Manufacturer: Rolex Year: Circa 1949 Reference No: 5036 Case No: 649’863 Model Name: Oyster Dato-Compax, “Le Killy En Rose” Material: 18k pink gold Calibre: Manual, Valjoux 720, 17 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Alligator Clasp/Buckle: 18K gold Rolex buckle Dimensions: 35mm Diameter Accessories: Accompanied by Rolex presentation box.
Catalogue Essay
So scarce is the reference 5036 that it is hardly ever seen in the pages of auction catalogues, or the websites of vintage watch dealers, or even on the wrist of the foremost collectors of vintage Rolex. Produced in very small numbers in steel, yellow, and pink gold between 1948 and 1951, reference 5036 is one of the rare triple calendar chronograph wristwatches, dubbed “Dato-Compax” manufactured by Rolex beginning in the late 1940s. These references include the Oyster-cased references 4767, 5036, 6036, and 6236, as well as the non-Oyster reference 4768. Of all these, the reference 5036 is the rarest and most sought after by collectors.
By studying the different models, one can immediately denote an effort on the part of Rolex toward the simplification and optimizations of both the case and dial architecture. The two earliest references were produced at the same time: non-Oyster reference 4768 and Oyster reference 4767. They feature dials with very vintage traits including two-tone dials, especially in the earliest examples, along with 5-minute Arabic divisions in the seconds scale. The 5036 succeeded these two references and retained many of these early traits. Interestingly, it bears an applied Roman numeral twelve, which is not present in the later references.
Preserved in the “Ride the Wave” collection since its acquisition at auction in 2013, this reference 5036 is further testament to the collector’s attention to quality and excellence. The lovely two-tone “no-lume” dial has aged to a contrasting warm ivory inner dial and outer track with a silvery finish, and the case still bears the oft-lost case numbers engraved on the edge of the caseback. Furnished with a period-correct Rolex strap and buckle, it is one of the highest quality Dato-Compax examples ever made available to the public.
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.
