102
Rolex
Ref. 6305
Datejust Ovettone “Serpico & Laino”
An extremely rare and well-preserved pink gold wristwatch with center seconds, red date wheel, and bracelet, retailed by and signed Serpico y Laino
Full-Cataloguing
• One of only a handful of double-signed 18K pink gold Ovettone with bracelet
• Dial and case signed by Venezuelan retailer Serpico & Laino
• Impressive case and bracelet condition, perfectly preserved caseback engraving
Originally released in 1953, the reference 6305 and its sister reference 6304 (fitted with a smooth bezel) replaced the short-lived references 6104 and 6105 which were in production for only two years from 1951 to 1953. Nicknamed "Ovettone" or “Big Bubbleback” due to its bulging caseback designed for early self-winding calibers such as the A296. The reference was produced most often in stainless steel, yellow gold and more seldomly in pink gold, like the present example. It was a highly experimental time for the Datejust, which in only a decade of life had already taken on a multitude of variations.
The combination of the present watch – pink gold case, Jubilee bracelet, red date wheel with matching red “Datejust” text – is rare and desirable on its own. Coupled with the extremely desirable Serpico y Laino retailer signature on both the dial and the caseback, as well as its stunning physical condition, the rarity accelerates astronomically.
The Venezuelan retailer signature is found prominently on some of the most interesting Rolexes and Patek Philippes of the mid-century, but often the shallow S&L engraving on the caseback wore away or was polished over time. In this instance, the pink gold case retains the S&L signature, as well as a personalized engraving indicating that the watch was given as a gift for 20 years of service to Caracas-based insurance company Seguros Avila. They were established in Caracas, Venezuela in October 1931 and are still in operation to this day. Dated to 1957, that would mean that the recipient of this watch had been part of the company since almost the beginning of its history.
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.