Specialist
Full-Cataloguing
Catalogue Essay
Launched in 1945, the Rolex Datejust is one of the most iconic models ever created. Its fluted bezel and Jubilee bracelet are both immediately recognizable upon a glance, and are still deeply ingrained in the DNA of modern Rolex watches today.
Rolex in particular excels in using hard stone. The manufacture has elevated its dress watches with materials such as rubellite, blood stone, coral, and even fossil, providing an unusual design twist to classic models.
The present watch is remarkable due to its beautiful lapis lazuli dial, which does not show any cracks. Most interestingly, it is cased in white gold which is incredibly rare - most lapis lazuli dials today can only be found in yellow gold cases. Most importantly, the graphics are printed in silver, denoting that the dial was destined to be cased in white metal. In comparison, lapis lazuli dials fitted in a yellow gold case have gold graphics and are more readily available on the market.
Rolex in particular excels in using hard stone. The manufacture has elevated its dress watches with materials such as rubellite, blood stone, coral, and even fossil, providing an unusual design twist to classic models.
The present watch is remarkable due to its beautiful lapis lazuli dial, which does not show any cracks. Most interestingly, it is cased in white gold which is incredibly rare - most lapis lazuli dials today can only be found in yellow gold cases. Most importantly, the graphics are printed in silver, denoting that the dial was destined to be cased in white metal. In comparison, lapis lazuli dials fitted in a yellow gold case have gold graphics and are more readily available on the market.
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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