Manufacturer: Rolex Year: 1963 Reference No: 1601 Movement No: D48'395 Case No: 937'768 Model Name: Datejust Material: 18k yellow gold Calibre: Automatic, 1560 Bracelet/Strap: 18k yellow gold brick link Clasp/Buckle: Folding deployant clasp, stamped 1.62 Dimensions: 36mm. Diameter Signed:Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed
Catalogue Essay
This most attractive reference 1601 Datejust stands out by two prominent features; the highly attractive galvanic black lacquer dial and the most unusual, original gold bracelet. Better known on sports models from the 1950’s and early 1960’s, this type of dial-finish is highly sought after by collectors due to the gilt graphics printed underneath the black lacquer. The dial features the SWISS designation at the bottom confirming production no later than 1963, the last year before laws changed and tritium was introduced. The second eye catching quality is the highly unusual bracelet. Stamped 1.62, the bracelet is presented in wonderfully original condition. The case is preserved in excellent condition with crisp gold marks and French import marks stamped to the outside of the case. Also the bracelet features the French import marks, wonderful proof that the bracelet and head have spent all their live together. Overall, an extraordinary collector’s watch in truly original condition, proofing that the Datejust is anything but a standard model but actually quite the contrary.
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.