Manufacturer: Rolex Year: 1953 Reference No: 6305 1 Movement No: 97'890 Case No: 111'508 Model Name: Datejust Material: 18k pink gold Calibre: Automatic, cal. A296, 18 jewels Bracelet/Strap: 18k pink gold Rolex Jubilee bracelet, max length 205mm. Clasp/Buckle: Pink gold folding deployant clasp stamped 4.53 Dimensions: 36mm. Diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed
Catalogue Essay
Like the Day-Date, the Datejust has been a wonderful playground for Rolex to express its creativity and audacity.
The Datejust has seen an extraordinary multitude of dial variations, case materials and finishes. The case of the present watch is made of pink gold and displays elements of the classic and easily identifiable Rolex DNA that has made the brand so famous.
The exclusivity of this watch lies in its dial. The unusual galvanic black dial displays 6 round cut diamond hour markers for the even numbers, with the odd numbers indicated by gold applied triangle indexes. The black and red date wheel, called roulette, adds another level of flamboyance to the overall appeal of this beautiful watch. Back in the early 1950s, this very audacious dial design was coveted by the non-conformist forward thinking man, whereas today men and women alike can appreciate this watch which is at the crossroads between jewelry and watchmaking.
Founded 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.