Admin: Create researched Prince Imperial 1645 reference with inspected, attributed images

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Create researched Prince Imperial 1645 reference with inspected, attributed images

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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex Prince Imperial 1645}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex Prince Imperial 1645 — Dial Variants, Movements and Case Details | Rolexopedia
|description=Auction records for Rolex Prince Imperial reference 1645, with documented case materials, dial variants, shaped movements and conflicting date attributions.
|keywords=Rolex, Prince Imperial, 1645, pocket watch, Aegler, Ultra Prima, Observatory
|image=Ref 1645 hero.webp
|image_alt=Rolesium steel Rolex Prince Imperial 1645 with a silvered dial and separate seconds register
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}
<small>[[Reference:prince|Prince]] → '''1645'''</small>

<div class="rp-lead">
[[File:Ref 1645 hero.webp|thumb|center|640px|alt=Rolesium steel Prince Imperial 1645 with silvered Arabic dial, separate seconds and hinged bow|Sotheby's Rolesium steel Prince Imperial, circa 1945. Photo: Sotheby's, lot 331.]]
</div>

Reference 1645 is a hand-wound Prince Imperial pocket watch. Its irregular hexagonal case holds a large hours-and-minutes dial above a separate seconds dial. Auction catalogues describe steel, steel-and-gold, and solid-gold cases from around 1930 through the 1940s. The case has a snap-on back and a hinged bow.<ref name="stern">[https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-782244 Christie’s, reference 1645, J. Stern Johannesburg.]</ref><ref name="sothebys">[https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2023/important-watches-online/prince-imperial-reference-1645-a-rolesium-steel Sotheby’s, Geneva, 7 November 2023, lot 331.]</ref>

==Core facts==

{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
|-
! Detail
! Documented description
|-
| Family
| Prince; Prince Imperial pocket watch
|-
| Dating
| Individual watches dated around 1930–1945; Antiquorum gives a broader early-1940s–1950s span for the 1645; factory endpoints unconfirmed
|-
| Winding and display
| Manual winding; hours, minutes and subsidiary seconds
|-
| Movement
| Shaped movement, usually described as 17-jewel Ultra Prima or Observatory; catalogue measurements differ
|-
| Case
| Irregular hexagonal form; snap-on back; commonly catalogued around 41 × 37 mm
|-
| Metals
| Rolesium steel, steel/pink gold, 9K yellow gold, 14K pink gold and 18K yellow gold
|}

==Where it sits in the line==

Sotheby’s 2023 catalogue pairs case 1,003,765 with movement 1,000,823 and describes the silvered dial as Class A Observatory. Both numbers are legible in the lot photographs.<ref name="sothebys"/>

==Production outline==

Christie’s dates its J. Stern-signed steel watch to around 1930; Antiquorum dates the steel-and-pink-gold case 1,006,982 to around 1935–1940; Sotheby’s dates case 1,003,765 to around 1945.<ref name="stern"/><ref name="two-tone">[https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-1645-prince-imperial-lot-357-321 Antiquorum, Geneva, 8 December 2022, lot 321.]</ref><ref name="sothebys"/>

Antiquorum’s 2013 catalogue gives the model a broader early-1940s–1950s span but dates case 4,810 to around 1940. That case date falls before the span printed in the same catalogue; the other sales do not resolve the discrepancy.<ref name="black">[https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-1645-lot-278-105 Antiquorum, Geneva, 10 November 2013, lot 105.]</ref>

==Movement notes==

Auction catalogues describe the movements as Ultra Prima or Observatory. Most list 17 jewels, while movement measurements and adjustment wording vary:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Example
! Catalogue movement description
|-
| Case 1,003,800; Antiquorum 2006
| 14½-ligne Ultra Prima; 17 jewels; timed in six positions
|-
| Case 1,006,982; Antiquorum 2022
| 16½-ligne Ultra Prima; 17 jewels; timed in six positions
|-
| Case 1,008,594; Antiquorum 2019
| 17-ligne; “officially tested in eight ways”
|-
| Case 1,003,914; Antiquorum 2012
| 14½-ligne Observatory; 17 jewels; eight-position timing in the catalogue
|}

The 14½-, 16½- and 17-ligne measurements belong to separate watches. The catalogues do not connect them to a caliber change. Some describe six-position adjustment; Antiquorum describes another movement as “officially tested in eight ways.” Sotheby’s movement photograph shows number 1,000,823 and the inscriptions “ROLEX OBSERVATORY,” “OFFICIALLY TESTED IN EIGHT WAYS,” and “17 RUBIES.” The catalogue describes it as a Class A Observatory movement.<ref name="steel">[https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-113-16 Antiquorum, Hong Kong, 23 April 2006, lot 16.]</ref><ref name="two-tone"/><ref name="2019">[https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-1645-lot-320-31 Antiquorum, Hong Kong, 28 April 2019, lot 31.]</ref><ref name="boxed">[https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-266-70 Antiquorum, Hong Kong, 19 October 2012, lot 70.]</ref>

