I like to write about Pre-Daytona Rolex watches. They are rare, beautiful and important in Rolex history.
I have written about the super rare 6034 with black dial before as a PAK watch. But I might have even stumbled upon something more elusive. Ever heard of a 6032 in Gold?
Neither have I.
(Credit: Goldberger – Above a magnificent circa 1950 Pink Gold Rolex 6032 Chronograph Case Nr 685 xxx).
Most of the early Rolex chronographs were cased in steel rather than gold.
This is the case with the 6034 (a gold version which I wrote about here), 6234, 6238. After all Rolex was a sports watch and the material of choice was most often steel which makes sense. While I am familiar with Pre-daytona Rolex watches like the 6034, 6234 and 6238 – I have not really heard of a 6032. I accidentally came across a 6032 while browsing the 100 Rolex book by Goldberger.
My next PAK watch is a 1950 Pink Gold Rolex 6032.
If you Google Rolex 6032 or try and look at past lots sold at various auction houses – you won’t find much. It is a VERY rare watch.
If you think 6034 or 6234 are rare in gold (and they are very rare – only an estimated 36 and 100 were respectively made) – the 6032 seems to redefine what rarity is. It is my best guess that there are less than 10 Rolex watches 6032 made mostly in pink gold.
So, what makes the 1950 Rolex 6032 – case number 693 xxx special besides it’s rarity?
(Credit: Koller Auktionen).
- Well for a start the dial has a nice layout. It has Arabic numerals at 6 and 12, that most chronographs afterwards lack.
- The dial is complex so called multi scale dial with two registers layout
- The hands very masculine for its time – dauphin in shape. The case is screw down and the watch is powered by Valjoux 72A calibre.
- This watch is made in Pink gold – something that Rolex would not make often at all (gold already was almost unseen in the series 6032/34/38 let alone pink gold).
What makes this watch especially appealing is the inner dial that has taken on a different color than the outer dial. Creating a nice two tone effect.
The watch seems in good and unmolested condition, let us compare it with another 6032 Rolex, also in Pink Gold that sold recently at Sothebys last year.
The dial (which was clearly stated in the condition report at the time) has been repainted. See below. The main differences I can see are twofold. 1) no railway track on the sub counters with the refinished dial below and 2) Swiss signed only versus Swiss Made with the original dial above.
Despite the watch below having the dial restored, repainted – it fetched a strong CHF 37’500 last year at Sothebys.
(Credit: Sothebys).
Closing thoughts
It is clear that the 6032 Gold Rolex from 1950 with original dial would be worth substantially more if it was sold today.
The rarity but modern looks of the 6032 with nice complex dial qualifies this watch as a PAK in my view. Cased in Pink Gold – you have one of the rarest Rolex chronographs to ever appear on the market.
A collector who clearly knew what he was doing back in 2010 – bought this hyper rare pink Gold chronograph. In my view a very smart move as Rolex collectors are increasingly searching for beauty and rarity in the Rolex world.
