93
Rolex
Ref. 1400
Cocktail
An unusual, elegant, and culturally significant yellow gold wristwatch with diamonds and bracelet
Full-Cataloguing
• Consigned by the family of the original owner
• Presented to the wife of Buddy Bray in 1972 by the HLS&R, which brought Elvis Presley to the Houston Astrodome in 1970
The Rolex Cocktail watches of the 1950s to 1970s, sometimes referred to as a Ladies Precision, were designed more as high-end jewelry than utilitarian watches. During this era, Rolex produced a wide variety of “cocktail” styles that featured petite manual-wind movements to allow for creative ornate case, bezel, and bracelet designs.
The present example features a diamond-set “halo” bezel, typical of formal evening wear. The bracelet serves as the highlight of this model with its particularly bold textured “hoop” or large linked bracelet in 14k yellow gold. The hoops and links of the bracelet are finished with a bark or linen texture, which was a signature Rolex aesthetic during the 1960s.
Remarkably, this piece also serves as a time capsule of a special moment in history. The present example belonged to the wife of “Buddy Bray”, who served as the president of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (HLS&R) and famously negotiated Elvis Presley’s six consecutive sold-out performances in the Houston Astrodome in 1970. Following his sold-out performances, the officers of HLS&R gifted Elvis Presley with a King Midas reference 9630 No. 343. In 1972, Buddy Bray was gifted a King Midas of his own in recognition of his role as President of the HLS&R and leadership for negotiating the engagement of Elvis’ performances. In the same ceremony, his wife was gifted the current Rolex cocktail.
Preserved in its original, unpolished condition and retained by the Bray family since its presentation, the present example represents a rare opportunity to acquire a special timepiece with both outstanding originality and historical association.
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.