Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces

Geneva, Mar 17, 2013

LOT 242

ROLEX REF 16528 FIRST SERIES PORCELAIN 3D DIAL YELLOW GOLD Rolex, ?Oyster Perpetual, Superlative Chronometer, Officially Certified, Cosmograph, Daytona?, case No. R817503, Ref. 16528. Made in 1987. Very fine and extremely rare, self-winding, water-resistant, 18K yellow gold wristwatch with round button chronograph, registers, tachometer, porcelain dial and an 18K yellow gold Rolex Oyster bracelet with deployant clasp. Accompanied by fitted box.

CHF 15,000 - 25,000

USD 16,000 - 27,000 / EUR 12,000 - 20,000

Sold: CHF 25,000

C. Three-body, polished and brushed, curved lugs, screwed-down case back, buttons and crown, Triplock winding crown protected by the crown guard, tachometer graduation on the gold bezel to 200 units per hour, sapphire crystal. D. Porcelain white with applied luminous gold baton indexes, outer minutes/seconds divisions, subsidiary dials for the seconds, the 12-hour and 30- minute registers. Luminous yellow gold baton hands. M. Cal. 4030, rhodium-plated, oeil-de-perdrix decoration, 31 jewels, straight line lever escapement, monometallic balance adjusted to 5 positions and temperature, self-compensating free-sprung Breguet balance spring, Microstella regulating screws. Dial, case and movement signed. DIAM. 40 mm. THICKNESS 13 mm.Approx. overall length:


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 2-8

Very good

Slightly scratched

Movement: 2*

Very good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense

Dial: 2-01

Very good

HANDS Original

Notes

Collectors recognize it immediately due to the floating ?Cosmograph? print on the dial as well as smaller details such as the ?inverted? 6 on the chronograph 12-hour counter and the four dashes on the minute counter every 5 minutes, when later examples featured only three.
This dial version became known to collectors as the ?floating Cosmograph?.