Rolex - Rolex Milestones: 38 Legendary Watches That Shaped History Hong Kong Sunday, November 27, 2016 | Phillips
  • Manufacturer: Rolex
    Year: Circa 1994
    Reference No: 16568
    Movement No: 108’141
    Case No: W123754
    Model Name: Cosmograph Daytona
    Material: 18k yellow gold, diamonds and emeralds
    Calibre: Automatic, 4030, 31 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: 18k yellow gold Rolex Oyster bracelet, 190 mm. maximum length, end links stamped 103
    Clasp/Buckle: 18k yellow gold Rolex twinlock folding deployant clasp
    Dimensions: 39 mm. diameter
    Signed: Case, dial and movement signed
    Accessories: With Rolex undated Official Chronometer Certification, product literature, wallet, cloth, pouch, fitted presentation box and outer packaging.

  • Catalogue Essay

    It is very laborious, expensive and time consuming for any watchmaking firm to create lavishly set masterpieces. It is even more so for Rolex, as the manufacture has extremely high standards in quality. As such, Rolex hardly manufactured heavily embellished wristwatches. In contrast, the Cosmograph Daytona has always been considered a ‘technical’ watch, traditionally cased in stainless steel.

    Yet, as tastes and demands evolved, diamond-set Daytonas started to appear on the market around the time the Zenith caliber was introduced. When Rolex’s superior craftsmanship is coupled with the famous Daytona caliber 4030, the outcome is sublime.

    John Goldberger's Opinion

    This watch features two components that Rolex is particularly gifted at creating: exquisite gem-setting and legendary movements.

    Fitted with a baguette diamond-set bezel and pavé dial, the present watch features wonderfully well-matched emeralds set in yellow gold chatons, in lieu of numerals. Rolex’s craftsmanship is second to none, and I really appreciate the level of skill required to manufacture this watch.

    The watch is furthermore fitted with Rolex’s legendary Zenith ‘El Primero’ movement, Rolex’s first automatic Daytona movement. This movement is now discontinued, and highly sought after among collectors today.
    Preserved in pristine condition, the watch illustrated here is accompanied by its important accessories such as guarantee, product literature, fitted presentation box and outer packaging.

  • Artist Biography

    Rolex

    Swiss • 1905

    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.

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838

Ref. 16568
A very rare diamond and emerald-set yellow gold chronograph wristwatch with bracelet, guarantee and fitted presentation box

Circa 1994
39 mm. diameter
Case, dial and movement signed

Estimate
HK$800,000 - 1,600,000 
$100,000-200,000

Sold for HK$1,500,000

Contact Specialist

Thomas Perazzi
International Department Head
+85 26 773 93 15

Rolex Milestones: 38 Legendary Watches That Shaped History

Hong Kong Auction 28 November 2016