Property of a Japanese Collector
26
Rolex
Ref. 1016
Explorer
A very well-preserved stainless steel wristwatch with centre seconds, black lacquer “tropical-underline” dial and bracelet
- Estimate
- HK$160,000 - 320,000€18,800 - 37,700$20,500 - 41,000
HK$381,000
Lot Details
- Manufacturer
- Rolex
- Year
- Circa 1964
- Reference No
- 1016
- Movement No
- 55’284
- Case No
- 1’040’752, inside caseback stamped II.64
- Model Name
- Explorer
- Material
- Stainless steel
- Calibre
- Automatic, Cal. 1560, 26 jewels
- Bracelet/Strap
- Stainless steel Rolex Jubilee bracelet, max length 180mm
- Clasp/Buckle
- Stainless steel Rolex deployant clasp
- Dimensions
- 36mm diameter
- Signed
- Case, dial, movement, bracelet and clasp signed
Specialist
Full-Cataloguing
Catalogue Essay
The current instance of the Rolex Explorer Ref. 1016, featuring a 1.04 million serial number and a caseback stamped from the second quarter of 1964, hails from an era when it was fitted with a gilt gloss dial.
What immediately captivates the eye is the exquisitely aged "tropical" brown patina that has developed over the years, transforming the original jet-black dial. Adding to its allure, this particular piece bears an "underline" beneath the SCOC signature. Rolex collectors and historians speculate that this underline may indicate Rolex's transition to using tritium on the dial instead of radium.
Exceptionally well-preserved and showcasing a charming warm butter-hued luminous material that harmonizes beautifully with the 'tropical' dial, this specimen undoubtedly represents an appealing instance of one of the most iconic professional tool watches from the 20th century.
What immediately captivates the eye is the exquisitely aged "tropical" brown patina that has developed over the years, transforming the original jet-black dial. Adding to its allure, this particular piece bears an "underline" beneath the SCOC signature. Rolex collectors and historians speculate that this underline may indicate Rolex's transition to using tritium on the dial instead of radium.
Exceptionally well-preserved and showcasing a charming warm butter-hued luminous material that harmonizes beautifully with the 'tropical' dial, this specimen undoubtedly represents an appealing instance of one of the most iconic professional tool watches from the 20th century.
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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