Rolex
Dato-Compax 'Jean-Claude Killy', Reference 6236 | A stainless steel triple calendar chronograph wristwatch with bracelet | Circa 1958
Auction Closed
May 10, 02:36 PM GMT
Estimate
45,000 - 90,000 CHF
Lot Details
Description
Dial: silvered
Calibre: cal. 72C manual winding, 17 jewels
Case: stainless steel, screw-down case back
Case number: 384'253
Closure: stainless steel Rolex Oyster expandable bracelet and folding clasp
Size: 36 mm diameter, bracelet circumference approximately 190 mm
Signed: case, dial and movement
Box: no
Papers: no
Accessories: none
Sotheby's, Geneva, November 2007, Lot 69
The Rolex reference 6236 represents the final evolution of the vintage Dato-Compax series, Rolex’s most complex chronograph family, combining a triple calendar with a chronograph function.
The series was first introduced in 1947 with references 4768 and 4767. Notably, the 4768 was the only non-Oyster, thus non-waterproof Dato-Compax, while the 4767 became the brand’s first triple calendar chronograph fitted in a waterproof Oyster case. The line subsequently evolved through references 5036 and 6036 before culminating in the 6236, produced until the early 1960s. Compared to its predecessors, the 6236 features a more modern construction, notably a three-piece case with a separate bezel replacing the earlier monobloc design, along with a cleaner dial distinguished by a more prominent coronet and closed “6” numerals.
Produced between 1958 and 1962 in limited numbers, the present example belongs to the earliest production, with both case and bracelet dating to 1958.
The Dato-Compax series later earned the nickname “Jean-Claude Killy” among collectors, in reference to Jean-Claude Killy, whose association with Rolex further cemented the model’s legendary status.