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227

FORMERLY OWNED BY HIS MAJESTY BAO DAI, THE LAST EMPEROR OF VIETNAM , A SUPERB, RARE AND HISTORICALLY

Currency:USD Category:Everything Else / Other Start Price:NA Estimated At:130,000.00 - 160,000.00 USD
FORMERLY OWNED BY HIS MAJESTY BAO DAI, THE LAST EMPEROR OF VIETNAM , A SUPERB, RARE AND HISTORICALLY
FORMERLY OWNED BY HIS MAJESTY BAO DAI, <BR>THE LAST EMPEROR OF VIETNAM , A SUPERB, RARE AND HISTORICAL<BR>ROLEX OYSTER PERPETUAL
NO. 916366, REF. 6062 MANUFACTURED IN 1952
A SUPERB, RARE AND HISTORICALLY IMPORTANT GOLD SELF-WINDING BRACELET WATCH WITH CALENDAR, MOON PHASES, BLACK DIAL AND DIAMOND INDEXES, EXHIBITED AT THE BASEL WATCH FAIR IN 1953
18K, NICKEL LEVER MOVEMENT, BLACK DIAL, APPLIED SQUARE DIAMOND AND LOZENGE NUMERALS, SUBSIDIARY DIAL FOR CONSTANT SECONDS COMBINED WITH MOON PHASES, OUTER SCALE CALIBRATED FOR DATE, APERTURES FOR DAY
AND MONTH, SCREW-DOWN CROWN AND BACK, CIRCULAR CASE, WITH ROLEX
JUBILEE GOLD BRACELET
SIGNED ON MOVEMENT, CASE AND DIAL, NUMBERED ON CASE DIAMETER 36 MM, OVERALL CIRCUMFERENCE 157 MM
CHF 200,000-250,000
$ 130,000-160,000
THE PRESENT WATCH IS BY
ALL MEANS ONE OF THE MOST SPECTACULAR ROLEX WRISTWATCHES EVER TO BE OFFERED FOR AUCTION. ITS DESIRABILITY RESIDES IN THE COMBINATION OF THREE ELEMENTS, WHICH ARE THE SUPERB BLACK DIAL, THE IMPERIAL PROVENANCE AND THE WATCH'S EXCELLENT BUT UNRESTORED CONDITION.
REFERENCE 6062 IS SEEN BY MANY COLLECTORS AS THE ULTIMATE ROLEX WRISTWATCH, AS IT COMBINES THE TYPICAL OYSTER-LOOK WITH A FULL CALENDAR, A FEATURE WHICH
IS RARE FOR ROLEX, A MANUFACTURER RATHER UNKNOWN FOR COMPLICATED MOVEMENTS APART FROM CHRONOGRAPHS.
UNTIL TODAY, ONLY TWO EXAMPLES OF A REFERENCE 6062 FITTED WITH A BLACK DIAL AND DIAMOND INDEXES ARE KNOWN TO EXIST. INTERESTINGLY, THE DIAL OF THE PRESENT WATCH IS DIFFERENT AS IT HAS FIVE DIAMOND NUMERALS, ALL FOR THE EVEN NUMBERS, WHERE AS THE OTHER TWO WATCHES HAVE SIX DIAMOND MARKERS, ALL FOR THE UNEVEN NUMBERS.
IT IS FURTHERMORE VERY INTERESTING TO MENTION
THAT DUE TO THE FACT THAT
THE PRESENT WATCH HAS A DIAMOND NUMERAL AT 12 O'CLOCK, THE ROLEX-CROWN WAS MOVED FURTHER BELOW, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO HAVE THE "ROLEX OYSTER PERPETUAL" ABOVE THE
TWO APERTURES FOR THE CALENDAR, BUT NOW JUST BELOW THEM. AS A RESULT,
THE "OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED CHRONOMETER" WAS AS WELL MOVED FROM JUST ABOVE
THE CENTER OF THE DIAL
TO BELOW THE MOON PHASES.
THE
BAO DAI
ROLEX
BORN PRINCE NGUYEN VINH THUY IN 1913, IT WAS NOT UNTIL HIS RISE to THE THRONE (AT THE AGE OF TWELVE) THAT HE WAS GIVEN THE TITLE OF BAO DAI (KEEPER OF GREATNESS). UNDER FRENCH DOMINATION, HE LEFT VIETNAM AND WENT
TO PARIS TO COMPLETE HIS EDUCATION UNTIL HIS RETURN IN 1932 TO ASSUME HIS FULL ROLE as EMPEROR. WELL-KNOWN FOR HIS FINE TASTE,
HE WAS A RENOWNED TIGER HUNTER, WOMAN LOVER AND CAR COLLECTOR. DURING
HIS REIGN HE ACQUIRED A NUMBER OF PALACES, YACHTS AND CARS AND WAS KNOWN IN FRANCE AS "THE EMPEROR OF CANNES." HIS CAR COLLECTION INCLUDED SUCH CARS AS A BENTLEY S1 CONTINENTAL, A FERRARI 410 SUPERAMERICA AND A FERRARI 450 AM. IT WAS DURING HIS STAY IN GENEVA FOR THE 1954 PEACE
TALKS, THAT HE ACQUIRED
THE PRESENT ROLEX. UNKNOWINGLY, THE PRECISE SAME WATCH HAD BEEN EXPOSED IN 1953 BY ROLEX AT THE BASEL FAIR AS A SYMBOL OF HIGHEST QUALITY AND CRAFTSMANSHIP, UNDERLINING THE IMPORTANCE AND BEAUTY OF THIS RARE PIECE. KNOWING HIS TASTE HE PROBABLY REQUESTED THE MOST EXPENSIVE WATCH ROLEX HAD, RESULTING IN his ACQUIRING THIS FANTASTIC PIECE. MANY OF HIS FRIENDS STILL REMEMBER HIM WEARING THE WATCH DAILY AND ON HOLIDAYS IN THE FRENCH RIVIERA AS IT WAS HIS FAVORITE TIMEPIECE. AFTER TUMULTUOUS POLITICAL REBOUNDS, HE EXILED TO PARIS WHERE HE ENJOYED THE REST OF HIS DAYS UNTIL HIS DEATH IN 1997.
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