Important Collectors Watches, Pocket ...

Geneva, May 10, 2009

LOT 33

Ref. 16520 Color Change Mark III Rolex, "Oyster Perpetual, Superlative Chronometer, Officially Certified, Cosmograph, Daytona", case No. U699411, Ref. 16520/16500. Made in 1997. Fine and rare, self-winding, water-resistant, stainless steel wristwatch with round button chronograph, registers, tachometer and a stainless steel Oysterlock bracelet.

CHF 11,000 - 13,000

USD 9,600 - 11,000 / EUR 7,200 - 8,500

Sold: CHF 13,800

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, outer minute/seconds division. 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. Approx. overall length 190 mm.


LOADING IMAGES
Click to full view
Image
Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 2

Very good
Movement: 2

Very good
Dial: 2-01

Very good

HANDS Original

Notes

Ref. 16520 This reference 16520 was one of the first modern Rolex watches to show some color change around the sub-dials. Debate 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.