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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 2764 Oyster Perpetual}}
{{#seo:
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex Oyster Perpetual "Super Precision" Bubbleback 2764 — BezelBase
|title=Rolex Oyster Perpetual 2764 Bubbleback reference guide | Rolexopedia
|description=The 2764 is a late-pre-war and early-post-war Bubbleback with three points of interest a collector keeps returning to. The dial sometimes carries the…
|description=Reference 2764 is a 31–32mm Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback found in late-1930s and 1940s examples, with 620-family movements, several dial texts, and retailer-signed variants.
|keywords=Rolex, 2764, Bubbleback, specifications, reference guide
|keywords=Rolex, 2764, Bubbleback, Oyster Perpetual, caliber 620, Super Precision
|image=Ref 2764 hero.webp
|image=Ref 2764 hero.webp
|image_alt=Rolex 2764 Super Precision Bubbleback 1940s
|image_alt=Rolex 2764 Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback
|type=article
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-04-17T22:14:03Z
|published_time=2026-04-17T22:14:03Z
|modified_time=2026-04-28T02:57:15Z
|modified_time=2026-09-22T00:00:00Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
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<small>[[Reference:bubbleback|Bubbleback]] -> '''2764'''</small>
<small>[[Reference:bubbleback|Bubbleback]] › '''2764'''</small>
[[File:Ref 2764 hero.webp|thumb|right|340px|alt=Rolex 2764 Super Precision Bubbleback 1940s|1940s Super Precision Bubbleback, cal. 620N]]


The 2764 is a late-pre-war and early-post-war Bubbleback with three things collectors keep coming back to: the Super Precision dial branch, the long-debated 620N movement suffix, and the retailer variants like Zell Bros and Birks.
<div class="rp-lead">
[[File:Ref 2764 hero.webp|thumb|center|640px|alt=Rolex 2764 Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback|Rolex 2764 Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback]]
</div>
 
Reference 2764 is a small Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback seen in late-1930s and 1940s examples. Published catalogues place examples around 1936–1941, while later Christie's records also catalogue a 2764 in the 1950s. That later entry may reflect a late example or a catalogue attribution that needs further checking; Rolex production ledgers for the reference are not public. Surviving watches use 620-family automatic movements and may have standard, Super Precision, or retailer-signed dials, so the movement and dial need to be checked on each watch.


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


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
|-
|-
! detail
! detail
Line 32: Line 36:
|-
|-
| production
| production
| c.1937–1948
| Published examples, circa 1936–1950s; endpoint and continuity remain unconfirmed
|-
|-
| case diameter
| case diameter
| 31–32mm (measurement method varies)
| About 30–32mm in published listings, depending on example and measuring method
|-
|-
| lug-to-lug
| lug-to-lug
| about 39mm
| About 39mm in auction listings
|-
| thickness
| about 13mm
|-
|-
| lug width
| lug width
| 19mm
| Published listings vary; measure the individual case
|-
|-
| case construction
| case construction
| two-piece Oyster (bezel + mid-case + screw-down caseback)
| Two-part/two-body Oyster case in the cited auction catalogues
|-
|-
| bezel
| bezel
| smooth, fixed, polished
| Smooth, fixed bezel on documented examples
|-
|-
| crystal
| crystal
| acrylic
| Acrylic or plastic on documented examples
|-
|-
| crown
| crown and back
| screw-down
| Screw-down crown and screw-down caseback
|-
|-
| movement
| movement
| Cal. 620N (9¾ ligne, 18,000 bph, 17j, Breguet overcoil)
| 620-family automatic, commonly recorded as 9¾′′′ and 17 or 19 jewels; some records use 620N
|-
|-
| power reserve
| power reserve
| 35–41 hours
| Published dealer figures range around 35–41 hours; verify the movement
|-
|-
| dial text
| dial text
| "SUPER PRECISION" / "Precision" / "Officially Certified Chronometer"
| Examples read “PRECISION,” “SUPER PRECISION,” or “Officially Certified Chronometer”
|-
|-
| retailer variants
| retailer signatures
| Zell Bros. (Portland, OR) "Turtle Perpetual"; Birks (Canada)
| Zell Bros. “Turtle Perpetual” is documented; Birks is reported in the source set but needs lot-level verification
|-
|-
| case materials
| case materials
| stainless steel (most common at auction), gold shell, gold-plated
| Stainless steel is documented; gold-shell and plated examples are reported and require case inspection
|}
|}


