Manufacturer: Rolex Year: 1958 Reference No: 6236 Case No: 384'210 Model Name: Oyster Chronograph Anti-Magnetique, 'Jean-Claude Killy' Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Manual, 72C Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Rolex Oyster expandable, end links stamped 57 Clasp/Buckle: Folding deployant clasp, stamped 4.64 Dimensions: 36mm. Diameter Signed:Case, dial and movement signed Accessories:Rolex undated guarantee Literature: Reference 6236 in stainless steel is illustrated in 100 Superlative Rolex Watches, by John Goldberger, pages 156 to 157.
Catalogue Essay
There is only one Rolex Oyster model with full calendar and chronograph: The “Dato-Compax" (not an official name) or the “Killy” - even less official.
The latter name stems from the triple-Olympic ski champion who has been wearing such a model for many years. Its production lasted approximately 20 years, from the mid-1940’s to the mid-1960’s, and four references were made: 4767, 5036, 6036 and 6236.
The present “Killy”, a fourth series or reference 6236, has never been offered at auction before. It is not only in excellent condition but also, thanks to its decades long private ownership, a most original example, free of restoration.
Purchased in the south of Italy in 1958, the watch features the original calendar discs in italian. The original certificate, regrettably never filled in and stamped, is also present. The dial has taken on a lovely, eggshell coloured patina. The dial is a rare variant featuring the 1 at the 12 o’clock position, whereas most "Dato-Campax” models feature the 31st of the month at the top of the dial.
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.