Rolex. A very rare and attractive stainless steel automatic wristwatch with sweep centre seconds, and white honeycomb dial. Made for the English Hydrographic Service

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Turn-O-GraphRolex Turn-O-GraphThe Turn-O-Graph, launched in 1953, is a highly significant Rolex model being the progenitor of all the iconic tool and sports watches that followed it including the Milgauss, GMT-Master and Submariner. Lots 196 and 197 are very fine examples of the extremely rare very first Turn-O-Graph reference 6202, the first Rolex production watch to feature a rotating bezel. Lot 198, the next Turn-O-Graph reference 6609, is the famous “Thunderbird” model made from 1956 to 1959 and named after the United States Air Force Acrobatic Team of the same name. TURN-O-GRAPH

Rolex. A very rare and attractive stainless steel automatic wristwatch with sweep centre seconds, and white honeycomb dial. Made for the English Hydrographic Service

Signed Rolex, Oyster perpetual, Turn-o-Graph, ref. 6202, case no. 949’999, circa 1953

Details

Rolex. A very rare and attractive stainless steel automatic wristwatch with sweep centre seconds, and white honeycomb dial. Made for the English Hydrographic Service
Signed Rolex, Oyster perpetual, Turn-o-Graph, ref. 6202, case no. 949’999, circa 1953
Movement: automatic, cal. A.296, 2 jewels
Dial: white, honeycomb, applied dagger luminous numerals, luminous hands
Case: screw back engraved with the arrow symbol and “H.S.II CD”, “941158” to the outside, and “6202”, “949999” “IV.53” and “18” to the inside, tropical brown bidirectional revolving bezel calibrated for 60 units
Signed: case, dial and movement
Dimensions: 35 mm. diam.
With: stainless steel Rolex buckle

Special Notice

On lots marked with an + in the catalogue, VAT will be charged at 8% on both the premium as well as the hammer price.

Lot Essay

The 1950s were an extremely transformative period for Rolex. It can be said that it is precisely during this decade that the company budding “professional watches” philosophy fully blossomed with models such as the GMT, the Submariner, the Milgauss, the Explorer etc.

The present piece is a testament to that epoch. Actually, this watch proves that even what was one of the simplest watches made by Rolex, the Turn-o-Graph, indeed had reliability and technical characteristics sufficient to be employed by a highly specialized corp such as the English Hydrographic Service. The engraving on the case back in fact mentions H.S.II (for Hydrographic Service), and CD: clearance diver. This watch was selected not to be used in an office, but rather it was given as an official tool to the actual diver. A rare find and an historical insightful timepiece guaranteed to awe the connoisseur of vintage Rolex watches.

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