Lot 119

Rolex "Oyster Perpetual Explorer officially certified Chronometer", Movement No. 43537, Case No. 726228, Ref. 6098, 36 mm, circa 1951
A gentleman's very rare automatic wristwatch - early "Explorer" model
Case: steel, screw back ref. 6098, "Super Oyster Plus" crown Dial: black, structured so called "honeycomb dial", raised indexes/Arabic numerals 3-6-9, centre seconds, signed, luminous alpha hands relumed. Movm.: rotorwind movement, rhodium-plated, ground, Glucydur balance.
Ref. 6098
Reference 6098 is a prototype of the Explorer and many collectors even consider it a first version of the Explorer. The model, which only became a chronometer in the mid-fifties, bore the words "Precision" and "Self Winding", attesting to its early origins. In the 1950s, explorers set out to conquer the highest mountains and the deepest seas, while aerospace scientists and astronauts strove to push the limits in the conquest of space and a visit to the moon in the future decade. What any adventurer needed was of course a reliable rugged watch, which allowed him precision timekeeping under adverse conditions - it was most important that such a watch proved sturdy enough during the most perilous expeditions. By the early 1950s, Rolex had designed a durable wristwatch which was able to weather extreme conditions; by the end of 1952 the company provided expeditions with prototypes for testing in adverse conditions. These timepieces were actually 'reinforced Oyster' or 'bubbleback' models, which carried no distinct names on their dials but provided essential tools to measure the use of oxygen or synchronize a team's projects. Rolex registered the 'Explorer' name on January 26, 1953 in Geneva.
to be sold without reserve

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