Revolution: The Evolution of the Role...

New York, Apr 17, 2008

LOT 259

Ref. 16520 Color Change Mark I Rolex, "Oyster Perpetual, Superlative Chronometer, Officially Certified, Cosmograph, Daytona", Ref. 16520. Made in the early 1990s. Fine and rare, self-winding, water-resistant, stainless steel wristwatch with round button chronograph, registers, tachometer and a stainless steel Oysterlock bracelet. Accompanied by the original fitted box, Guarantee Certificate (now void), hang tag, red seal, wallet with 2 instruction booklets and a recent service invoice.

USD 15,000 - 20,000

EUR 10,000 - 13,000

Sold: USD 31,200

C. Three-body, polished and brushed, screwed-down case back, buttons and crown, Triplock winding crown protected by the crown guard, tachometer graduation on the bezel to 400 units per hour, sapphire crystal. D. Bicolor black and reddish silver with applied luminous steel indexes, subsidiary dials for the seconds, the 12-hour and 30-minute registers. Luminous steel baton hands. M. Cal. 4030, rhodium-plated, oeil-de-perdrix decoration, 31 jewels, straight line lever escapement, monometallic balance adjusted to temperatures and 5 positions, shock absorber, self-compensating free-sprung Breguet balance spring, Microstella regulating screws. Dial, case and movement signed. Diam. 40 mm. Thickness 13 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 2

Very good
Movement: 1

As new
Dial: 2-01

Very good

HANDS Original

Notes

The reference 16520 was one of the first modern Rolex to show some color change around the Sub-dials. Some debate still remains around the real reasons of this "color-change" ranging from defective materials originally used by Rolex to exposure to ultra-violet light. With the ever-increasing trend of tropical dials in the current market, this "anomaly" quickly became a classic among collectors, the dials showing various degrees of shift depending on exposure.