Rolex
Founded in 1905 in England by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis as Wilsdorf & Davis, it 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 rather special, highly elegant, unrestored vintage Rolex Precision gentleman’s dress watch in 9ct gold from 1971. The most obvious notable feature is its rare ‘Sunburst’ dial of which we have seen very few examples previously. The dial, however, is an original unrestored dial in the classic style, with original gilt Index hands. At 33mm diameter, this is a good sized Rolex Precision for the period.
The Dial
Sunburst dial Rolex Precisions are rare. The Rolex Precision, along with the Rolex Oyster Perpetual are our best selling watches and yet this is only the third Rolex Precision with a Sunburst dial we have seen in the past 10 years. The example here is even rarer, as the dial is totally original and unrestored and yet it is in almost flawless condition. Typically a dial of this age will suffer from fading, staining, pitting, spotting and scratches, but to the naked eye, the dial here looks perfect. Only under high magnification can the faintest signs of spotting and light scratching be found. We have therefore concluded this dial is far too good to restore and so we have left it alone.
The appearance of the dial is amazing as the colour varies subtly as the ambient light changes, from a straw yellow to deep golden yellow.
It is a perfectly balanced dial with applied gilt batons and the Rolex ‘Coronet’ at 12. The batons are matched with the original ‘Index’ hands and a gilt centre seconds hand. The dial is signed ‘Rolex’ and ‘Precision’ with ‘Swiss’ at the very bottom, below the ‘6’.
The Movement
This is the original, high grade Rolex Calibre 1225, 17 Jewels movement, which as can be seen in the photographs, is in sparkling condition. The movement has been fully overhauled and serviced which means it has been completely disassembled, cleaned, inspected and rebuilt using original Rolex parts where required, by our vintage Rolex specialist watchmaker. When tested and calibrated, this watch was running to within +8 seconds per day, which is outstanding for any vintage watch of this age. This is also among four or five of the most accurate watches we have tested this year. When fully wound, this movement has a 58-hour power reserve. The movement is all correctly signed ‘MONTRES ROLEX SA’, ‘GENEVA SWISS’, and ‘17 Jewels’, with the Calibre number 1225 and the reference number 0735.
These movements are strong, accurate and very reliable, making the watch perfectly appropriate for regular everyday use. This particular movement is in top condition and with regular servicing every 3 years, we would fully expect this watch to run very happily for many more decades to come. We are therefore more than pleased to offer a 12 month warranty on this watch movement* and regular servicing in the future.
*Please note – our 12 months’ warranty is only applicable if the full list price is paid.
The Case
The 9ct yellow gold watch case measures 33mm in diameter, excluding the crown*, making this a typical sized watch for the period. It is of particularly high quality, having been made for Rolex by Shackman & Sons, Chesham, Bucks, UK. Shackman & Sons were one of three English case-makers used by Rolex, the others being Dennison & Sons and Britton & Sons, both of Birmingham UK. The case is of a very high quality two-piece construction with a press fit case-back which fits and clicks back with a reassuring click.
*Note – A Rolex signed crown has been fitted since this watch was photographed.
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.
The case-back is of full thickness and importantly, has never been engraved. 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 signed D.S.&S (David Shackman & Sons Ltd) along with the reference number 88780. The case-back also carries London UK 9ct hallmarks which date this watch to 1971.
As ever, our standard advice applies: Vintage watches should be kept clean and dry at all times.
The Strap & Buckle
A new high quality, Hirsch London Black Lizard strap has been fitted, along with a gold-plated Rolex buckle. We feel the 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, 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 1971.
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 presentation box shown in the photographs will be included with this watch.
In Conclusion
This is a rare and 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. 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.
Andrew M via feefo 
3rd December 2024 
JLC1891 