[[File:Ref 1645 movement.webp|thumb|right|240px|alt=Open Rolex Observatory movement numbered 1000823 and marked Officially Tested in Eight Ways, 17 Rubies|Sotheby's movement 1,000,823; the plate reads ROLEX OBSERVATORY, OFFICIALLY TESTED IN EIGHT WAYS and 17 RUBIES. Photo: Sotheby's, lot 331.]]

==Dial map==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Dial description
! Identified example
|-
| Silvered, quartered time and seconds registers, J. Stern Johannesburg signature
| Christie’s steel 1645, dated around 1930
|-
| Two-tone silver, black Arabic numerals, blued lozenge hands
| Antiquorum 2006, case 1,003,800
|-
| Silver two-tone
| Antiquorum 2022, steel/pink-gold case 1,006,982
|-
| Three-tone silver, baton markers and Arabic quarter hours, blued hands
| Antiquorum 2012, 18K case 1,003,914
|-
| Black, white baton markers and white hands
| Antiquorum 2013, 18K case 4,810
|-
| Pink, applied Roman numerals and baton markers, gold hands
| Antiquorum 1995, 14K pink-gold case 1,009,851
|}

<ref name="stern"/><ref name="steel"/><ref name="two-tone"/><ref name="boxed"/><ref name="black"/><ref name="royal">[https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-118-315 Antiquorum, Geneva, 22 April 1995, lot 315.]</ref>

Vintage Watch Co. lists a 9K yellow-gold 1645 with a black dial, gilt Arabic numerals and a mineral crystal, and dates it to the 1930s. The listing gives no provenance for the dial or crystal.<ref name="dealer">[https://vintagewatchco.com.au/rolex-prince-imperial-pocket-watch.html Vintage Watch Co., stock 144643.]</ref>

<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
File:Ref 1645 hero.webp|Rolesium steel case 1,003,765; silvered dial with Arabic numerals. Sotheby's, 2023, lot 331.
File:Ref 1645 black-dial.webp|18K yellow-gold case 4,810; black dial with white baton markers and hands. Antiquorum, 2013, lot 105.
</gallery>

==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown==

The shaped cases have snap-on backs. Antiquorum’s 2015 9K yellow-gold example measures 37.3 × 41 mm and 6.6 mm thick; its 2019 Rolesium example is listed at 43.8 × 37.3 mm. The catalogues omit measuring points, making direct comparison uncertain.<ref name="9k">[https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-1645-lot-292-96 Antiquorum, Hong Kong, 27 June 2015, lot 96.]</ref><ref name="2019"/>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Material
! Supporting example
|-
| Rolesium steel
| Sotheby’s 2023, case 1,003,765; Antiquorum 2006, case 1,003,800
|-
| Steel and pink gold
| Antiquorum 2022, case 1,006,982; gold described as probably 9K
|-
| 9K yellow gold
| Antiquorum 2015, lot 96
|-
| 14K pink gold
| Antiquorum 1995, case 1,009,851
|-
| 18K yellow gold
| Antiquorum 2012, case 1,003,914; Antiquorum 2013, case 4,810
|}

Antiquorum’s 2015 catalogue prints case number 10077599 for its 9K example. It is an eight-digit outlier beside the other auction-listed 1645 case numbers, and remains a catalogue transcription because the case stamp cannot be read in the published photograph.<ref name="9k"/>

Sotheby’s calls its steel watch Rolesium; its caseback is stamped “Rolesium Registered Inalterable.” Neither the catalogue nor the stamp identifies an alloy composition. Antiquorum describes the gold on its steel-and-pink-gold example as probably 9K.<ref name="sothebys"/><ref name="steel"/><ref name="two-tone"/><ref name="9k"/><ref name="royal"/><ref name="boxed"/><ref name="black"/>

[[File:Ref 1645 caseback.webp|thumb|right|240px|alt=Rolesium caseback stamped Rolex Prince Imperial, Registered Inalterable, case 1003765 and reference 1645|Sotheby's caseback shows the Rolesium inscription, case number 1,003,765 and reference 1645. Photo: Sotheby's, lot 331.]]

