Reference:3359 - Revision history

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

2026-09-05T01:21:20Z

site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:21, 5 September 2026
Line 15:		Line 15:
	[[File:Ref 3359 hero.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Rolex 3359 Oyster Viceroy 1944 black dial\|1944 SS+pink gold Viceroy, original black dial]]		[[File:Ref 3359 hero.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Rolex 3359 Oyster Viceroy 1944 black dial\|1944 SS+pink gold Viceroy, original black dial]]

	<small>[[Reference:oyster-perpetual\|Oyster Perpetual]] -> '''3359'''</small>		<small>[[Reference:oyster-perpetual\|Oyster Perpetual]] › '''3359'''</small>

	The 3359 is the Oyster Viceroy, a manual-wind Oyster from roughly 1934 to 1946. The watch is small, angular, and very period in shape, usually in two-tone steel and gold but also seen in full yellow or rose gold. The dial range is unusually wide for the era, which is one reason the reference stays interesting.		The 3359 is the Oyster Viceroy, a manual-wind Oyster from roughly 1934 to 1946. The watch is small, angular, and very period in shape, usually in two-tone steel and gold but also seen in full yellow or rose gold. The dial range is unusually wide for the era, which is one reason the reference stays interesting.
Line 22:		Line 22:
	== Core facts ==		== Core facts ==

	{\| class="wikitable"		{\| class="wikitable rp-facts"
	\|-		\|-
	! detail		! detail

Admin: site-wide: domain move BezelBase → Rolexopedia (rolexopedia.net)

2026-09-05T00:37:29Z

site-wide: domain move BezelBase → Rolexopedia (rolexopedia.net)

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:37, 5 September 2026
Line 1:		Line 1:
	{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 3359 Oyster Perpetual}}		{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 3359 Oyster Perpetual}}
	{{#seo:		{{#seo:
	\|title=Rolex Oyster Perpetual 3359 (1934–1946) — Production & Dial Guide \| ~~BezelBase~~		\|title=Rolex Oyster Perpetual 3359 (1934–1946) — Production & Dial Guide \| Rolexopedia
	\|description=The Rolex Oyster Viceroy 3359 — manual-wind tonneau-cased Oyster from approximately 1939 to 1947, signed "Viceroy" on the dial, with two-tone steel + pink gold bezel variants and applied luminous numerals.		\|description=The Rolex Oyster Viceroy 3359 — manual-wind tonneau-cased Oyster from approximately 1939 to 1947, signed "Viceroy" on the dial, with two-tone steel + pink gold bezel variants and applied luminous numerals.
	\|keywords=Rolex, 3359, Oyster, Viceroy, vintage, manual-wind, tonneau, two-tone, reference guide		\|keywords=Rolex, 3359, Oyster, Viceroy, vintage, manual-wind, tonneau, two-tone, reference guide

Admin: Add missing breadcrumb (metadata only, no reader-content change)

2026-08-23T14:19:06Z

Add missing breadcrumb (metadata only, no reader-content change)

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:19, 23 August 2026
Line 14:		Line 14:

	[[File:Ref 3359 hero.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Rolex 3359 Oyster Viceroy 1944 black dial\|1944 SS+pink gold Viceroy, original black dial]]		[[File:Ref 3359 hero.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Rolex 3359 Oyster Viceroy 1944 black dial\|1944 SS+pink gold Viceroy, original black dial]]

			<small>[[Reference:oyster-perpetual\|Oyster Perpetual]] -> '''3359'''</small>

	The 3359 is the Oyster Viceroy, a manual-wind Oyster from roughly 1934 to 1946. The watch is small, angular, and very period in shape, usually in two-tone steel and gold but also seen in full yellow or rose gold. The dial range is unusually wide for the era, which is one reason the reference stays interesting.		The 3359 is the Oyster Viceroy, a manual-wind Oyster from roughly 1934 to 1946. The watch is small, angular, and very period in shape, usually in two-tone steel and gold but also seen in full yellow or rose gold. The dial range is unusually wide for the era, which is one reason the reference stays interesting.

