Rolex - The Geneva Watch Auction: XIII Geneva Saturday, May 8, 2021 | Phillips

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  • Manufacturer: Rolex
    Year: Circa 1976
    Reference No: 1601
    Movement No: D'093'187
    Case No: 5'133'116
    Model Name: Datejust
    Material: 18k white gold
    Calibre: Automatic, cal. 1570, 26 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: 18k white gold Rolex Jubilee bracelet, max length 195mm
    Clasp/Buckle: 18k white gold Rolex deployant clasp
    Dimensions: 36mm Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed

  • Catalogue Essay

    The Rolex Datejust is certainly one of the greatest watch designs of all time, close to 80 years old but without a wrinkle and with both feet fully set on tastes of today. It is also an extremely versatile watch that can be worn on a metal bracelet for a more debonaire look or on a leather strap for a pinch of formality.

    The legacy of Rolex’s Datejust reaches back to the early 1930s when the brand released their first automatic movement wristwatch with waterproof case and the designation “Oyster Perpetual”. Over the next decade the model became a best- seller, and in 1945 for the brand’s 40th anniversary, Rolex introduced the game changing “Datejust Jubilee” reference 4467 featuring an all-new movement with date aperture at the 3 o’clock position. It was a revolutionary new feature for Rolex that would serve as a foundation for the vast majority of watches Rolex would subsequently introduce.

    The original Rolex calibers A295, 730 and 1065 allowed the watch to instantaneously adjust the date at midnight. A few years later, in 1954, the Datejust would introduce the iconic cyclops date magnifier, an emblematic feature found on nearly all Rolex watches with a date aperture up to the present day. It was also at this time the brand expanded the collection with editions in steel, steel and gold, and rarely, in yellow, pink, or white gold.

    The reference 1601 was in production from 1959 until 1977 and featured a fluted bezel. The Datejust became one of the most sought-after timepieces and Rolex began to offer it with a variety of dial variations.

    The present example with stealth matte grey dial is very rare in white gold, particularly with the addition of the white gold bracelet. It is preserved in very appealing condition, with a strong case and crisp hallmarks.

  • Artist Biography

    Rolex

    Swiss • 1905

    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.

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213

Ref. 1601
A very attractive and well preserved white gold wristwatch with date and bracelet

Circa 1976
36mm Diameter
Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed

Estimate
CHF12,000 - 20,000 
€10,900-18,100
$13,100-21,800

Sold for CHF25,200

Contact Specialist

Alexandre Ghotbi
Head of Watches, Continental Europe and the Middle East

41 79 637 1724
aghotbi@phillips.com

 

 

The Geneva Watch Auction: XIII

Geneva Auction 8 - 9 May 2021