Rolex Precision ‘Coin Edge’ 9ct, 1961

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 and moved 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 Oyster Perpetual collection which included the 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 rare, fully restored gentleman’s 9ct vintage Rolex Precision ‘Coin Edge’ dress watch from 1961. Precisions with the 34mm coin edge case are highly sought after and the example here, also has a wonderfully attractive ivory cream dial, which makes this is a highly desirable watch, especially when found in such excellent condition.

The Dial

The classic 1960s ivory cream dial with gilt furnishings complements the 9ct yellow gold coin-edge case beautifully. This beautiful dial has a particularly attractive mix of gilt hour indices and numerals at 3, 6, 9 and 12.  These are matched with beautifully elegant ‘Lance hands’ and a blued steel seconds hand, all of which are original and restored and complete the dial perfectly.

Note the hands are original and restored and have been kept rather than replaced, to retain their originality and character. We use a very high definition camera and macro lens which picks up every detail, much more so than the naked eye. The camera images, therefore, can be a little unflattering, whereas in real life, any flaws you may notice on the hands are hard to see face to face. In fact if noticed at all, the effect is quite charming. However, if you would prefer to buy this watch with new correct set of replacement hands fitted, we will be pleased to arrange this free of charge.

The dial carries the gold Rolex Coronet and is signed ‘Rolex’ in the top half of the dial with ‘Precision’ below.

A new correct replacement lens has been fitted as part of the restoration.

This is the original dial which has been restored to the very highest standards by our dial restorers who are considered to be the best in the UK.

The Movement

The watch carries the original, high-grade Rolex Calibre 1210 Precision 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 +4 seconds per day, which is truly exceptional for any vintage watch of this age. The movement is all correctly signed ‘MONTRES ROLEX SA GENEVA’, ‘SWISS’, and ‘SEVENTEEN 17 JEWELS’, with the Calibre number 1210 and the Reference number 79895.

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 3-4 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 original 34mm, 9ct yellow gold watch case is of particularly high quality, having been made for Rolex by David Shackman & Sons, of Chesham, Bucks, UK. Shackman were very high-quality case-makers and one of three English case-makers used by Rolex, the others being Dennison & Co. of Birmingham and Britton & Sons, also of Birmingham. The case is of a three-piece construction with a press fit case-back which fits and clicks back with a very reassuring click.

The ‘Coin Edge’ case and 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 gentle polish to bring it back to its current, almost as new, condition.

The outside of the early rounded type case-back is nicely polished and is of full thickness, having never been engraved. The case measures 34mm in diameter, excluding the correct Rolex crown, therefore this is classed as a large-sized Precision by the standards of the day. Inside the case-back, the markings are all correct for a Rolex watch case made by Shackman and signed D.S.&S (David Shackman & Sons Ltd) along with the reference number 5420. The case-back also carries London UK 9ct hallmarks which date this watch to 1961.

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

The Strap and Buckle

The strap fitted is a new, high quality black Lizard leather strap with a Rolex gold plated buckle. 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 and in plain padded leather, or crocodile skin or lizard skin.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 of strap from our partners at ‘Watch Obsession’ within 48hrs. Please take a look at their huge range of 17mm straps if you wish, here.

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 1961.

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 Rolex presentation box shown in the photographs will be included in the sale.

In Conclusion

This is a very rare and truly first class example of an early 1960s vintage Rolex Precision ‘Coin Edge’ which is ready to wear and completely practical for everyday use. If treated with care, this will make an excellent investment or heirloom piece. Even though vintage gold Rolex prices have risen markedly recently, we still feel good examples such as this are still undervalued and as each year goes by and the world market for vintage gold Rolex watches continues to expand, prices will continue to climb ever higher.

This is a highly collectable vintage gold watch from horology’s most famous name which will provide an excellent financial investment as well as be something to treasure and enjoy!

A word on our prices – We always try our hardest to acquire the very highest quality watches we can find, before then 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 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 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.

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

If you have any questions, please call us on 0207 727 7095 or if calling from overseas please dial +44 207 727 7095.

Please take a look at our other vintage gold watches.