Rolex Precision Cal.1225 9ct 1972

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

Here we have a quite special, Rolex Precision in a beautiful Shackman made 9ct gold case. The watch is a good size at 34mm in diameter, excluding the unsigned crown, with a wonderfully clean, elegant and perfectly balanced off-white dial. The dial is completely original, unrestored, untouched and remains in a beautiful condition.

As this watch was manufactured in 1972, as confirmed by the case serial number, this will make the perfect 50th birthday or anniversary present.

The Dial

This is the classic gold on off-white 1970s dial design which carries 1 – 11 Arabic numerals. The dial is signed ‘Rolex’ below the Rolex Coronet at ’12’ and ‘Precision’ with ‘Swiss’ at the very bottom. The dial is very clear and easy to read even in low light and beautifully elegant with its original unrestored gilt ‘Index’ hands and needle center seconds hand.

This is the original dial which is completely unrestored and untouched. It is only just starting to show signs of ageing, as can be seen in the accompanying photographs. However, we believe this adds a bit of charm and something quite special to this watch.

The Movement

The watch carries its original high grade Rolex Calibre 1225 Precision hand-wound movement which as can be seen, is in sparkling clean condition. The movement has been completely disassembled, cleaned, inspected and rebuilt using original Rolex parts, only where required, by our vintage Rolex specialist watchmaker. His work is superb and when finally tested and calibrated, the watch was running consistently at 11 seconds per day which is truly exceptional for any vintage watch of this age. When fully wound, this movement has a 58-hour power reserve.

The movement is all correctly signed ‘MONTRES ROLEX SA GENEVA’, ‘SWISS’, and ‘SEVENTEEN 17 JEWELS’, with the Calibre number 1225.

These movements are strong, accurate and very reliable, making the watch perfectly suited for regular everyday use. This particular movement is in A1 condition and with regular servicing every 2-3 years, we would fully expect this watch to run happily for many more decades to come! We are pleased to offer a 12-month warranty on this watch movement*.

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

The Case

The 9ct yellow gold watch case measures 34mm in diameter, excluding the Rolex signed crown. This is a typical sized watch for 1972, although the bezel on this wonderful watch is thin and therefore makes the watch look larger on the wrist. The case, the case-back and bezel are all in superb condition with no marks or scratches visible to the naked eye. 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.

Inside the case-back, the markings are all correct for a Rolex watch case made by one of its three UK case-makers and signed D.S.&S  (David Shackman & Sons Ltd) with 9ct hallmarks and the model reference 91050.

Please note – This watch was not specified as water-resistant when new. As ever, our standard advice applies: Vintage watches should be kept clean and dry at all times.

The Strap and Buckle

A new, high quality brown lizard strap has been fitted, along with a 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 straps 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 our full range of straps if you wish here.

Box and Papers

Although there are no original papers with this watch, the numbers and markings on the movement, case and case-back are all correct, dating this watch to 1972.

A detailed written description and receipt, with a 12 month warranty* and separate insurance valuation (for the replacement value in the event of loss) will be provided at the time of sale. We will also provide a Lifetime Authenticity Guarantee Certificate which states: If this watch proves to be anything less than totally authentic, or not as described, we will offer you a full refund, at any time.

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

In Conclusion

A first class example of a highly collectable and highly practical vintage watch from horology’s most famous name, which will provide an excellent financial investment as well as something to use, wear, treasure and enjoy! It will make an excellent evening wear dress watch as well as a practical highly accurate and reliable timepiece to use on an everyday basis.

Vintage gold Rolex Precision watches are highly collectable and the rarity of this watch means the value will always remain strong. This watch will make an excellent investment and family heirloom piece and even though vintage Rolex prices have risen markedly recently, we feel 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 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.  Paying by bank transfer for a 3% saving will not affect your 12 months warranty. 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.