Antiquorum Auctioneers since 1974

Important Collectors' Wristwatches, P...

Hong Kong, Jun 27, 2009

LOT 411

Ref. 16520 Color Change Rolex Daytona, "Oyster Perpetual, Superlative Chronometer, Officially Certified, Cosmograph, Daytona," Ref. 16520, T series. Made circa 1996. Very fine and rare, self-winding, water-resistant, stainless steel wristwatch with round button chronograph, registers, tachometer and a stainless steel Rolex Oysterlock bracelet. To be sold without reserve

HKD 85,000 - 130,000

USD 12,000 - 18,000 / EUR 8,500 - 13,000

Sold: HKD 108,000

C. Three-body, polished and brushed, screw-down case back, chronograph buttons and Triplock winding crown, tachometer graduation on the polished bezel to 400 units per hour, sapphire crystal. D. Bi-color, 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, selfcompensating 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: 3-9

Good

Scratched
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3-01

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.