The Rolex 6032: A Pilot's Best Friend

What kind of watch does a pilot wear when pushing an aircraft to its limits? For Ettore Wengi, one of Italy’s celebrated test pilots, the answer was a pink gold Rolex reference 6032. A member of the legendary “Squadriglia Folle”, or Mad Squadron, Wengi belonged to a generation for whom the sky was an invitation to go further. His Rolex was more than a beautiful object: it was a companion to a life spent testing the boundaries of flight.

On the back of the watch is a date that connects it to a remarkable moment in aviation history: 7 May 1959, the maiden flight of the Procaer F.15 Picchio, designed by Stelio Frati. Decades later, this exceptionally rare vintage Rolex chronograph returns to the airfield, where its story began. With only four pink gold examples known to have appeared on the market, it is a timepiece that brings together the worlds of horology, aviation and Italian design in a way few watches can.