Rolex
It is not quite so well known that Rolex was actually founded in the UK in London in 1905 and it was not until 1919 that the company transferred its base of operations to Geneva, Switzerland. It is also a misconception that the world of luxury watches is a gentlemans one, as the first recorded wristwatch was actually designed for a lady. In June 1810, Abraham-Louis Breguet made a watch for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples. For many decades, women have proudly worn Rolex watches and have been integral to the brand’s success.
Description
Here we have a beautiful example of a previously restored, ivory-cream dial, ladies cocktail watch in 9ct pink gold from 1918. The watch has a superb condition case, very clean fully overhauled and serviced movement with mint condition dial. The original matching 9ct pink gold bracelet has been re-sprung and is suitable for a wide range of wrist sizes.
The Dial
The previously restored, standard Arabic numeral, ivory-cream dial is immaculate and in fact, the style is identical to many ladies Rolex watches we have sold over the years. The red ‘12’ is typical of the period and the minute dashes frame the dial beautifully. This is, all in all, a very clear and legible dial for such a small watch.
This dial is simply signed with ‘Rolex’ just below the 12 with ‘Swiss Made’ at the very bottom of the dial below 6.
This dial has been previously restored to a very high standard and remains in outstanding condition, as can be seen by the photographs.
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. This movement is a 15 Jewel, 9¾ Ligne, meaning this is the smaller-sized Rolex Rebburg movement. The movement is properly signed ‘Rolex’ and ‘Swiss Made’.
As part of the restoration of this watch, the movement has been overhauled and serviced by our vintage watch specialist watchmaker. This involves dismantling the watch to all its component parts and careful inspection under high magnification, then replacement where necessary with only original parts before careful reassembly and adjustment.
Please note – While Rolex watches of this period are reliable and accurate by the standards of their day, they do need to be treated with some care, so while perfectly suited for special occasions, we would not recommend this watch for everyday use.
The Case
The original, solid 9ct pink gold case measures 15mm in diameter, excluding the pink gold onion crown. This outstanding watch also has a beautiful diamond bezel which we believe completes this watch perfectly. Opening the hinged case-back reveals this is signed with ‘W&D’ Wilsdorf and Davies, along with the case number 504108 and UK 9ct hallmarks which date the watch to 1918.
The case is in superb condition, indicating the watch has only seen occasional careful use. Only under very close examination can some of the smallest marks be found, commensurate with the age of this piece.
As ever, our standard advice applies: Vintage watches should be kept clean and dry at all times.
The Bracelet
The watch is fitted with its original heavy 9ct pink gold expandable bracelet which has been fully dismantled and completely re-sprung. Please note – this bracelet will expand to a wide range of wrist sizes between 15cm – 16.5cm, or 6″ inches to 6.5″ inches i.e. a small to mid/large ladies size wrists.
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 1918.
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”.
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 that happen to visit the UK 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 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.
In Conclusion
A rare and functional pink gold ladies cocktail watch which will provide an excellent financial investment as well as be something of beauty to use, treasure and enjoy! It will make an excellent investment or family heirloom piece and even though vintage gold watch prices have continued to rise markedly in the past 2-3 years, we still feel fine examples such as this are still undervalued. As each year goes by and the world market for vintage gold watches continues to expand, prices are surely destined 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.
Andrew M via feefo 
3rd December 2024 
JLC1891 
