Important Collectors' Wristwatches, P...
Hong Kong, Jun 27, 2009
LOT 412
Ref. 16520, Stainless Steel Cosmograph Daytona Rolex, "Oyster Perpetual, Superlative Chronometer, Officially Certified, Cosmograph Daytona, Ref. 16520. Made in 1990. Very fine, self-winding, water-resistant, stainless steel chronometer wristwatch with round button chronograph, registers, tachometer and a stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet. To be sold without reserve
HKD 50,000 - 65,000
USD 7,000 - 9,000 / EUR 5,000 - 6,500
Sold: HKD 78,000
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. White with applied luminous steel indexes, subsidiary black ring 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, free-sprung monometallic balance adjusted to temperatures and 5 positions, shock absorber, self-compensating Breguet balance spring, Microstella regulating screws. Dial, case and movement signed. Diam. 40 mm. Thickness 13 mm.
| Grading System | |
|---|---|
Grade: AA |
Very good |
Case: 3-8 |
Good Slightly 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.