Rolex Reference 8171 'Padellone' | A stainless steel triple calendar wristwatch with moon phases Circa 1952 | 勞力士 型號 8171 'Padellone' 精鋼全日曆腕錶備月相顯示，製作年份約 1952

Rolex

Reference 8171 'Padellone'
A stainless steel triple calendar wristwatch with moon phases Circa 1952

勞力士 型號 8171 'Padellone'
精鋼全日曆腕錶備月相顯示，製作年份約 1952

Dial: silvered, Day wheel in Spanish
Caliber: automatic
Movement number: 56'790
Case: stainless steel, snap-on case back
Case number: 820'777
Closure: stainless steel Rolex buckle
Size: 38 mm diameter
Signed: case, dial and movement
Box: yes
Papers: no
Accessories: Rolex presentation box

Condition Report:
Case: The case is in overall very good condition and has no signs of previous polishing. Visible surface scratches and small nicks throughout commensurate with age.

Dial: The dial has age and visible discoloration throughout. The dial appears to have been previously cleaned. Some losses to the blue text at '6, 11, 13, 22, 23, and 24'. Oxidation around the indexes at 1, 2, and 7-12 o'clock.

Movement: The movement is running at time of cataloging, however it was not tested for the accuracy of time or duration of the power reserve and may need service at the buyer's discretion. Please note that Sotheby's does not guarantee the future working of the movement.

***Please be advised that the bands on this watch are made of materials derived from endangered or otherwise protected species (i.e. alligator and crocodile) and thus not sold with the watch, they are for display purposes only. We will remove these bands prior to international shipping and the state of California.***

Catalogue Note:
Rolex has never been known for making highly complicated watches and is mostly known for its tool watches. However, one of the most iconic Rolex models ever produced, is the complicated reference 8171 which is commonly referred to by collectors as the ‘Padellone’, which means ‘big frying pan’ in Italian, a reference not only to the size of the watch but its convex dial. Boasting a generous 38 mm case, it was extraordinarily modern in size and was a fair bit ahead of its time in this regard. Released in the 1949, a year before the reference 6062, the 8171 and 6062 represent among the most complicated watches manufactured by Rolex at the time and are the only two vintage Rolex references produced in serial with a calendar and moon-phase. The main difference between the two is that the 6062 features a 36 mm case with a screw down case back. While the 8171, like the present watch, is fitted with a snap on back and a 38 mm case. Despite its highly complicated movement, the watch is aesthetically pleasing. On the outer bezel it has the numbers for the calendar, indicated by a third hand in the center. At 6 o’clock, the watch shows the moon-phase in its sub-seconds dial, with the day and month wheels at 12 o’clock, just under the Rolex crown.

Produced until only 1952, scholars believe that no more than 800 examples of the 8171 were made in stainless steel.

For a yellow gold version, please see lot 128.