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 is a wonderful example of an early ladies Rolex white gold & diamond cocktail watch from c1928. This watch remains in superb condition, and it’s exceptional Rolex ‘Observatory Quality’ movement is performing reliably. It is perfect for the season of cocktails and dinner parties and special occasions.
The Dial
The oval railway track ‘1 – 12’ numeral ‘art-deco’ style dial is complemented by original ‘Breguet’ blued steel hands. The dial design and case complement each other beautifully and also make the time easy to read for such a small watch.
This is the original Rolex dial which has been restored to the very highest standards by the best dial restorers in the UK.
The Movement
The Rolex Calibre.250 ‘Observatory Quality’, 18 Jewel movement is of exceptional quality and is original to this watch. It is signed Rolex, ‘Observatory Quality’, 18 Jewels and ‘Swiss Made’. The watch movement has been fully overhauled and serviced by our watchmaker who reports it to be in excellent condition and we are therefore happy to offer this watch with our 12 months warranty*.
Note: This watch is perfectly suited for evening wear and special occasions, but not for everyday use. Watches of this age, even with this quality of movement may gain or lose up to 2 minutes per day due to their age. They will however, run for at least 24 hours and are wonderful to wear and own.
*Please note – our 12 months’ warranty is only applicable if the full list price is paid.
The Case
The stunning, diamond-studded 18ct white gold 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 all correctly signed ‘Rolex World’s Records Gold Medal’, ‘Geneva-Suisse’ and 18K. The case also carries the external Rolex model reference number 103 and the serial number 4501.
The case is 16mm wide excluding the crown, and 25mm in length. The total length of the watch including the lugs is 29mm. The watch is quite slim at 6.5mm, including the lens which stands slightly proud of the case. The case itself and hinge area in particular have been carefully inspected for any weaknesses and none were found. We can therefore guarantee the structural integrity of this watch case. 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.
As always, our standard advice applies: vintage watches should be kept clean and dry at all times.
The Bracelet
The watch is on a period, black silk type bracelet with a sliding locking clasp which makes the bracelet adjustable for any size of wrist. This watch would have originally been sold on a black silk bracelet as shown.
The Box and Papers
Although there is no original paperwork with this watch, the reference numbers, markings, signatures and hallmarks are all correct, dating the watch to circa 1928.
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”.
This watch comes complete with the jewellers presentation box, as shown in the photographs.
In Conclusion
We have here a beautiful, rare, usable and highly collectable vintage gold ladies cocktail watch, from horology’s most famous name which is something of beauty, to use, wear, treasure and enjoy!
This watch will also make an excellent investment and family heirloom piece. Even though vintage gold Rolex prices have continued to rise markedly in the past 2-3 years, we still feel fine examples such as this are undervalued. As each year goes by and the world market for vintage gold Rolex watches continues to expand, 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 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 very successful, charging between two to three times the price you see here. We therefore consider our prices to be very 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 UK bank transfer we will be pleased to assist you with this and pass on a 3% transaction saving to you. 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.
Please note, we also welcome part exchanges, along with outright purchases of similar watches for us to restore, service and list. We can also offer Watch Service, Watch Repair & Watch Restoration, please see here.
If you have any questions please call 020 7727 7095 or if calling from overseas on +44 2077277095.
We are here, ready, available and awaiting your call!
Finally, please enjoy some time spent viewing our other fine vintage gold watches.
Thank you.
Andrew M via feefo 
3rd December 2024 
JLC1891 
