Ladies Rolex 18ct White Gold & Diamond c1948

Rolex

While the gents’ Rolex Precision was Rolex’ best selling watch throughout the 1940s -1960s, many will be surprised to learn there was also a ladies Precision sold during the same period. These made up around 10% of all the Rolex Precisions produced. Half of these were sold on leather straps and half on integral Rolex gold bracelets. These were expensive watches at the time because it was much more difficult to produce these much smaller movements to the same required levels of accuracy and reliability as the movements in the larger gents Rolex Precision watches.

Description

This spectacular diamond and 18ct white gold ladies cocktail watch carries a wonderful original, unrestored and untouched silver-white dial. The stunning 18ct white gold case carries wonderful diamond-studded lugs which when worn, follow the contour of the wrist, adding significantly to the sensation and drama of this wonderful timepiece. The watch is complete with an 18ct white gold bracelet with a two step ladder clasp.

The Dial

The original, unrestored and untouched silver-white dial with mixed applied white gilt ‘Stud’ and ‘Arrowhead’ hour indices, is, as can be seen in the close-up photographs, in beautiful condition. The dial is complete with its original ‘Alpha’ style hands which are also tip-top, especially considering the age of the watch.

The dial is crowned with the usual Rolex ‘Coronet’ at 12 and is simply signed ‘Rolex’.

This dial is original and unrestored and has been left untouched by our restoration team due to its superb condition. Usually, we restore the dials of the watches we sell, however, we decided, in this case, to leave it alone, due to its unusually good condition and to retain its originality and charm for those who prefer this. It also helps to contrast with almost all of the other watch dials you see on our website, which have been restored. The hands, likewise, have also been left in their original untouched condition.

Please note, studio lights, professional-grade digital cameras, and macro lenses can be very unkind to an unrestored vintage watch dial. Also, the dial here measures less than 1.25 inches across, so the image you’re seeing may be between 5 – 25 times larger than the watch itself. Therefore please keep in mind you are seeing many tiny flaws which cannot be seen or will be very hard to see with the naked eye, even under close examination. Suffice to say, on the wrist, in natural light, this dial looks much better and carries a great deal more charm than the photographs portray.

The Movement

The high grade, 17 Jewel hand-wound movement is in incredibly clean and sparkling condition and has just been fully overhauled and serviced by our expert vintage Rolex specialist watchmaker. The example here is running perfectly, having been calibrated to run consistently within plus or minus 9 seconds per day! This is truly outstanding for any mechanical watch and has been checked and confirmed on our electronic watch timegrapher.

The movement is signed Rolex, ‘Swiss’ and ’17 Rubies’ (Jewels). This particular movement is in beautiful condition and with regular servicing, say every 3 to 4 years, we would fully expect this watch to continue to run very happily for another 50+ years! We are therefore totally confident in offering this watch with our 12 months written warranty*.

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

The Case

Although this is not a large ‘statement’ piece, it is hugely impressive with the art-deco and imperial style of the period, exemplified by regal flying diamond-studded lugs. This beautiful case measures 15mm, excluding the correct unsigned crown. The stunning, diamond-studded case has beautiful hand-engraved sides and remains in tip-top condition. As one would expect, this is a high-quality case, which from all appearances seems to have been very well cared for since there are no signs of wear, over-polishing, dings, scratches or other damage, visible to the naked eye.

The case is correctly signed ‘Montres Rolex SA Geneva Swiss’ and carries 18ct hallmarks and the model reference number 8915.

This watch carries a press-fit case back which clicks onto the case with a very satisfying ‘pop’. This, along with the general condition of the case, leads us to believe this watch has led a charmed life and seen very little use.

Please note – as always, our standard advice applies: vintage watches should be kept clean and dry at all times.

The Bracelet

The original integral solid 18ct white gold Rolex bracelet is in immaculate condition, showing no signs of wear or damage, visible to the naked eye.

The Rolex signed clasp and lock, provide an adjustment of 0.5 centimetres either way, meaning the watch will be a perfect fit for a wrist size 16.5cm – 17.1cm. The bracelet can, however, be made smaller by our jeweller, by removing one or two links. While the links do not stretch, they are just flexible enough to hug the wrist beautifully with no gaps or unevenness in any of the links. The original Rolex signed clasp is superbly designed and also quite substantial, with a secure second catch which effectively locks the bracelet on the wrist. This means it is impossible for the clasp to become accidentally undone and for the watch to become loose on the wrist. Please call or message us to discuss if you have any queries about the bracelet or any other aspect of the watch.

Box and Papers

Although there are no original papers with this watch, the reference numbers, markings, signatures and hallmarks are all correct, dating this watch to c1948.

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 heart-shaped presentation box in the photographs is included in the sale of this watch.

Payment and Delivery

If you would like to pay by bank transfer, we will be pleased to assist you with this. 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 who happen to visit London 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 hand your watch directly to you there.

As with all our watches, this watch will be sold under our 14 days no-quibble sale or return policy.

This is a truly first class example of a vintage Roles which is ready to wear and completely practical for everyday use. If treated with care, it 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.

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.

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

We will also 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 020 7727 7095 or if calling from overseas on +44 207 727 7095.

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

Thank you.