Ladies Rolex 9ct Rose Gold 1933, Octagonal Case, Guilloche Dial

Description

A beautiful and rare example of an art-deco ladies octagonal Rolex dress watch in Rose Gold from 1933. Octagonal case Rolex watches are rare, especially in pink gold, and most especially in such superb condition, as this. It is also notable for its wonderful guilloche dial and original ‘Cathedral’ hands, both of which have been beautifully restored.

The watch case is double signed ‘Rolex’ and ‘R.W.C. Ltd’ just as it should be, as this watch was produced quite early in the days of Rolex history.  At the time Rolex was setting new world records, and winning gold medals, for the accuracy, the reliability of its watches, as evidenced by the legend on the inside of the case back, of this watch.

The Dial

The Ivory Cream guilloche dial has a radiating feather effect, which catches the light beautifully as one moves the watch slightly on the wrist. The effect is subtle but it adds depth and interest to the dial. A guilloche dial is one which has been decorated with an intricate and repetitive pattern, engraved onto the dial using special tooling designed specifically to cause the effect.

The 1 – 12 numerals are in the art-deco style with a minutes track around the outer edge of the dial. The original ‘Cathedral’ hands have been restored beautifully restored, in keeping with the rest of the watch.

This is all in all, a clear and highly legible dial for a small ladies watch. The dial is signed ‘Rolex’ and ‘Swiss Made’ at the very bottom of the dial. This is the original dial which has been restored to the highest standards by our dial restorers which are considered to be the best in the UK.

The Case

The original 9ct rose gold case measures 25mm across, excluding the crown, and 30mm top to bottom, making this watch mid-sized by today’s standards. It is in amazing condition, leading us to believe this watch has led a charmed life and been used infrequently and very carefully. Or perhaps that it has sat in a safe for most of its life. Our watch case maker’s work on this occasion solely consisted of cleaning, close inspection, and gently hand polishing, to bring the case back to the condition you see here.

The crown is correct for this watch and is unsigned, as normal in 1933. As can be seen, the watch case is double hinged to reveal both the dial and the movement. Inside of the case back is double signed both Rolex and R.W.C.Ltd. Rolex did not get where it is today by sitting on its laurels and so in common with many of its watches from the late ’20s and 1930s, and it proudly proclaims its tally of ‘7 World’s Records’ and ‘Gold Medal’. Rolex was steadily making ground on its much more established competition, by winning prizes and claiming new world records for timekeeping, reliability and the resistance to water ingress of its Oyster cases.

The case back also carries the case serial number 12518 and Glasgow U.K. 9ct hallmarks for 1933. The watch case is in tip-top condition with no scratches, dings or dimples visible to the naked eye and the integrity of the case and case hinges is first class. This is all quite amazing, considering this watch 85 years old.

As always our standard advice applies: vintage watches should be kept clean and dry at all times.

The Movement

The original movement here is referred to as a Rolex Rebberg movement and it was this movement which helped establish Rolex and made the company famous. It was made by the Swiss Aegler company, with which Rolex formed a partnership. Rebberg is a Swiss district where the factory which produced these movements was located. The movement is a 15 Jewel, 9 3/4 Ligne, meaning this is the smaller-size Rolex Rebburg movement and is properly signed  ‘Rolex’ and ‘Swiss Made’.

As part of the restoration of this watch, the movement has been overhauled and serviced by our vintage watch specialist watchmaker. This involves dismantling the watch to all its component parts and careful inspection under high magnification, then replacement where necessary with only original parts and careful reassembly and adjustment.  So the movement is running well and keeping good time. We therefore have no hesitation in offering this watch with 12 months warranty on the movement.*

Please note, Rolex watches of this period are reliable and accurate by the standards of their day. However, they need to be treated with some care, so while perfectly suited for special occasions, we would not recommend this watch for everyday use.

Please note – our 12 months’ warranty is only applicable if the list price is paid.

The Strap & Buckle

A new high quality, Dark Brown Leather strap has been fitted, with a gold plated buckle. Please note, we feel this strap matches the watch nicely, however, if a different colour or style of strap is preferred, please let us know and we will do our best to oblige free of charge. We carry tan, conker, dark brown and black in stock in plain padded leather, and crocodile skin or lizard skin. However, we can also obtain most types and colours at short notice.

The Box and Papers

Although there are no original papers with this watch, all the numbers and markings on the watch are correct, dating the watch to 1933. A detailed ‘Particulars’ document will be included in the sale, along with our detailed receipt and 12 months Warranty*.  A separate insurance valuation for the replacement value of this watch will also be provided at the time of sale, along with our unique ‘Lifetime Authenticity Guarantee’ which states: “If at any time, this watch proves to be anything less than totally authentic, or not as described, Vintage Gold Watches of London will offer you a full refund at any time”.

The Rolex Green Velvet purse shown in the photographs is included with the watch.

In Conclusion

This is a beautiful example of a very early Rolex which is in remarkable mechanical and cosmetic condition and one which will make an excellent investment as well as be something to wear and use, treasure and enjoy. Vintage Rolex prices have risen markedly of late, but we still feel fine and special examples such as this are undervalued. As each year goes by and the world market for vintage watches expands and availability becomes more limited, so vintage prices are surely destined to climb ever higher!

A word about our prices – We always try our hardest to acquire the very highest quality watches we can find, before restoring these to the highest possible standards. We then offer these at the fairest prices we can, taking into account our pre and post sales care and service. This approach inevitably means we will never be the cheapest, but nor will we be the most expensive. Indeed there are a number of well-known stores in West London which are very successful, charging between two to three times the price you see here. We therefore consider our prices to be fair, given the quality of watches we have to offer.

We are happy to accept PayPal as this is the quickest method of payment. However, if you wish to pay by bank transfer, we will be pleased to pass on a 3% transaction saving to you. Similarly, if you wish to pay by International SWIFT or International Bank Wire Transfer, we will provide you with our BIC / Swift number and our IBAN number.

Please note we welcome part exchanges and if you have a watch or small collection for sale, please contact us as we will be happy to discuss this.

We will be happy to Service, Repair or Restore your watch, all at ‘sensible’ prices. Please see here.

If you have any questions, please call our landline 020 7727 7095  or mobile  07515 949 250 or if calling from overseas our landline number is +44 207 727 7095  or mobile +44 7515 949 250.

We await your call! We will be happy to answer any questions and offer advice about this or any of our watches listed for sale. If you would like some general advice regarding any aspect of vintage watches, including buying, selling, or collecting, we will also be very happy to hear from you.

Finally, please enjoy some time spent viewing our other fine Vintage Gold Watches!

Thank you.