==Chains and packaging==

The Christie’s J. Stern example has a hinged suspension bow. Antiquorum’s 1995 sale records a white-and-pink-gold chain with the 14K pink-gold watch.<ref name="stern"/><ref name="royal"/>

Antiquorum described the fitted box accompanying case 1,003,914 in 2012 as original. Sotheby’s 2023 steel example was catalogued without a box, papers or accessories.<ref name="boxed"/><ref name="sothebys"/>

==Retailer signatures and names==

Christie’s identifies J. Stern, Johannesburg on the dial of its circa-1930 steel 1645.<ref name="stern"/>

Antiquorum called its 1995 pink-gold example “Prince Royal” while listing reference 1645. Its 2012 boxed-gold catalogue gives 1545 in the heading and 1645 in the description; the case number is 1,003,914.<ref name="royal"/><ref name="boxed"/>

==Auction record==

The results below are the auction houses’ displayed sold totals. Their catalogues do not state consistently whether fees are included.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Sale
! Lot
! Watch
! Displayed result
|-
| Antiquorum, Geneva, 22 April 1995
| 315
| 14K pink gold, case 1,009,851
| CHF 7,475
|-
| Antiquorum, Hong Kong, 23 April 2006
| 16
| Rolesium steel, case 1,003,800
| HKD 25,960
|-
| Antiquorum, Hong Kong, 19 October 2012
| 70
| 18K yellow gold, case 1,003,914, fitted box
| HKD 42,500
|-
| Antiquorum, Geneva, 10 November 2013
| 105
| 18K yellow gold, black dial, case 4,810
| CHF 13,750
|-
| Antiquorum, Hong Kong, 27 June 2015
| 96
| 9K yellow gold
| HKD 25,000
|-
| Antiquorum, Hong Kong, 28 April 2019
| 31
| Rolesium, case 1,008,594
| HKD 18,750
|-
| Antiquorum, Geneva, 8 December 2022
| 321
| Steel/pink gold, case 1,006,982
| Estimate CHF 4,000–8,000; result not displayed
|-
| Sotheby’s, Geneva, 7 November 2023
| 331
| Rolesium steel, case 1,003,765
| Estimate CHF 3,000–5,000; public result unavailable
|}

<ref name="royal"/><ref name="steel"/><ref name="boxed"/><ref name="black"/><ref name="9k"/><ref name="2019"/><ref name="two-tone"/><ref name="sothebys"/>

<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
File:Ref 1645 hero.webp|Silvered dial and hinged bow, case 1,003,765. Sotheby's, lot 331.
File:Ref 1645 movement.webp|Movement 1,000,823 with Observatory inscriptions. Sotheby's, lot 331.
File:Ref 1645 caseback.webp|Rolex Prince Imperial and Rolesium caseback markings. Sotheby's, lot 331.
File:Ref 1645 black-dial.webp|Black dial, white markers and 18K yellow-gold case. Antiquorum, lot 105.
</gallery>

== Sources ==

<references />

* [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-782244 Christie’s, "Christie's — Prince Imperial 1645, J. Stern Johannesburg, c. 1930", Christie’s]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2023/important-watches-online/prince-imperial-reference-1645-a-rolesium-steel Sotheby’s, "Sotheby's Geneva, 7 November 2023, lot 331 — Prince Imperial 1645", Sotheby’s, 2023-11-07]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-1645-prince-imperial-lot-357-321 Antiquorum, "Antiquorum Geneva, 8 December 2022, lot 321 — steel and pink-gold 1645", Antiquorum, 2022-12-08]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-1645-lot-278-105 Antiquorum, "Antiquorum Geneva, 10 November 2013, lot 105 — black-dial 18K 1645", Antiquorum, 2013-11-10]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-113-16 Antiquorum, "Antiquorum Hong Kong, 23 April 2006, lot 16 — Rolesium 1645", Antiquorum, 2006-04-23]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-118-315 Antiquorum, "Antiquorum Geneva, 22 April 1995, lot 315 — Prince Royal 1645", Antiquorum, 1995-04-22]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-266-70 Antiquorum, "Antiquorum Hong Kong, 19 October 2012, lot 70 — 18K 1645 with box", Antiquorum, 2012-10-19]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-1645-lot-292-96 Antiquorum, "Antiquorum Hong Kong, 27 June 2015, lot 96 — 9K 1645", Antiquorum, 2015-06-27]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-1645-lot-320-31 Antiquorum, "Antiquorum Hong Kong, 28 April 2019, lot 31 — Rolesium 1645", Antiquorum, 2019-04-28]
* [https://vintagewatchco.com.au/rolex-prince-imperial-pocket-watch.html Vintage Watch Co., "Vintage Watch Co., stock 144643 — black-dial 9K 1645", Vintage Watch Co.]

[[Category:Prince]]

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Reference:1645 - Revision history

Admin: Create researched Prince Imperial 1645 reference with inspected, attributed images