Manufacturer: Rolex Year: Circa 1994 Reference No: 16588SARO Movement No: 146'264 Case No: W032948 Model Name: Cosmograph Daytona Material: 18K yellow gold, diamonds and pink sapphires Calibre: Automatic, cal. 4030, 31 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Crocodile Clasp/Buckle: 18K yellow gold Rolex deployant clasp Dimensions: 40mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and clasp signed
Catalogue Essay
Rolex in particular excels at the incredibly time-consuming job of setting well-matched and beautiful stones. Since the 1980s, the manufacture has perfected the art of merging precious materials with sports watches, giving birth to a completely new genre of tool watches - one that is glamorous, luxurious and eye-catching.
A dazzling, factory original version of the famous Cosmograph Daytona, one cannot help but be impressed by the striking baguette-cut pink sapphire-set bezel fitted on this rare reference 16588.
Additionally with this reference, the bezel was designed with fixed gold bars, that perfectly align with the diamond-set dial’s sapphire-set hour markers, making it quite legible. Housing the caliber 4030, Rolex’s self-winding Zenith-El Primero-based movement, it’s a sought after feature that gives the watch a somewhat vintage feel. As an even nicer touch, the present watch still retains its original green caseback sticker.
Clearly, reference 16588 is already a classic. It is fitted with the legendary calibre 4030 and belongs to a generation of Cosmographs when fancy case and dial decorations were the exception. Consequently, it is much rarer than its peers from today's production and a true collectable in its own right.
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.
Ref. 16588SARO A very exclusive and highly attractive yellow gold chronograph wristwatch with diamond-set dial, pink sapphire-set bezel and caseback sticker
Circa 1994 40mm Diameter Case, dial, movement and clasp signed