Rolex Explorer watch fetches four times its estimate at auction
The model was popular with serious mountaineers after a prototype was successfully used in the first ascent of Everest.
A vintage Rolex Explorer watch created after the first ascent of Mount Everest has fetched more than four times its estimate at auction.
The winning bidder forked out a total of £31,900 for the Oyster Perpetual Explorer bracelet after a price war started for the 1954 timepiece on Tuesday afternoon, said auctioneers Fellows.
It had an estimate of £4,800 to £5,800.
Fellows watch specialist Steven Yambo said: “This Explorer is an incredibly early model with a lovely aged dial, so it isn’t a surprise that it sold for this amount.”
The model, reference 6150, was popular with serious mountaineers after a prototype was successfully used in the first ascent of Everest to see how it would cope with extreme altitudes, temperatures, and pressure.
In 1953, the Swiss luxury watchmaker sponsored the daring bid of Sir Edmund Hillary and sherpa Tenzing Norgay to become the first men to reach the summit, with Sir Edmund wearing an early version of the Oyster Perpetual.
“Waterproof, self-winding and a miracle of accuracy, this watch is the highest achievement of the watchmaking industry.”
The word “Explorer” was added to the watch range after the successful 1953 climb.
