Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces

Geneva, Nov 08, 2015

LOT 224

ROLEX REF. 6240 SO-CALLED SOLO ROLEX STAINLESS STEEL Rolex, case No. 1269462, Ref. 6240/6239. Made circa 1965. Very fine and extremely rare, early, water-resistant, stainless steel wristwatch with round button chronograph, registers, tachometer, anti-reflective black bezel graduated to 200 units per hour. Accompanied by a service invoice from Rolex Geneva dated November 2012, a Rolex service box and a leather strap with a stainless steel Rolex buckle..

CHF 100,000 - 150,000

HKD 800,000 - 1,200,000 / USD 104,000 - 155,000

Sold: CHF 129,750

Three-body, polished and brushed, screwed-down case back, buttons and crown, tachometer graduation on the bezel to 200 units per hour. Bi-color black and silver with applied black steel indexes and luminous dots, subsidiary dials for the seconds, the 12-hour and 30-minute registers, outer minute/ seconds division. Luminous steel baton hands. Cal. 72B, rhodium plated, 17 jewels, straight line lever escapement, monometallic balance, shock absorber, self-compensating free-sprung fl at balance spring, Microstella regulating screws.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 2-8

Very good

Slightly scratched
Movement: 2

Very good
Dial: 2-10-01

Very good

Patinated

HANDS Original

Notes

Dial, case and movement signed. DIAM. 37 mm. THICKNESS 14 mm. During the economic boom of the Sixties, ROLEX was searching for new solutions more in tune with the era's craving for progress. This generated the creation of REFERENCE 6240: a totally waterproof chronograph, equipped for the first time with screw down pushers. The initial steps were experimental, and it appears that the present lot is one of the earliest examples ever manufactured. It is a kind of preproduction model, created before the reference 6241, and distinguished by a low serial number, close to 1.2 million. Obviously, the acrylic bezel, and screw-down push buttons are new concepts, whilst the dial bears only the word Rolex, anticipating the layout of the models soon to be released onto the market. This unusual and important dial, today known today in only a very few examples, belongs to the first production Singer realised for the Rolex Cosmograph. The reverse side of the electro galvanized brass dial bears the punched SJ (SINGER JEAN) logo and the signature SINGER. The script BREVETS AV indicates that the hour markers are glued and not applied by means of dial feet. This Singer patent was used for only a short period of time. A similar watch is featured in the Pucci Papaleo book Ultimate Rolex Daytona pp. 320- 323. The watch was further authenticated by Rolex Geneva where the watch was sent for a full overhaul in November 2012 for the amount of CHF 9'350.60.