Manufacturer: Rolex Year: Circa 1987 Reference No: 16528 Movement No: 13'087 Case No: R817455 Model Name: Cosmograph Daytona Material: 18k yellow gold Calibre: Automatic, 4030, 31 jewels Bracelet/Strap: 18k yellow gold Rolex Oyster bracelet, 185 mm. maximum length Clasp/Buckle: 18k yellow gold Rolex twinlock folding deployant clasp Dimensions: 39 mm. diameter Signed:Case, dial and movement signed
Catalogue Essay
Many attributes render the present Daytona a very rare example. The first of which is its white porcelain dial with black graphics. Secondly, it is the suspended 'Cosmograph' signature and finally the overall condition. Having never been polished, the present example is extremely rare and in exceptional condition.
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.