Live Auction 1401Important Watches including Property from an Important European Collection
Rolex. A fine and rare stainless steel automatic chronograph wristwatch with bracelet and original guarantee
Lot 412

Rolex. A fine and rare stainless steel automatic chronograph wristwatch with bracelet and original guarantee

SIGNED ROLEX, OYSTER PERPETUAL, COSMOGRAPH, DAYTONA, REF. 16520, CASE NO. R976'001, MANUFACTURED IN 1989

Closed12 May 2014

Price Realised

CHF 20,000

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Rolex. A fine and rare stainless steel automatic chronograph wristwatch with bracelet and original guarantee
Signed Rolex, Oyster Perpetual, Cosmograph, Daytona, ref. 16520, case no. R976'001, manufactured in 1989
Cal. 4030 mechanical movement, 31 jewels, black dial, applied luminous baton numerals, luminous hands, chronograph hand with red dagger tip, outer fifths of a second divisions, three subsidiary dials with white chapter rings for constant seconds, 30 minutes and 12 hours registers, tonneau-shaped water-resistant-type case, blank bezel calibrated for 200 units, screw back, screw down crown, two screw down chronograph buttons in the band, stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet, case, dial and movement signed
39 mm. diam.

Specialist note

With Rolex original Guarantee and green card holder.

The present watch is a beautiful example of reference 16520 featuring caliber 4030 based on a Zenith ebauche. It is characterized by what is called among collectors a "floating dial" and a bezel calibrated to 200 units. Additional elements of its identity are smaller details such as "inverted" 6 on the chronograph 12-hour counter and the four dashes within the five minute division on the minute counter, when later examples featured only three. The experienced collector will also notice the red tipped chronograph hand.

A "floating dial" will show the designation "Cosmograph" with a marked distance from the previous "Superlative Chronometer" and "Officially Certified" lines. In later dial versions the designation Cosmograph is found immediately below the other descriptive lines. In conjunction with its floating dial, this early version reference 16520 boasts the correct version of the tachometer scale calibrated to 200 units and not the 400 units found in subsequent versions.