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拍品专文
One of the most enduring designs in Rolex history, the Datejust was introduced in 1945 to commemorate the manufacture’s 40th anniversary and has remained in continuous production ever since. At its launch, it was the first self-winding chronometer wristwatch to display the date through an aperture with an instantaneous change at midnight, an innovation that would become a defining feature of modern wristwatch design. While the Datejust has evolved through countless references and configurations over the decades, its fundamental identity has remained remarkably consistent.
Introduced in 1957, reference 6604 was the smooth-bezel counterpart to reference 6605, which featured the more familiar fluted bezel. Produced for only a brief period, the reference is already a considerable rarity in its own right, with significantly fewer examples of the smooth-bezel variant surviving today. Reference 6604 also marked an evolution from the more substantial ‘Bubbleback’ or ‘Ovettone’ cases of earlier Datejust models, its slimmer calibre 1065 allowing for a flatter and more elegant caseback.
The present example, dating from 1958, elevates the rarity of reference 6604 to an entirely different level. Only a tiny number are believed to have been cased in platinum, and perhaps only a handful were fitted with a black honeycomb dial such as the present timepiece. The textured black surface provides a striking contrast against the platinum case, while the coveted ‘roulette’ date display, alternating between red numerals for even dates and black numerals for odd dates, adds further character to this already exceptional configuration.
Completing the timepiece is an extraordinarily rare woven bracelet crafted in solid platinum. Its deployant clasp bears a date code corresponding to the first quarter of 1958, precisely contemporary with the watch itself and suggesting that the bracelet may have accompanied it from the outset. Both visually striking and remarkably substantial, it transforms an already exceptional platinum Datejust into an even more compelling object.
Combining a platinum case with smooth bezel, black honeycomb dial, roulette date display and a period solid platinum bracelet with dated clasp, the present reference 6604 brings together some of the rarest and most desirable attributes found on an early Datejust. Its extraordinary configuration places it among the most remarkable vintage Rolex Datejusts to appear on the market.
Introduced in 1957, reference 6604 was the smooth-bezel counterpart to reference 6605, which featured the more familiar fluted bezel. Produced for only a brief period, the reference is already a considerable rarity in its own right, with significantly fewer examples of the smooth-bezel variant surviving today. Reference 6604 also marked an evolution from the more substantial ‘Bubbleback’ or ‘Ovettone’ cases of earlier Datejust models, its slimmer calibre 1065 allowing for a flatter and more elegant caseback.
The present example, dating from 1958, elevates the rarity of reference 6604 to an entirely different level. Only a tiny number are believed to have been cased in platinum, and perhaps only a handful were fitted with a black honeycomb dial such as the present timepiece. The textured black surface provides a striking contrast against the platinum case, while the coveted ‘roulette’ date display, alternating between red numerals for even dates and black numerals for odd dates, adds further character to this already exceptional configuration.
Completing the timepiece is an extraordinarily rare woven bracelet crafted in solid platinum. Its deployant clasp bears a date code corresponding to the first quarter of 1958, precisely contemporary with the watch itself and suggesting that the bracelet may have accompanied it from the outset. Both visually striking and remarkably substantial, it transforms an already exceptional platinum Datejust into an even more compelling object.
Combining a platinum case with smooth bezel, black honeycomb dial, roulette date display and a period solid platinum bracelet with dated clasp, the present reference 6604 brings together some of the rarest and most desirable attributes found on an early Datejust. Its extraordinary configuration places it among the most remarkable vintage Rolex Datejusts to appear on the market.