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.
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.
Description
A beautifully restored gentleman’s Rolex ‘Cushion’ watch from 1934 in 9ct pink gold. The case is in superb condition and measures 32mm x 32mm, or 38mm corner to corner. These watches were very popular during the 1930s and were a forerunner to the Rolex Precision. They are however becoming harder to find these days, particularly in such wonderful condition as this.
The Dial
The art deco two-tone dial is in wonderful condition as are the beautiful gothic blued steel Moon design hands. These are original and are an outstanding feature of this watch.
The dial carries attractive period standard Arabic numerals, framed by an outer minutes track. It is correctly signed ‘Rolex’ with ‘Swiss Made’ at the very bottom of the dial. There is also a wonderful looking subsidiary seconds dial at 6 o’clock.
This is the original dial which has been the subject of an earlier restoration, which has been carried out to a high standard.
The Case
The beautiful 9ct solid pink gold case is in superb condition, with no scratches or dings or marks visible to the naked eye. It is a large size, compared with typical cases of the day, and measures 38mm across the diagonal, 32mm in width excluding the crown, 32mm in height excluding the lugs, and 38mm including the lugs. The watch is a slim 9mm in depth.
The case-back is of full thickness and has never been inscribed. It is completely blemish-free with no scratches dings or other marks visible to the naked eye. Also of note is the watch case, which is crisp with clearly defined lugs.
Inside the case is signed ‘RWC Ltd’ for Rolex Watch Co Limited. It also carries UK 9ct hallmarks and the Rolex model reference 639.
As ever, our standard advice applies: vintage watches should be kept clean and dry at all times.
The Movement
The original movement here is referred to as a Rolex Rebberg movement and it was this movement which helped to establish Rolex and make the company famous. It was made by the Swiss Aegler company, with whom Rolex formed a partnership. Rebberg is a Swiss district where the factory that produced these movements was located. The movement is a 15 Jewel, 9¾ Ligne, meaning this is the smaller-sized Rolex Rebburg movement.
This movement is fully signed, with ‘Rolex, 15 Rubies, Swiss Made’ as seen on the winding wheels. The Rebberg was available in two grades, the best of these, as found here, has 15 jewels as opposed to the standard 7. As can be seen, the movement is in incredibly clean and unmolested condition indicating it has been very well looked after.
As part of the restoration of this watch, the movement has been overhauled and serviced by our vintage specialist watchmaker. This involves dismantling the watch to all its component parts, careful inspection under high magnification, replacement where necessary with only original parts before careful reassembly and adjustment.
Please note, Rolex watches of this period are reliable and accurate by the standards of their day. However, they do need to be treated with some care so while perfectly suited for occasional use, we would not recommend this watch for everyday wear.
*Please note our 12 months warranty is only applicable if the full list price is paid.
The Strap & Buckle
A new very high quality, matching brown padded calf leather strap is fitted along with a pink 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 straps.
The Box and Papers
Although there are no original papers with this watch, the numbers and markings are all correct, dating the watch to 1934.
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 watch will be supplied with the vintage Rolex presentation box shown in the photographs.
In Conclusion
This beautiful vintage 9ct gold Rolex Cushion is in superb restored condition 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.
These 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.
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 on: 020 7727 7095 or if calling from overseas on: +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.
Andrew M via feefo 
3rd December 2024 
JLC1891 
