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.
Description
The Rolex Precision was first released in the late 1940s as a gentleman’s hand-wound dress watch and remained in production as such, until the 1970s. It was succeeded by the Rolex Cellini which remains in production to this day.
Here we have a quite special, Rolex Precision in a beautiful Rolex Swiss made 14ct gold case. The watch is a good size at 34mm in diameter, excluding the Rolex signed crown, with a wonderfully clean, elegant and perfectly balanced ivory-cream dial.
This watch has been previously restored to a very high standard. This includes the movement which is in tip-top condition and running accurately.
The Dial
The dial is in classic 1950s silver, with solid gold ‘baton’ hour indices and ‘index’ hands which complement the 14ct yellow gold case beautifully. The hour indices are something quite unusual, being especially wide which gives the watch something of a bold look.
The dial carries the gold Rolex Coronet and is simply signed ‘Rolex’ just below. This dial is beautifully simply and elegant, as we have tried to demonstrate in the images.
This is the original dial which has previously been restored to a very high standard and is in absolutely wonderful condition.
The Movement
The watch carries the original, high grade Rolex Calibre 1210 Precision movement which as can be seen, is in sparkling clean condition. The movement has been completely disassembled, cleaned, inspected and rebuilt using original Rolex parts, only where required, by our vintage Rolex specialist watchmaker. His work is superb and when final tested and calibrated, the watch was running consistently at +6 seconds per day which is truly exceptional for any vintage watch of this age. The movement is all correctly signed ‘MONTRES ROLEX SA GENEVA’, ‘SWISS’, and ‘SEVENTEEN 17 JEWELS’, with the calibre number 1210 and the reference number 66659.
These movements are strong, accurate and very reliable, making the watch perfectly suited for regular everyday use. This particular movement is in A1 condition and with regular servicing every 3-4 years, we would fully expect this watch to run happily for many more decades to come. We are therefore pleased to offer a 12-month warranty on this watch movement*.
*Please note – our 12 months’ warranty is only included if the list price is paid.
The Case
The two-piece Rolex swiss made 14ct yellow gold watch case is of a classic 1950s design, with very attractive lugs and a multi-faceted bezel. It is quite rare to find an 14ct Rolex Precision, particularly in the UK, as most were made in 9ct gold.
The case measures 34mm in diameter, excluding the correct Rolex crown and is in perfect condition. Even under high magnification, it is very hard to find any signs of wear, indicating this watch has seen very little use and has had a charmed life.
The case has been inspected, cleaned and lightly hand-polished to bring it back to the immaculate condition you see here, with no scratches, dimples or marks visible to the naked eye. The rounded case-back is of full-thickness and has never been inscribed. Inside the case-back, all is as expected and is correctly signed with the earlier Rolex scroll signature, the serial number 16494 and Swiss Geneva 14ct hallmarks.
This watch case has been previously restored to a very high standard and is in excellent condition for its age.
As ever, our standard advice applies: Vintage watches should be kept clean and dry at all times.
The Strap and Buckle
The strap fitted is a new, very high quality black alligator strap with a Rolex 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 and in plain padded leather, or crocodile skin or lizard skin.
The Box and Papers
Although there are no original papers with this watch, the reference numbers, markings and signatures are all correct, dating the watch to 1952.
Our detailed ‘Particulars’ document will be included in the sale, along with our detailed receipt and our 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 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”.
A matching Rolex presentation box is included in the sale.
In Conclusion
This is a truly first class example of a 1952 vintage Rolex Precision 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 then 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.
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 bank transfer we will be pleased to assist you with this and pass on a 3% saving to you.
If you have any questions please call on Landline 0207 727 7095 or Mobile 07515 949250 or if calling from overseas on Landline +44 207 727 7095 or Mobile +44 7515 949250.
Please note, we also welcome part exchanges.
Please take a look at our other vintage gold watches.
Andrew M via feefo 
3rd December 2024 
JLC1891 
