Rolex Oyster Perpetual 6098 'Galaxy'

Museum Piece
This steel Ovettone Stelline balances sporty robustness and refined luxury in such an elegant manner.

This steel Ovettone Stelline balances sporty robustness and refined luxury in such an elegant manner. Moreover, it is arduous to find a coveted 6098 Galaxy with an exquisitely pristine waffle dial.

Reference 6098 was introduced in the early 50's and was executed predominantly in stainless steel. Especially due to the association with several expeditions on the Mt. Everest, the 6098 is known by many for being a robust and reliable sportswatch and the predecessor of the Explorer. The case was rather large (36mm) and featured a domed caseback to house the automatic caliber A260, this style is often referred to as "Ovettone".

Some of these no-nonsense Oyster models, came equipped with a rather elegant option. This alluring dial has star shaped markers. These were aptly named "Galaxy" as seen in their official 1953 advertisement that opened with: “For the man to whom time means so much…and discriminating appearance is of the utmost”. Perhaps one of the reasons why there are less than a dozen known. They are divided in a glossy black dial and a "honeycomb" white one. Our specimen being of the latter category and remains without blemishes, quite unusual -given the dial structure- and its age. It is not the only "Stelline" reference known, but apart from the 6062 it is surely the most sought-after. The twinkling indices are supplied with luminous material.

These rare executions occupy a very special position in Rolex historic catalogue and the established collectors have understood this for many decades, resulting in a long lasting track record of strong auction results. Perhaps the most coveted markers in horological history, applied on a decoratively finished dial and cased in an iconic size. It is furthermore supplied with a straight end-link bracelet by Gay Freres and still features the original 50’s “Super Oyster” crown. You are certainly the star of the show with this timepiece on your wrist.