Some of the rarest, most historically important and valuable Rolex wristwatches have been sold through the American retailer Tiffany & Co. The present watch featuring the jeweler's signature is an extraordinarily rare specimen. The jeweler has proudly emblazoned its logo on a variety of Rolex wristwatches, ranging from the GMT-Master to the Cosmograph Daytona. Historically, the storied boutique has been the destination for collectors in pursuit of the finest and most attractive wristwatches.
Reference 16520 is among Rolex's most desirable models. Housing a heavily modified Zenith El Primero-based caliber to become the Rolex caliber 4030, the model was the first automatic chronograph in the firm's history. At the time of its launch in 1988, the watch garnered an immediate waiting list at Rolex retailers.
An ”N” serial dating from 1991, the present Rolex Cosmograph Daytona features a coveted “inverted 6” dial with extremely fine serifs on all graphics indicating a highly coveted, early production Singer-made dial, and a correct Tiffany & Co. signature. Its early and original Oyster bracelet, with brushed center links, remains fitted, giving the watch a vintage appeal. The case is preserved in excellent condition, and accompanied by a Tiffany & Co. and Rolex outer box.
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.
