Manufacturer: Rolex Year: Circa 2006 Reference No: 116520 Case No: D660’395 Model Name: Cosmograph Daytona, “John Bull” Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Automatic, cal. 4130, 44 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet, max length 190mm Clasp/Buckle: Stainless Rolex Oyster deployant clasp Dimensions: 40mm diameter Signed: Case, dial and movement, bracelet and clasp signed Accessories: Further accompanied by Rolex guarantee dated 8th April 2006 stamped John Bull Nassau, Bahamas, instruction manual, product literature, green card holder, hang tag, outer packaging and fitted presentation box.
Catalogue Essay
Captivating one’s attention at an immediate glance, the present Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ref. 116520 is without a doubt a highly unusual yet charming example. Retailed by Bahamian department store John Bull, a third generation family owned shopper’s paradise with designer brand names like Chanel, Bvlgari and Givenchy, they are also the authorized dealer for Rolex in the Bahamas. The present ref. 116520 belongs to a specialty collection of Rolex’s modified and retailed by John Bull. Bearing their signature bark finished texture on the case, the caseback is further engraved “John Bull Bahamas”, which can be witnessed in an example sold recently at the Hong Kong Watch Auction: EIGHT (lot 934), a Rolex ref. 5513 from circa 1985 similarly bark finished with an engraved caseback.
Complete with the full set of accessories and presented in attractive overall condition, the present example is accompanied by the original Rolex guarantee stamped by the retailer John Bull, which confirms its originality.
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.