<span id="where-it-sits-in-the-line"></span>
<span id="where-it-sits-in-the-line"></span>
== Where it sits in the line ==
==Where it sits in the line==


[[File:Ref 2764 full.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Steel Bubbleback Phillips Geneva 2016|Steel Bubbleback, Phillips Geneva 2016 lot]]
The 2764 belongs to the roughly 30–32mm Bubbleback group that used Rolex’s early full-rotor automatic movements. The reference sits alongside other 620-family Oyster Perpetuals; its number alone does not establish a particular movement grade, dial, or case material. The surviving public record includes a circa-1936 California-dial example, a circa-1937 Zell Bros. watch, and a 1941 Phillips lot.
The 2764 is a mid-to-late-run member of the second-generation Bubbleback family, the generation that begins with the two-piece case transition of 1936 (refs 3131 and 3132) and continues through the post-war period until the flat-caseback architecture of Cal. 1030 arrives in 1950. The 2764's earliest documented case is Heritage's example numbered 107524; the Phillips Geneva Watch Auction THREE lot (case 107118) is dated 1941. The observed serial range, paired with the mature two-piece Oyster case and the 620-family movement, places production in a window roughly 1937 through 1948.


Within that window, the 2764 is a civilian dress Bubbleback in the 31–32mm size bracket, the default Oyster Perpetual case size before the 36mm Ovettone family (4467 and siblings) arrives in 1945 with the first Datejust. The 2764 is a conventional 32mm Bubbleback executed at the precision end of Rolex's mid-century range, without the date window, Jubilee bracelet, or Big Bubbleback case that define the Datejust.
[[File:Ref 2764 full.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Steel Rolex 2764 Bubbleback|Steel Rolex 2764 Bubbleback]]
 
The 2764 predates the 36mm Datejust and has no date window. Its 31–32mm case, domed back, and small seconds layout place it in the dress-watch side of the pre-Datejust Oyster Perpetual line. Case measurements in auction records range from about 30mm to 32mm; the difference can reflect the individual case and whether the measurement excludes the lugs.
The measurement variance (31mm on the Phillips and Heritage catalog listings, 32mm on most dealer descriptions) is the same caveat that attaches to every tonneau-cased Bubbleback of the period. Width across the case flanks reads smaller than width including the lug tips. The physical case does not change; the measurement method does.


<span id="the-super-precision-mark"></span>
<span id="the-super-precision-mark"></span>
== The "Super Precision" mark ==
==The “Super Precision” mark==
 
The most distinctive 2764 dials are the ones marked "SUPER PRECISION" below "Oyster Perpetual." That mark designates a chronometer-grade movement, a Cal. 620 adjusted in multiple positions and passed against the Swiss timing standards of the day, at the higher end of Rolex's internal precision hierarchy. The standard 620 is a 17-jewel automatic with standard adjustment; the "Super Precision" examples received closer timing work, and the additional dial mark reflected that.


Three dial text configurations appear on surviving 2764 examples. "SUPER PRECISION" is the chronometer-grade mark. "Precision" is the standard Oyster Perpetual designation, used on non-chronometer-graded movements. "Officially Certified Chronometer" appears on examples that received the formal Swiss chronometer certification (COSC's predecessor timing bureaus) rather than Rolex's internal "Super Precision" designation alone.
“SUPER PRECISION” is a period dial designation found on some 2764 examples. Auction and dealer descriptions associate it with adjusted or chronometer-oriented 620-family movements, but the dial text alone is not a surviving timing certificate. “PRECISION” and “Officially Certified Chronometer” also occur in the reference’s published record. Read the dial together with the movement, case, and any period papers rather than treating the wording as a complete grade history.


All three configurations are period-correct. The "SUPER PRECISION" mark is the one that draws collector attention, because it is the mark that signals the highest-adjustment movement behind the dial, and because the text itself is no longer in Rolex's vocabulary. By the 1950s the factory had consolidated on "Officially Certified Chronometer" as the standard dial-mark for chronometer-grade output. "Super Precision" falls away.
The phrase is useful for identifying a dial branch, not for ranking every 2764. A watch with the text may have had a movement replaced or serviced, and a watch without it may still be an original 620-family example. The movement marking and the dial’s construction should agree before the designation is treated as original to the watch.


