What's Selling Here - January 19, 2024
By Charlie Dunne
Rolex Daytona Reference 6239 with Non-Luminous Dial and Hands
In the world of vintage Rolex Daytonas, finding a watch that is possibly unique is essentially unheard of - even the famed Daytonas with "Paul Newman" exotic racing dials were made in the thousands. This vintage Daytona is another level of rare as the dial never had the tritium luminous plots all other vintage Daytonas had and the hands are solid without a space for the tritium luminous material to sit for reading the time at night. Dating to circa 1966, this Daytona has a silver "Big Daytona" dial where the ROLEX / COSMOGRAPH / DAYTONA text is lined up like a pyramid, which is an aesthetically-pleasing configuration and allows for the space above the hour register by 6:00 to be clear of any text. The watch is manually wound (like all vintage Daytonas made before 1988) and approximately 37mm in diameter. This watch emerged to the market from the original Canadian in 2020. According to him, “I purchased the Rolex new when I was a teenager here in Calgary, Alberta. I worked for the Hudson Bay Company (a department store) and we received a staff discount, so I paid $375 (CAD) for it new.”
Why this watch is non-luminous is somewhat of a mystery, but it is clear that it was not a production error as the hands are notably non-luminous. Rolex made a small number of non-luminous tool / sport watches in the 1950s and 1960s, most notably the Milgauss designed for scientists and doctors working in environments such as nuclear plants. Although the watch was designed to withstand high magnetism, the original examples of the Milgauss reference 6541 also had non-luminous dials and hands as radiation-sensitive equipment such as Geiger counters could activate on watches with radioactive luminous material. Likewise, sailors on nuclear submariners required watches without luminous material for similar reasons of not wanting to trip equipment meant to detect radiation leaks. We may never know if this watch was some sort of test by Rolex to create a Daytona to be used in one of those challenging environments and that somehow ended up in a Canadian department store.
The watch does not come with box and papers. We do not know the service history, but it is running well. This is a rare opportunity to find an outstanding Daytona model. The watch just passed a water resistance test of 5 bar.
Cartier Tank Cintrée in 18K Gold Unpolished
The Cartier Tank Cintrée is one of my favorite Cartier models. The cases are very well made and among the most beautiful styles from the manufacturer.
These models have grown to become highly collectible over recent years. It is a great contrast to many sports Rolex models within a collection and can be worn in both a casual and dressed up state.
This example dates to circa 1960s. It features an 18K yellow gold case. We believe the case is unpolished.
The case measures 18.5mm in diameter and 34.5mm in length. The dial is very nice and without any signs of wear or crazing. Often, these have crazing.
The watch does not come with box and papers. We do not know the service history, but it is running well. It comes with an extra deployant buckle and black strap.
Cartier Tank Louis Jumbo Automatique in 18K Gold Unpolished
The Cartier Tank Louis is one of the most sophisticated dress watches and these models have grown to become highly collectible over recent years. It is a great contrast to many sports Rolex models within a collection and can be worn in both a casual and dressed up state.
This example dates to circa 1970s. It features an 18K yellow gold case. We believe the case is unpolished. These are the largest vintage Tanks. The case measures 28mm in diameter and 35mm in length. The dial is very nice and without any signs of wear or crazing. Often, these have crazing.
The watch does not come with box and papers. We do not know the service history, but it is running well.
Cartier Tank Louis in 18K Yellow Gold
The Cartier Tank Louis is one of the most sophisticated dress watches and these models have grown to become highly collectible over recent years. It is a great contrast to many sports Rolex models within a collection and can be worn in both a casual and dressed up state.
This example dates to circa 1957. It features an 18K yellow gold case with eagle hallmark on the case back indicating it was made in France. We believe the case is unpolished. The case measures 21mm in diameter and 27mm in length. It features a European Watch Company signed movement (indicating the movement was made by Jaeger-LeCoultre) and has the very attractive octagonal crown with blue cabochon. The deployant clasp is signed with an eagle hallmark indicating it was made in France and features the EJ maker’s mark with an hourglass in the center indicating it was made by Edmond Jaeger. These original deployant clasps are highly prized. It is on a cool tan strap that is quite possibly original to the watch.
The watch does not come with box and papers. It has been recently serviced and is running well.
Rolex Datejust Black Dial Reference 126300 Full Set Unpolished
This Rolex Datejust reference 126300 is a very attractive Rolex with a black dial. It is 41mm and has a nice Oyster bracelet with smooth bezel It is unpolished. There are minimal scratches and light wear on the bracelet from being worn a few times.
The watch comes with box and papers. The watch was sold in 2023 and comes from the original owner.
Rolex Yacht-Master Reference 126655 In 18K Rose Gold New Full Set
This Rolex Yacht-Master Reference 126655 is a very attractive Rolex in 18K rose gold. It is unpolished. It is in new and unworn condition, just with handling wear from being sized and sitting in the box.
The watch comes with box and papers. The watch was purchased new in 2023 and comes from the original owner who purchased it and did not wear it.
Patek Philippe Nautilus Reference 5726/1A-010 Full Set Unpolished
In 1976, Gerald Genta designed the Patek Philippe Nautilus which would go on to becomeone of the most iconic and desirable wristwatches on the planet. Decades later, the Nautilus has taken on many iterations such as this reference 5726/1A-010 incorporating the calendar and mooonphase.
The watch is powered by the calibre 324 QA LU 24H and dates to 2015. We believe the case is unpolished and measures 45mm in diameter.
The watch comes full set with box, papers and Certificate of Origin.
Cartier Musical Pocket Watch w/ Box
This remarkable Cartier musical pocket watch from the 1970s, crafted for the Italian market, boasts a unique charm. Adorned with green and red enamel, mirroring the Italian flag, it serenades with the delightful tune of ‘Que Sera, Sera’ which translates to ‘Whatever will be, will be. Although its alarm is more subtle compared to a Memovox, the watch, it is a beautiful melody nonetheless.
The watch does come with what we believe is the original box. We do not know the service history, but it is running well.
Rolex Root Beer GMT-Master Reference 16753 w/ Box & Service Card
This Rolex “Root Beer” GMT-Master reference 16753 is an awesome GMT. This example dates to circa 1979 with a 6.34 million serial. The case has been polished in the past. The hands are service replacements.
To learn more about the Rolex GMT-Master you can watch my ‘Reference Points: Understanding The Rolex GMT-Master' video and corresponding article.
It comes with box and service card which dates to 2022.
Rolex Submariner Reference 168000 with Box
The Rolex Submariner is one of the most renowned sports watches of all time. This reference 168000 features a 9.6M serial number dating to circa 1987. The case has been polished in the past. The luminous material on the hour markers is a nice warm tone. The hands appear to be later replacements.
To learn more about the Rolex Submariner, you can watch my ‘Reference Points: Understanding The Rolex Submariner’ video and read the corresponding article.
The watch comes with a box. It does not come with papers. We do not know the service history, but it is running well.
Rolex Mosaic Date Reference 1501
This Rolex Date reference 1501 is a cool watch with the interesting “mosaic” or “shantung” dial. The case has been polished in the past. It dates to circa 1970 with a 2.47M serial.
The watch does not come with box and papers. We do not know the service history, but it is running well.