Manufacturer: Rolex Year: 1946 Reference No: 4062 Case No: 569'372 and 368 Material: Stainless steel and pink gold Calibre: Manual, cal. 23, 17 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Leather Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel 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
The reference 4062 was in production from 1942 until approximately 1963 and was made in yellow gold, pink gold, stainless steel and a two-colour version with steel and gold.
Featuring the rare pulsation dial with applied hour markers, it has a near perfect symmetry and balance. These together with the contrasting materials on the case, make this watch stand out amongst Rolex chronographs.
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.