Rolex Chronograph 8206

Reference 8206 is a ‘grail’ level, exceptionally rare Rolex timepiece, representing the brand’s only known split-seconds (rattrapante) chronograph. With an estimated production of only 12 pieces in the 1940s, it is a ‘grand complication’. The technical specification is a large 38mm case, typically in 18k gold, housing a highly modified Valjoux-based manual-wind movement. The rattrapante function, controlled by a third pusher (often co-axial with the crown), allows for the timing of intermediate intervals. Its significance lies in its extreme rarity and its status as the most mechanically complex wrist-chronograph ever produced by Rolex.