$6,600
Ref. 5700, Stainless Steel Explorer-Date Rolex, “Oyster Perpetual, Explorer-Date, Precision”, Ref. 5700/1500. Made in 1963. Fine and rare, center seconds, self-winding, water-resistant, stainless steel wristwatch with date Three-body, polished and brushed, screwed-down case back and crown, crystal with cyclops lens. Gray with applied steel baton indexes, luminous dots, outer minute/seconds track, aperture for the date. Luminous steel épée hands. Cal. 1530, rhodium-plated, 26 jewels, straight line lever escapement, monometallic balance, shockabsorber, self-compensating flat balance spring. Dial, case and movement signed. Diam. 35 mm. Thickness 12.5 mm. Notes In the early days of the Explorer, Rolex was unsure of the model's potential. As a result the name was affixed to a number of models not immediately recognizable as Explorers. Today the name and the look are so intimately entwined it seems out of place to apply the name to watches which were so obviously not what we would call 'Explorers'. There were two distinct variations on the theme and they seem to have been aimed at two distinct markets. The first variation was the so-called 'Air-King' Explorer [see lot 94]. The second variation on the theme are 'dress Explorers.' These were standard Oyster Perpetuals in steel or gold with white (or more rarely, black) non-Explorer dials featuring markers and hands, but signed 'Explorer' on the dials. Seen in both date and non-date forms, these watches all seem to have
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2008-04-17
