Rolex Oyster Perpetual Chronometer 14ct Bombé 1955

Rolex

Founded in 1905 in England by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis as Wilsdorf & Davis, the company became known as the Rolex Watch Company in 1915, moving to its new Geneva headquarters in 1919. The success of the wristwatch can be largely attributed to many of Rolex’s innovations which made the company one of the most respected and well-known of all luxury brands. These have included its famous “Oyster” case — the world’s first water-resistant and dustproof watch case, invented in 1926 — and its “Perpetual” — the world’s first reliable, self-winding movement for the wristwatch, launched in 1933. These would form the foundation for Rolex’s Datejust and Day-Date, respectively introduced in 1945 and 1956. Also and equally importantly, Rolex is known for its sports watches, such as the Explorer, Submariner and GMT-Master launched in the mid-1950s.

During the 1930s and ’40s, Rolex also became quite masterful at courting tremendous publicity and excitement through literally being ‘on hand’ during numerous record-breaking events. These were, for example, swimming the English Channel (1927), breaking the world automobile speed record (300mph, 1935), breaking the sound barrier (1947) and climbing Everest for the first time in 1953. No matter how well orchestrated these events came to be, we have to admire Rolex for becoming masters of self-promotion and capitalising on every opportunity with simultaneous worldwide marketing campaigns.

Of course, Rolex is now so ubiquitous it is almost its own kind of its currency. A Rolex is the watch you want on your wrist when you’re in a Third World country when revolution breaks out and there’s only one seat on the plane, – and there’s a guy standing there with a machine gun! You give him a Rolex and he’ll give you the seat!

Description

A very rare and highly attractive Rolex Oyster Perpetual Chronometer, 14ct Yellow Gold Bombé, from 1955. Of all the 1950s vintage Rolex Oyster Perpetual dress watches, the Bombé model is easily the most elegant. The wonderful Bombé sculptured lugs case, and early fluted bezel with the early dial is a simply beautiful combination and one which always delights us.

This Rolex model reference 6593 has the most beautifully elegant, early ’50s silver dial and original Dauphine hands, which pair perfectly with the early baton hour indices. In terms of purity, beauty and elegance, the absence of a date function is preferred as this enables the dial to retain its perfect balance.

This by far one of the most attractive gentleman’s Rolex automatic dress watches of this period.

The Rolex Calibre 1030, 25 Jewel Chronometer grade movement is superbly accurate and reliable even by current standards. The movement has been overhauled and serviced and is in sparkling condition.

The Dial

This original dial is the forerunner of the most iconic Rolex designs and in essence, carries through to this day. Here, it looks stunning in silver against the gold case. The dial carries its original restored Rolex 1950s Dauphine hands and applied ‘Baton’ hour indices with, of course, the Rolex Coronet at the very top of the dial.

The outer second scale is divided into fifths giving the watch a slightly more technical look.

The dial is signed ‘Rolex Oyster Perpetual’, Officially Certified Chronometer with ‘Swiss’ at the very bottom of the dial.

The lens has been replaced with a new original, as part of the restoration.

This is the original Rolex dial which has been restored to the very highest standards by the best dial restorers in the UK. Please take a close look at the beauty of the dial and the quality of the restoration.

The Watch Movement

The original, high grade officially certified chronometer, 25 Jewel, Calibre 1030 ‘butterfly’ movement is highly regarded for being very accurate, reliable and strong. As can be seen in the photographs, it is in sparkling condition and it is working perfectly following a thorough overhaul and service by our vintage Rolex specialist watchmaker. This means the movement has been completely disassembled to each of its component parts, cleaned and inspected under high magnification and then rebuilt using only original Rolex parts where required, before testing and careful calibration. The watch has just been re-tested (as it will be prior to delivery) and is running to within +6 seconds per day, which is outstanding for a vintage watch of this age! The movement also has a 48 hour power reserve when fully wound.

These movements are strong, accurate and very reliable making the watch appropriate for regular everyday use. This particular movement is in top condition and with regular servicing every 2 to 3 years we would fully expect this watch to run very happily for many more decades to come! We are therefore pleased to offer a 12-month warranty on this watch movement* and servicing in the future. Signed ‘MONTRES ROLEX SA GENEVA’ and ‘TWENTY FIVE JEWELS’, ‘ADJUSTED to FIVE POSITIONS’, the movement carries the movement reference number 505107 and the calibre number 1030.

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

The Watch Case

Again, very special in having the most desirable Bombé sculptured lugs, also often referred to as ‘Bombay’ lugs. This removes the block angles of the Oyster case and replaces these with the much softer and more fluid lines of the Bombé dress watch design. Compared side by side with the usual Oyster case, this looks far more classy and once you know the difference, there is no going back!  This watch also carries the infinitely more subtle and charming early fluted bezel. The case measures just over 33mm wide, excluding the Rolex Oyster crown, and 40mm including the lugs.

These are rare watches, so if you see one and you like it, we recommend you grab it because they are highly sought after and prices are climbing!

After careful examination, this lightly used example only required some professional cleaning and very careful gentle hand-polishing to bring its solid 14ct yellow gold case back to showroom condition. The case is showing hardly any signs of wear and even with careful examination under high magnification, we struggled to find any scratches, dings, damage or signs of overpolishing. The screw-back case-back has a new rubber seal and this is also in “as new’ condition. It is high polished, of full thickness, and has never been engraved.

Inside the case-back, all is as expected and signed MONTRES ROLEX SA, GENEVA SWISS, PATENTED with the Rolex model number 6593, along with the correct twin hallmarks for Geneva and 14ct 0.585 gold. On the outside of the case, the model number 6593 is also found between the lugs at 12, while case serial number 75173 can be clearly seen between the lugs at ‘6’. This dates this watch to 1955.

At 33 mm in diameter, excluding the Rolex screwdown crown, this is a relatively large watch for the period.

Please note, although the waterproof seals have been replaced and this watch was originally specified as waterproof when new, this has not been tested and it is not guaranteed.

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

The Strap & Buckle

A new high quality crocodile strap has been fitted along with a Rolex gold plated buckle. 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, crocodile skin or lizard skin. We can also obtain most types and colours from our partners at ‘Watch Obsession’ within 48hrs. Please take a look at their huge range of 19mm straps.

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 1955.

Our 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 matching Rolex Oyster Inner and Outer presentation boxes shown in the photographs will be included with this watch.

In Conclusion

To summarise, this is an iconic, top quality, and highly practical vintage watch from horology’s most famous name. It will provide an excellent financial investment as well as be something to wear, treasure and enjoy! It will make the perfect evening wear dress watch as well as a practical, highly accurate and reliable timepiece to use on an everyday basis. Although this is one of our more expensive watches, its quality will be remembered for long after its purchase price will be forgotten.

Vintage gold Rolex Oyster Perpetual watches are highly collectable and the rarity of this watch means the value will always remain strong, meaning this watch will also make an excellent investment and family heirloom piece. Even though vintage Rolex prices have risen strongly in recent years, we feel high-quality fine examples such as this still remain undervalued. As each year goes by and the world market for vintage watches expands, availability will become more limited, so 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 them to the highest possible standards. We then offer these for sale 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 would 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 also welcome part exchanges and if you have a watch or small collection for sale, please contact us as we will be happy to discuss.

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

If you have any questions, we welcome your call at: 020 7727 7095 or if calling from overseas +44 207 727 7095.

We are ready and available and awaiting 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 vintage watches, we will also be happy to hear from you.

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