Manufacturer: Rolex Year: Circa 1946 Reference No: 4062 Case No: 569'372 and 368 Material: Stainless steel and 18k pink gold Calibre: Manual, cal. 23, 17 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Leather Clasp/Buckle: Metal buckle Dimensions: 36mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial and movement signed Literature: The present watch is illustrated in I Cronografi Rolex - La Leggenda, Pucci Papaleo Editore, pp. 140 - 143.
Catalogue Essay
Rolex’s reference 4062 is a timepiece that can easily be compared to chronographs made by Vacheron Constantin and Patek Philippe in terms of elegance and sophistication. The reference was produced from 1942 until approximately 1963 and cased in a variety of metals, ranging from yellow gold, pink gold, stainless steel, to stainless steel and gold combinations.
The present lot, cased in stainless steel and rose gold, is a rarer version that features a ribbed band similar in appearance to that of an edge of a coin.
Preserved in overall exceptional condition, the present watch features a very desirable and rare pulsations scale dial, giving it an incredibly singular appearance.
The fact that publisher and scholar extraordinaire Pucci Papaleo chose this timepiece to be featured in his book dedicated to Rolex chronographs speaks volumes about the quality, beauty and rarity of this watch.
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.