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拍品专文
Each year fewer and fewer great vintage mid-20th century Rolex wristwatches reach the open market. It is therefore an exciting moment that Christie’s can present here one of the most attractive time-only Rolex watches to be offered at auction recently. The present 18k gold reference 6098 ‘Galaxy’ not only boasts the super-desirable silvered “honeycomb” dial but is further enhanced by star indexes with luminous centres. This bewitching combination makes it one of the rarest Rolex wristwatches from the early 1950s. Furthermore, the dial has remained completely untouched over the past 70 years so that today it impresses as a stunning and pure example of this incredibly rare reference.
Within the reference 6098 Rolex family, examples fitted with the highly appealing honeycomb dial and with the sought after star-shaped numerals, more commonly associated with the celebrated 'stelline' reference 6062 made during the same period, occupy a very special position. The model was named ‘Galaxy’ in Rolex literature of the period.
According to our research, including the present watch, only eight reference 6098 are known publicly with a yellow gold case and silvered “stelline” type dial. Three examples are known in yellow gold with a black dial, three in steel with silvered dial and one example in pink gold. The serial numbers of all the known examples in gold fall between 912*** and 947***.
Launched in the early 1950s, reference 6098 is blessed with the largest Oyster case of the period, it was made by Genex S.A. Another interesting aspect of the present watch is that is has the very unusual feature of a copper-colored gilt movement. Several of the known “stelline” type reference 6098 watches have movements of this special colour. Furthermore, the interior of the caseback is “double signed” that is, in addition to the large Rolex Geneva Swiss Patented signature and logo there is a further signature Montres Rolex S.A., Geneva, Swiss engraved vertically.
The combination of copper-coloured gilt movement and the double signed caseback has led to speculation that a number of reference 6098 watches that share these features may have been used for a special purpose such as for exhibition.
Within the reference 6098 Rolex family, examples fitted with the highly appealing honeycomb dial and with the sought after star-shaped numerals, more commonly associated with the celebrated 'stelline' reference 6062 made during the same period, occupy a very special position. The model was named ‘Galaxy’ in Rolex literature of the period.
According to our research, including the present watch, only eight reference 6098 are known publicly with a yellow gold case and silvered “stelline” type dial. Three examples are known in yellow gold with a black dial, three in steel with silvered dial and one example in pink gold. The serial numbers of all the known examples in gold fall between 912*** and 947***.
Launched in the early 1950s, reference 6098 is blessed with the largest Oyster case of the period, it was made by Genex S.A. Another interesting aspect of the present watch is that is has the very unusual feature of a copper-colored gilt movement. Several of the known “stelline” type reference 6098 watches have movements of this special colour. Furthermore, the interior of the caseback is “double signed” that is, in addition to the large Rolex Geneva Swiss Patented signature and logo there is a further signature Montres Rolex S.A., Geneva, Swiss engraved vertically.
The combination of copper-coloured gilt movement and the double signed caseback has led to speculation that a number of reference 6098 watches that share these features may have been used for a special purpose such as for exhibition.