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.
| 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
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.