Manufacturer: Rolex Year: 1951 Reference No: 6075 Movement No: 47'903 Case No: 714'440 Model Name: Oyster Perpetual Material: 18k yellow gold Calibre: Automatic, A.296, 18 jewels Bracelet/Strap: 18k yellow gold Rolex Jubilee, max length 195mm Clasp/Buckle: Folding deployant clasp by Rolex, stamped 2.51 Dimensions: 36mm. Diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed Accessories: Rolex pouch
Catalogue Essay
The Rolex reference 6075 is often refereed to as the "Ovettone" or "big egg" due to its pronounced back. It was one of the first of the "Datejust" line of watches made by Rolex in the first part of the 1950s. It is equipped with the ‘Super Oyster’ winding crown, a mechanism developed by Rolex in an attempt to create a non-screw down waterproof crown. This type of crown was phased out after around three years of production.
This present example features a crisp case showing no signs of over polishing and its gold control mark is very crisp. The Super Oyster crown also has great detail and the dial has a lovely warm patina with luminous plots still present above the dagger hour markers. The 18 karat gold bracelet is also in remarkable condition and has a clear punched date code for 1951 perfectly aligning to the production date of the 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.