Admin: Add 3358 disambiguation paragraph — same Viceroy dial name, separate manual-wind reference, not a Bubbleback despite marketplace mislabeling

2026-08-23T14:18:48Z

Add 3358 disambiguation paragraph — same Viceroy dial name, separate manual-wind reference, not a Bubbleback despite marketplace mislabeling

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:18, 23 August 2026
Line 82:		Line 82:

	The closest siblings in the 3359's own family are the other 1930s–1940s manual Oysters: 2280 Royal, 3139 Army, 4220 Speedking, and the wider cohort of small-batch references catalogued in the Field Manual. The 3359 sits toward the dressier end of that group. Its engine-turned gold bezel and two-tone configuration are decorative features, not tool-watch features. It is a waterproof Oyster, with a screw-down crown and the three-piece Oyster case architecture, but it was sold as a dress watch to customers who wanted the Oyster patent's waterproofing in a thin, geometric, gold-accented package.		The closest siblings in the 3359's own family are the other 1930s–1940s manual Oysters: 2280 Royal, 3139 Army, 4220 Speedking, and the wider cohort of small-batch references catalogued in the Field Manual. The 3359 sits toward the dressier end of that group. Its engine-turned gold bezel and two-tone configuration are decorative features, not tool-watch features. It is a waterproof Oyster, with a screw-down crown and the three-piece Oyster case architecture, but it was sold as a dress watch to customers who wanted the Oyster patent's waterproofing in a thin, geometric, gold-accented package.

			The 3358 carries the same Viceroy dial name and is easy to mistake for a later run of the 3359 rather than a separate reference. It is not. Documented 3358 examples date from around 1940 into 1948–1950, picking up roughly where the 3359's own record ends around 1946, and the case shrinks slightly, to about 28–29 mm against the 3359's 29–29.5 mm. Construction and dress are otherwise close cousins: manual-wind, three-piece Oyster case, two-tone steel with a gold bezel and crown in both rose and yellow. Marketplace listings occasionally catalogue a 3358 as a "Bubble Back Viceroy," and the same Viceroy dial name does turn up on genuine automatic Bubblebacks such as the 3133 — but a Viceroy dial on an automatic reference is not evidence that the 3358 is one. Every documented 3358 example is hand-wound and flat-backed. Viceroy is a dial designation Rolex reused across its manual watches, not a model name tied to one caliber architecture or one reference number.

	<span id="the-tonneau-case"></span>		<span id="the-tonneau-case"></span>

Admin: Copy fix: avoid repeating "surfaced" in consecutive sentences

2026-08-08T18:06:59Z

Copy fix: avoid repeating "surfaced" in consecutive sentences

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:06, 8 August 2026
Line 137:		Line 137:
	== Auction and dealer record ==		== Auction and dealer record ==

	The 3359 has a modest but real auction record. Heritage sold a two-tone example in 2015, and that lot is still one of the most-cited references for the movement description. A 1943 watch ~~has surfaced carrying~~ unusual 1983 Rolex Service Center paperwork, which matters because provenance at this level is rare on a 1940s Rolex. Surfaced prices run from about USD 2,100 to USD 15,000, driven mostly by dial originality, condition, and paperwork.		The 3359 has a modest but real auction record. Heritage sold a two-tone example in 2015, and that lot is still one of the most-cited references for the movement description. One documented 1943 watch carries unusual 1983 Rolex Service Center paperwork, which matters because provenance at this level is rare on a 1940s Rolex. Surfaced prices run from about USD 2,100 to USD 15,000, driven mostly by dial originality, condition, and paperwork.

	The reference does not trade in the five-figure-plus territory routinely reached by Bubblebacks of the same period. Collectors approaching the 3359 tend to be specialists in early Oysters or in Art Deco dress watches rather than generalist vintage Rolex buyers, and the market reflects that.		The reference does not trade in the five-figure-plus territory routinely reached by Bubblebacks of the same period. Collectors approaching the 3359 tend to be specialists in early Oysters or in Art Deco dress watches rather than generalist vintage Rolex buyers, and the market reflects that.

Admin: Fix unclosed stale {{#seo:}} opener that rendered literally in front of the lede (live since rev 3464); the real SEO block at the top of the page is unaffected

2026-08-08T18:05:27Z

Fix unclosed stale {{#seo:}} opener that rendered literally in front of the lede (live since rev 3464); the real SEO block at the top of the page is unaffected

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:05, 8 August 2026
Line 15:		Line 15:
	[[File:Ref 3359 hero.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Rolex 3359 Oyster Viceroy 1944 black dial\|1944 SS+pink gold Viceroy, original black dial]]		[[File:Ref 3359 hero.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Rolex 3359 Oyster Viceroy 1944 black dial\|1944 SS+pink gold Viceroy, original black dial]]

	~~{{#seo:~~		The 3359 is the Oyster Viceroy, a manual-wind Oyster from roughly 1934 to 1946. The watch is small, angular, and very period in shape, usually in two-tone steel and gold but also seen in full yellow or rose gold. The dial range is unusually wide for the era, which is one reason the reference stays interesting.
	~~\|title=Rolex Oyster Viceroy 3359 — BezelBase~~
	~~\|description=~~The 3359 is the Oyster Viceroy, a manual-wind Oyster from roughly 1934 to 1946. The watch is small, angular, and very period in shape, usually in two-tone steel and gold but also seen in full yellow or rose gold. The dial range is unusually wide for the era, which is one reason the reference stays interesting.

