Rolex Precision Ref.3745 18ct c1948 – One of the Earliest Rolex Precisions!

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

Here we have one of the earliest Rolex Precisions from circa 1948. A simply wonderful, fully restored 18ct vintage Rolex Precision gentleman’s dress watch which features an Off-White standard / Arabic numeral dial, with Black Index hands and a gilt centre seconds hand.

This is a very clean and well cared for example which has undergone some light and sympathetic restoration to bring it back to almost new condition once more.

The watch has an 18ct yellow gold, 33.5mm diameter case which is in tip-top condition. The case is large-sized by the standards of the period. However, given the modern trends for larger and larger watches, this watch would be the equivalent of a small sized gentleman’s watch today, or a largish ladies watch. It carries a high grade Rolex Cal. 700 Superbalance hand-wound movement which is in superb condition.

The Dial

This is, in our opinion, a most elegant dial, slightly Off-White with standard / Arabic numerals and unusual, but original restored thin Black Index hands which are in excellent condition. These, along with the dial, have been sympathetically restored, so as not to look too fresh.

The dial is signed with the Rolex Coronet and ‘Precision’.

This is the original dial, sympathetically restored to the highest standards, by the best dial restorers in the UK. The lens has been replaced by a new, original part.

The Movement

The watch carries its original high grade Rolex calibre 700 Superbalance Precision movement, which as can be seen is in immaculate condition. The movement has been completely disassembled by our vintage Rolex specialist watchmaker and then cleaned, inspected under high magnification and rebuilt using only original Rolex replacement parts where required. His work is amazing and following careful calibration and testing, this watch is running within +9 seconds per day. This is really excellent for any vintage watch of this age. The movement is signed ‘Rolex Precision’,  ‘Swiss Made’, ’17 Rubies’ ‘Superbalance’ with the Calibre number 700. These movements are strong, accurate and very reliable making this watch is perfectly suited for regular everyday use. This particular movement is in A1 condition and with regular servicing, say 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 applicable if the list price is paid.

The Case

The original solid 18ct yellow gold Swiss made case is in superb condition with no marks or scratches visible to the naked eye. This watch has been lovingly cared for and so the case has simply required careful inspection and cleaning by our vintage watch Case-Maker, along with a gentle polish to bring it back to its current as new condition. The outside of the case-back is high polished and has never been engraved.

The case measures 33.5mm in diameter, excluding the correct ‘nipple’ crown, and so this was classed as a medium to large sized Rolex Precision when new.

Inside the case-back, all the markings are correct for a Rolex Swiss made case, carrying the earlier and beautifully ornate Rolex Coronet Scroll signature and the Rolex reference 3745 with the case-back also carrying Swiss Geneva hallmarks. The case signature and model reference leads us to believe this watch was manufactured circa 1948.

The Strap and Buckle

A new Brown Alligator skin strap has been fitted, along with a matching gold plated Rolex 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 17mm straps if you wish here.

Box and Papers

Although there are no original papers with this watch, the reference numbers, markings, signatures and hallmarks are all correct and indicate the date of manufacture as circa 1948. Detailed particulars will be included with the receipt, along with 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”.

The matching inner and outer Rolex presentation box as shown in the photographs are included in the sale.

This is a first class example of an early vintage 18ct 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 and even though vintage gold Rolex prices have risen markedly recently, we still feel good examples such as this are still undervalued. As each year goes by and the world market for vintage gold Rolex watches continues to expand, prices will continue to climb ever higher.

To summarise, this is a highly collectable vintage watch from horology’s most famous name, which is ready to wear, use, treasure and enjoy, providing excellent reliability and a sound financial investment, as long-lasting as the watch itself!

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.

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% 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.

If you have any questions please call on our 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. If you have a watch or small collection for sale, please contact us as we will be happy to discuss.

We will also be happy to Service your watch, Repair your watch or Restore your watch, all at ‘sensible’ prices. Please see here.

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

Thank you.