Rolex Precision Shock-Resisting 18ct 1951 – Original Dial

Rolex

Founded in 1905 in England by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis as Wilsdorf & Davis, the company 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.

Of course, Rolex is now so ubiquitous it is almost its own kind of its currency. A Rolex is the watch you want on your wrist when you’re in a Third World country when revolution breaks out and there’s only one seat on the plane, – and there’s a guy standing there with a machine gun! You give him a Rolex and he’ll give you the seat!

Description

A simply wonderful early Rolex gentleman’s dress watch from 1951. A stunning watch in every regard with a beautiful, original unrestored dial, a superb movement and an exceptional Rolex Swiss made 18ct gold watch case.

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

The Dial

A very rare and totally original and unrestored silver-white dial in excellent condition considering the age of the watch.

Rolex has elected to use slim, black painted Arabic numerals to suit the classic 1950s, silver white dial and sub-dial, combined with a slim bezel. This classic early 1950s simplicity and elegance is hard to beat.

The original gilt ‘leaf’ hands are subtly curved, perfectly matching and enhancing the design. The subsidiary seconds dial at ‘6’ completes the ensemble of this perfectly balanced dial.

The dial is correctly signed and branded with the early Rolex Coronet, along with ‘Rolex’ and ‘Shock-Resisting’. The lens has been replaced by a new, correct original Rolex part.

As this dial is in original, unrestored condition, this 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, due to its unusually good condition, 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. However, if you particularly like this watch and you would prefer to have the dial restored, please contact us to enquire as this can be arranged at cost price.

The Movement

The watch carries its original high-grade Rolex Shock-Resisting Superbalance movement, which as can be seen, is in truly 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 now running within +7 seconds per day. This is a perfectly acceptable value for a watch of this age and the watch is undoubtedly wearable. The movement is signed ‘Rolex Precision’, ‘17 Rubis’, ‘Patented Superbalance’ and ‘Swiss Made’. These movements are strong, accurate and very reliable making this watch 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

18ct Rolex Precisions are particularly rare and significantly more valuable than the 9ct Precision models and this 18ct Rolex Swiss made case is in superb condition with very few marks or scratches visible to the naked eye. It measures 33mm, excluding the original crown which is a standard size for the 1950s.

The watch has been beautifully well cared for and so after a close inspection has simply required a careful clean and a gentle polish to bring it back to its current, almost as new condition. As can be seen, the case, case-back, and bezel are all in superb condition with very few marks or scratches visible to the naked eye. 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 is of full-thickness and has never been inscribed. Inside the case-back, all the markings are correct for a Rolex Swiss made case of this period. Inside the case-back carries the earlier and beautifully ornate Rolex Coronet Scroll signature and the Rolex case reference 995, along with the Rolex model reference number 3667. The case also carries Swiss Geneva 18ct hallmarks.

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, high quality Brown 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, crocodile skin or lizard skin.

The Box and Papers

Although there are no original papers with this watch, all the numbers and markings on the watch are correct, dating the watch to the 1951.

A detailed written receipt with 12 months’ warranty* and a separate insurance valuation for the replacement value 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 totally authentic, or not as described, Vintage Gold Watches of London will offer you a full refund at any time”.

A Rolex presentation box, as shown in the photographs, is included in the sale.

In Conclusion

This is a truly first class example of a highly collectable vintage Rolex Precision from horology’s most famous name which is ready to wear and completely practical for everyday use. If treated with care, this 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. 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: 0207 727 7095 or if calling from overseas on +44 207 727 7095.

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

Please take a look at our other vintage gold watches.