Lot Essay
This stunning chronograph can only be described as breathtaking in its beauty, condition and rarity. Presented here for the first time at international auction, it is arguably the finest example of a steel reference 4500 ever to appear in public.
The remarkable original and untouched condition is matched by the rarity of the splendid pulsation scale dial and the magical retailers name “Joyeria Riviera” of Havana, Cuba. To the best of our knowledge this is the only publically known example of a steel reference 4500 with this dial configuration. Of all the known reference 4500, only five are fitted with pulsometer dials, the present watch being the only example signed by Joyeria Riviera.
Rolex produced a small number of the anti-magnetic reference 4500 for only one year, 1946, consequently the so-called “Monoblocco” is one of the rarest references of all Rolex chronographs and marked a turning point in Rolex design. Characterized by its two-body case and most noticeably the single 30-minutes chronograph register, the reference was available in yellow gold, pink gold, stainless steel and in stainless steel and gold.
Preserved in very appealing and superb original overall condition, the most eye-catching feature is the beautifully aged, silvered dial with pulsation scale, characterized by its charismatic patina, untouched in over 70 years of existence it has never been subject to any cosmetic enhancement. The case condition is in accordance with the untouched dial, displaying full proportions without any signs of careless polishing and correct Rolex Oyster crown. Lastly the coveted retailer's signature Joyeria Riviera, Rolex's agent in Havana, Cuba, completes this collector’s dream piece.
Joyeria Riviera of Havana, Cuba
Established in 1923 by Don Julio Abislaiman. Don Julio along with his two sons Jose and Juan presided over the store which opened in 1943 on the Galiano Boulevard in Havana. Joyeria Riviera quickly became the go-to place in Cuba for luxury jewellery, silver and watches, the store was considered “the Tiffany’s of Havana”. When the revolution came in 1960, the firm ceased trading in Cuba and moved to San Juan, Puerto Rico where it still exists today.
Joyeria Riviera was the first retailer in Havana to become an authorized Rolex dealer, the company is highly significant in the story of Rolex because it was one of the very few retailers worldwide who had an agreement with Rolex to allow them to co-sign the dials of watches sold through them. Interestingly, Rolex’s entire range was available branded in this way, so that for collectors today the watches sold by Joyeria Riviera have become extremely desirable. In particular, a model such as the present watch dating from before 1960, a great rarity in its own right, is a historically important piece of Rolex history from pre-revolutionary Cuba.
The remarkable original and untouched condition is matched by the rarity of the splendid pulsation scale dial and the magical retailers name “Joyeria Riviera” of Havana, Cuba. To the best of our knowledge this is the only publically known example of a steel reference 4500 with this dial configuration. Of all the known reference 4500, only five are fitted with pulsometer dials, the present watch being the only example signed by Joyeria Riviera.
Rolex produced a small number of the anti-magnetic reference 4500 for only one year, 1946, consequently the so-called “Monoblocco” is one of the rarest references of all Rolex chronographs and marked a turning point in Rolex design. Characterized by its two-body case and most noticeably the single 30-minutes chronograph register, the reference was available in yellow gold, pink gold, stainless steel and in stainless steel and gold.
Preserved in very appealing and superb original overall condition, the most eye-catching feature is the beautifully aged, silvered dial with pulsation scale, characterized by its charismatic patina, untouched in over 70 years of existence it has never been subject to any cosmetic enhancement. The case condition is in accordance with the untouched dial, displaying full proportions without any signs of careless polishing and correct Rolex Oyster crown. Lastly the coveted retailer's signature Joyeria Riviera, Rolex's agent in Havana, Cuba, completes this collector’s dream piece.
Joyeria Riviera of Havana, Cuba
Established in 1923 by Don Julio Abislaiman. Don Julio along with his two sons Jose and Juan presided over the store which opened in 1943 on the Galiano Boulevard in Havana. Joyeria Riviera quickly became the go-to place in Cuba for luxury jewellery, silver and watches, the store was considered “the Tiffany’s of Havana”. When the revolution came in 1960, the firm ceased trading in Cuba and moved to San Juan, Puerto Rico where it still exists today.
Joyeria Riviera was the first retailer in Havana to become an authorized Rolex dealer, the company is highly significant in the story of Rolex because it was one of the very few retailers worldwide who had an agreement with Rolex to allow them to co-sign the dials of watches sold through them. Interestingly, Rolex’s entire range was available branded in this way, so that for collectors today the watches sold by Joyeria Riviera have become extremely desirable. In particular, a model such as the present watch dating from before 1960, a great rarity in its own right, is a historically important piece of Rolex history from pre-revolutionary Cuba.