	<span id="core-facts"></span>		<span id="core-facts"></span>

Admin: Fix unbalanced bold: possessive 's fused to italic book title parsed as bold-open; remove dealer name from body prose (CLAUDE.md hard rule 5)

2026-08-08T18:02:42Z

Fix unbalanced bold: possessive 's fused to italic book title parsed as bold-open; remove dealer name from body prose (CLAUDE.md hard rule 5)

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:02, 8 August 2026
Line 81:		Line 81:
	The 3359 is one of the angular, pre-Perpetual manual Oysters that occupied the lower-to-middle rungs of Rolex's mid-1930s catalog. By the time 3359 production began the Perpetual rotor was already established alongside it (the 1858, 3131, and 3372 Bubblebacks were in production), but manual-wind Oysters still had a clear commercial role. They were thinner, less mechanically ambitious, and they could be built into case shapes the rotor could not accommodate. The tonneau form of the 3359 is the clearest example: a Bubbleback caseback in a 29 mm tonneau case would not have worked, while a manual 10½-ligne caliber made it trivial.		The 3359 is one of the angular, pre-Perpetual manual Oysters that occupied the lower-to-middle rungs of Rolex's mid-1930s catalog. By the time 3359 production began the Perpetual rotor was already established alongside it (the 1858, 3131, and 3372 Bubblebacks were in production), but manual-wind Oysters still had a clear commercial role. They were thinner, less mechanically ambitious, and they could be built into case shapes the rotor could not accommodate. The tonneau form of the 3359 is the clearest example: a Bubbleback caseback in a 29 mm tonneau case would not have worked, while a manual 10½-ligne caliber made it trivial.

	The Viceroy name has its own short prehistory. ~~Before 1934~~ ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual''~~'s alternate-brand table~~ records Viceroy as a standalone Wilsdorf trench-watch label with RWC casebacks and Viceroy dials, produced roughly 1925–1935 separately from the Oyster line. When 3359 production began, Viceroy was absorbed into the Oyster catalog as a model designation. The earlier trench Viceroys and the Oyster Viceroy 3359 share a name and a Wilsdorf commercial genealogy, but they are not the same watch.		The Viceroy name has its own short prehistory. The alternate-brand table in Colin A. White's ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' (Morning Tundra) records Viceroy before 1934 as a standalone Wilsdorf trench-watch label with RWC casebacks and Viceroy dials, produced roughly 1925–1935 separately from the Oyster line. When 3359 production began, Viceroy was absorbed into the Oyster catalog as a model designation. The earlier trench Viceroys and the Oyster Viceroy 3359 share a name and a Wilsdorf commercial genealogy, but they are not the same watch.

	The closest siblings in the 3359's own family are the other 1930s–1940s manual Oysters: 2280 Royal, 3139 Army, 4220 Speedking, and the wider cohort of small-batch references catalogued in the Field Manual. The 3359 sits toward the dressier end of that group. Its engine-turned gold bezel and two-tone configuration are decorative features, not tool-watch features. It is a waterproof Oyster, with a screw-down crown and the three-piece Oyster case architecture, but it was sold as a dress watch to customers who wanted the Oyster patent's waterproofing in a thin, geometric, gold-accented package.		The closest siblings in the 3359's own family are the other 1930s–1940s manual Oysters: 2280 Royal, 3139 Army, 4220 Speedking, and the wider cohort of small-batch references catalogued in the Field Manual. The 3359 sits toward the dressier end of that group. Its engine-turned gold bezel and two-tone configuration are decorative features, not tool-watch features. It is a waterproof Oyster, with a screw-down crown and the three-piece Oyster case architecture, but it was sold as a dress watch to customers who wanted the Oyster patent's waterproofing in a thin, geometric, gold-accented package.
Line 139:		Line 139:
	== Auction and dealer record ==		== Auction and dealer record ==

	The 3359 has a modest but real auction record. Heritage sold a two-tone example in 2015, and that lot is still one of the most-cited references for the movement description. ~~Craft + Tailored documented a~~ 1943 watch ~~with~~ unusual 1983 Rolex Service Center paperwork, which matters because provenance at this level is rare on a 1940s Rolex. Surfaced prices run from about USD 2,100 to USD 15,000, driven mostly by dial originality, condition, and paperwork.		The 3359 has a modest but real auction record. Heritage sold a two-tone example in 2015, and that lot is still one of the most-cited references for the movement description. A 1943 watch has surfaced carrying unusual 1983 Rolex Service Center paperwork, which matters because provenance at this level is rare on a 1940s Rolex. Surfaced prices run from about USD 2,100 to USD 15,000, driven mostly by dial originality, condition, and paperwork.

