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Lot Essay
This "Dato Compax" must be considered one of the very best examples of the iconic reference 6036 in gold to appear in public in recent years. Acquired by the father of the present owner, it had been safely locked away and kept as a family investment for decades until its consignment to this auction.
The most striking proof for its extremely original, pristine "sleeping beauty" condition is the clearly visible engraved inscription REGISTERED DESIGN and its French equivalent MODELE DEPOSE to the case back. Particularly sensitive to careless polishing or excessive wear, this feature is an exceptionally rare find hardly ever seen in a watch dating from the 1950s. The razor-sharp reference and serial numbers on untouched sand-blast finish between the lugs, the crisp gold mark underneath the lug and the hardly used calendar correctors in the band further underline the assumption that the case has retained the original factory-finish to the best extent, probably even the crystal with which it left the manufacture in 1953.
The original silvered dial stands out by its rare grained-finish surface, as opposed to the better known shiny lacquer version, which over time has taken a most appealing, uniform ivory patina, enhanced by the original luminous material to accents and hands, another rare element of this watch. The experienced collector will immediately notice the rhomboid-shaped, applied gold hour markers and consequently the decreased size of the outer date ring, both exceedingly rare features and exclusively found in this specific combination, beautifully rounding up the overall appearance of this charismatic timepiece.
Without a doubt the Dato-Compax offered here for sale presents all criteria indispensable for the coveted designation "ultimate collector's watch": freshness to the market, private provenance and last but not least outstanding, original overall condition.
Reference 6036
Reference 6036, the third generation of the celebrated "Dato Compax" Oyster triple calendar chronograph model ever presented by Geneva's "crowned" watch manufacturer, was available with various dial layouts, cased mainly in yellow gold and in stainless steel. Various examples of reference 6036 are described and illustrated in I Cronografi Rolex - La Leggenda, Pucci Papaleo Editore, pp. 380 - 401. For similar examples with identical dial design see op.cit, pp. 394 & 395, and in 100 Superlative Rolex Watches by John Goldberger, p. 88.
The most striking proof for its extremely original, pristine "sleeping beauty" condition is the clearly visible engraved inscription REGISTERED DESIGN and its French equivalent MODELE DEPOSE to the case back. Particularly sensitive to careless polishing or excessive wear, this feature is an exceptionally rare find hardly ever seen in a watch dating from the 1950s. The razor-sharp reference and serial numbers on untouched sand-blast finish between the lugs, the crisp gold mark underneath the lug and the hardly used calendar correctors in the band further underline the assumption that the case has retained the original factory-finish to the best extent, probably even the crystal with which it left the manufacture in 1953.
The original silvered dial stands out by its rare grained-finish surface, as opposed to the better known shiny lacquer version, which over time has taken a most appealing, uniform ivory patina, enhanced by the original luminous material to accents and hands, another rare element of this watch. The experienced collector will immediately notice the rhomboid-shaped, applied gold hour markers and consequently the decreased size of the outer date ring, both exceedingly rare features and exclusively found in this specific combination, beautifully rounding up the overall appearance of this charismatic timepiece.
Without a doubt the Dato-Compax offered here for sale presents all criteria indispensable for the coveted designation "ultimate collector's watch": freshness to the market, private provenance and last but not least outstanding, original overall condition.
Reference 6036
Reference 6036, the third generation of the celebrated "Dato Compax" Oyster triple calendar chronograph model ever presented by Geneva's "crowned" watch manufacturer, was available with various dial layouts, cased mainly in yellow gold and in stainless steel. Various examples of reference 6036 are described and illustrated in I Cronografi Rolex - La Leggenda, Pucci Papaleo Editore, pp. 380 - 401. For similar examples with identical dial design see op.cit, pp. 394 & 395, and in 100 Superlative Rolex Watches by John Goldberger, p. 88.