Rolex Precision Cal.1200 9ct 1948

Rolex

Founded in 1905 in England by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis as Wilsdorf & Davis, the partnership 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.

Description

A very rare, gentleman’s 9ct vintage Rolex Precision dress watch with a wonderful, previously restored black dial. This watch is of a very clean, simple and classic design and typical of the 1940s. It contains the original Rolex calibre 1200 movement which is highly reliable and accurate.

At 34mm diameter, excluding the original unsigned crown, this is a good-sized Rolex Precision for the period.

The case is in truly immaculate condition and the beautiful black dial has been previously restored to a very high standard. The movement has recently been fully overhauled and serviced.

Such examples are now becoming almost impossible to find, especially in the outstanding condition you see here. This is truly one of the finest examples of a vintage Rolex Precision that we have ever seen, and we have seen a great many.

The Dial

A particularly rare and highly impressive looking black military dial. Bold breguet style Arabic numerals are paired with the original, previously restored ‘lance’ hands which are in superb condition.

Black dials have become exceedingly popular over the past 15 years and look wonderful with yellow gold dial furnishings and cases. The minute track around the outer dial frames the dial beautifully.

The dial is also simply signed with ‘Rolex’ at the very top and ‘Swiss’ at the very bottom and also has the wonderful addition of a subsidiary seconds dial at the bottom by the 6. The lens has been replaced by a new, original Rolex part.

This is the original dial which has been previously restored to a very high standard and remains in a wonderful condition.

The Movement

The high grade Cal.1200 manual wind movement is incredibly clean and also in incredibly good condition. It has just been overhauled and serviced by our expert watchmaker and is running perfectly. These movements are very highly regarded for their accuracy and reliability and this movement has been calibrated to run arrow straight within +3 seconds per day! This is no exaggeration – we have checked the test results on our electronic watch timer. This movement also has a really excellent 58-hour power reserve when fully wound.

The movement is signed ‘Montres Rolex SA’, ‘Geneva Swiss’ and ’17 Jewels’ with the reference number N63695 and the calibre number 1200.

This particular movement is in superb condition and with regular servicing, say every 2-3 years, we would fully expect this watch to run quite happily for many more decades to come. We are therefore very confident in offering this watch with a 12-month written warranty*.

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

The Case

The 9ct gold Rolex case is in superb condition with minimal marks or scratches visible to the naked eye. It measures 34mm, excluding the unsigned crown which makes this a large sized gents watch for the 1940s.

The watch has been beautifully well cared for and so after a close inspection has simply required a careful clean and a gentle polish to bring it back to its current, almost as new condition. The case and case-back are all in superb condition with few marks or scratches visible to the naked eye, far less than would be expected on a gold watch from the 1940s. The bezel is very thin, almost invisible from the top profile, making the watch appear larger than it measures.

The case is of full-thickness and has never been inscribed and carries a large faint Rolex coronet. Inside the case-back, all the markings are correct for a Rolex Swiss made case of this period with a Rolex Geneva signature, Swiss Geneva 9ct hallmarks and the Rolex case reference number 75311. The case signature and case reference leads us to believe this watch was manufactured in 1948.

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

The Strap and Buckle

A new dark brown alligator strap has been fitted, along with a matching gold-plated Rolex 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, but 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 if you wish here.

Box and Papers

Although there are no original papers with this watch, the reference numbers, markings, signatures and hallmarks are all correct and indicate the date of manufacture as 1948.

Detailed particulars will be included with our purchase receipt for your interest and security. A separate insurance valuation for the replacement value of this watch will be provided at the time of sale along with our unique ‘Lifetime Authenticity Guarantee’ which states: “If this watch proves to be anything less than 100% genuine, authentic and original, a full refund will be given at any time”.

The Rolex presentation box shown in the photographs is included in the sale.

In Conclusion 

To summarise, this is a highly collectable vintage watch from horology’s most famous name, which is ready to wear, use, treasure and enjoy. This watch will also provide excellent reliability and a sound financial investment – as long-lasting in fact, as the watch itself!

A word on 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 at the fairest prices we can, taking into account our pre and post sales care and service. This approach means we will never be the cheapest, but nor will we be the most expensive. Indeed there are some well-known stores in West London which are highly 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 like to pay by UK cheque or by UK bank transfer we will be pleased to assist you with this and pass on a 3% saving to you. Similarly, if you wish to pay by International SWIFT or Bank Wire Transfer we will provide you with our BIC / Swift number and our IBAN number.

Please check the import duties and any taxes your government may apply, these are different for each country and unfortunately out of our control.

We understand there may be some ‘loopholes’ that may help you avoid these charges, however attempting to use these could impact our ongoing ability to serve our growing international customer base.

For those that happen to visit the UK on occasion we are of course more than happy to store your watch until we can meet you in our offices in Kensington, London, and your watch directly to you there.

If you have any questions please call on our Landline 0207 727 7095 or Mobile 07515 949250 or if calling from overseas, on Landline +44 207 727 7095 or Mobile +44 7515 949250.

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

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

Please take a look at our other fine vintage gold watches.

Thank you.