	The reference does not trade in the five-figure-plus territory routinely reached by Bubblebacks of the same period. Collectors approaching the 3359 tend to be specialists in early Oysters or in Art Deco dress watches rather than generalist vintage Rolex buyers, and the market reflects that.		The reference does not trade in the five-figure-plus territory routinely reached by Bubblebacks of the same period. Collectors approaching the 3359 tend to be specialists in early Oysters or in Art Deco dress watches rather than generalist vintage Rolex buyers, and the market reflects that.

Admin: SEO: clickable title + og:image + timestamps

2026-08-04T00:20:26Z

SEO: clickable title + og:image + timestamps

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:20, 4 August 2026
Line 9:		Line 9:
	\|og_type=article		\|og_type=article
	\|published_time=2026-04-17T22:13:55Z		\|published_time=2026-04-17T22:13:55Z
	\|modified_time=2026-07-~~18T12~~:56:~~33Z~~		\|modified_time=2026-08-04T00:11:56Z
	\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large		\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
	}}		}}

Admin: SEO: clickable title + og:image + timestamps

2026-08-04T00:11:56Z

SEO: clickable title + og:image + timestamps

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:11, 4 August 2026
Line 1:		Line 1:
	{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 3359 Oyster Perpetual}}		{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 3359 Oyster Perpetual}}
	{{#seo:		{{#seo:
	\|title=Rolex Oyster Perpetual 3359 (1934–1946) — Production & Dial Guide \| BezelBase		\|title=Rolex Oyster Perpetual 3359 (1934–1946) — Production & Dial Guide \| BezelBase
	\|description=The Rolex Oyster Viceroy 3359 — manual-wind tonneau-cased Oyster from approximately 1939 to 1947, signed "Viceroy" on the dial, with two-tone steel + pink gold bezel variants and applied luminous numerals.		\|description=The Rolex Oyster Viceroy 3359 — manual-wind tonneau-cased Oyster from approximately 1939 to 1947, signed "Viceroy" on the dial, with two-tone steel + pink gold bezel variants and applied luminous numerals.
	\|keywords=Rolex, 3359, Oyster, Viceroy, vintage, manual-wind, tonneau, two-tone, reference guide		\|keywords=Rolex, 3359, Oyster, Viceroy, vintage, manual-wind, tonneau, two-tone, reference guide
Line 9:		Line 9:
	\|og_type=article		\|og_type=article
	\|published_time=2026-04-17T22:13:55Z		\|published_time=2026-04-17T22:13:55Z
	\|modified_time=2026-06-~~29T01~~:19:~~15Z~~		\|modified_time=2026-07-18T12:56:33Z
	\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large		\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
	}}		}}

Klaudiusz: Internal linking: related references + component links

2026-07-18T12:56:33Z

Internal linking: related references + component links

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:56, 18 July 2026
Line 155:		Line 155:

	A 3359 co-signed by Serpico y Laino carries a premium and, in condition, reads as one of the most desirable configurations of the reference. The co-signing should be consistent with Serpico y Laino's typographic conventions on documented Rolex dials of the period, not added as a dial-refinisher flourish.		A 3359 co-signed by Serpico y Laino carries a premium and, in condition, reads as one of the most desirable configurations of the reference. The co-signing should be consistent with Serpico y Laino's typographic conventions on documented Rolex dials of the period, not added as a dial-refinisher flourish.


			== Related references ==

			* [[Reference:3139\|Oyster Perpetual 3139]] — 1938–1947
			* [[Reference:5701\|Oyster Perpetual 5701]] — 1959–1988
			* [[Reference:2136\|Oyster Perpetual 2136]]
			* [[Reference:2574\|Oyster Perpetual 2574]]
			* [[Reference:4220\|Oyster Perpetual 4220]]

			See also the [[Reference:Movements\|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets\|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers\|serial numbers by year]].

	== Sources ==		== Sources ==