<span id="the-cal.-620n-and-what-n-means"></span>
<span id="the-cal.-620n-and-what-n-means"></span>
== The Cal. 620N — and what "N" means ==
==The 620 family and the “N” suffix==
 
The 2764 is powered by Cal. 620N, a 9¾-ligne automatic in the 620 family. The physical specifications are documented: 26.4mm × 7.5mm, 18,000 vibrations per hour, 35 to 41 hours of power reserve, unidirectional 360-degree rotor in the Rolex Perpetual tradition, Rolex Super Balance, Breguet overcoil hairspring, nickel finish, sub-seconds register at 6 o'clock. Seventeen jewels in standard configuration.


The "N" suffix has been a source of confusion in forum commentary, which has occasionally read it as a technical grade indicator, a variant caliber number signalling chronometer adjustment or some other quality distinction. The parts-catalog evidence suggests otherwise. In the Esslinger parts listings and in the Caliber Corner reference documentation, "N" and "NA" appear as sizing codes for the 9¾L NA parts group, the dial-side measurement category used to index spare parts across the Aegler/Rolex parts catalog. The letter designates where on the parts chart a given caliber lives, not what timing grade it was built to.
The public examples reviewed identify the movement as a 9¾-line Rolex automatic from the 620 family. Phillips records its 1941 lot as a 9¾′′′ automatic with 17 jewels; Christie's catalogues other 2764 examples with 19 jewels. Dealer records often call a movement 620N and give figures such as 18,000 vibrations per hour and about 41 hours of reserve. Those records describe individual watches, not a specification that can be assigned to every 2764.


That distinction matters because it settles the old 620N debate. The N is best read as a cataloging suffix, not a separate movement grade. A 620N can still be a standard watch or a chronometer-grade Super Precision depending on the example.
Parts listings use “N” and “NA” alongside size and parts-group references for 9¾-line automatic calibres. That is evidence for a catalogue suffix, but the sources reviewed do not establish a single technical meaning for every movement marked 620N. Do not use the suffix by itself to prove a chronometer adjustment, a production date, or originality to the case.
 
The prevailing view among informed collectors is that the sizing-code interpretation is correct. Anyone reading "N" or "NA" on a Cal. 620 movement plate and concluding they have a technically-distinct caliber on their hands is reading the wrong story into the suffix.


<span id="case-and-construction"></span>
<span id="case-and-construction"></span>
== Case and construction ==
==Case and construction==
 
[[File:Ref 2764 caseback.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=2764 Bubbleback caseback|Bubbleback caseback bulge]]
The 2764 case is a two-piece Oyster. Smooth polished fixed bezel, mid-case with the Bubbleback's characteristic domed caseback screwed directly into it, with no separate movement-holder ring (that generation of construction ended in 1936). The screw-down crown maintains the Oyster's waterproof claim; the acrylic crystal rides above the dial.
 
Case dimensions cluster at 31mm in the Phillips and Heritage catalog measurements and 32mm in most dealer listings. Lug-to-lug runs about 39mm; thickness about 13mm; lug width 19mm. On the wrist the 2764 reads as a small-to-mid-size dress watch, smaller than a modern 36mm Oyster Perpetual, domed enough to sit high on the wrist in the Bubbleback tradition.
 
The caseback dome is the defining external feature of the Bubbleback profile, and on the 2764 it follows the mature second-generation Bubbleback template: enough curvature to house the 620-family rotor without forcing the case walls thicker, but not as exaggerated as on the earliest Cal. 520-era examples where the movement architecture drove the dome geometry hardest. By the 620 era the rotor mass had stabilized and the dome was a known quantity.


Lugs are standard (soldered to the case in the pre-war and early post-war Rolex convention), with 19mm spacing at the strap end. The crown is a period Rolex screw-down.
The cited Heritage and Christie's catalogues describe 2764 cases as two-body or two-part Oyster cases with a screw-down back. They list stainless examples around 31–32mm, acrylic or plastic crystals, and screw-down crowns. The caseback is domed to clear the automatic rotor, which gives the Bubbleback its characteristic profile.


<span id="case-materials"></span>
[[File:Ref 2764 caseback.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex 2764 Bubbleback caseback|Rolex 2764 Bubbleback caseback]]
=== Case materials ===
Case details vary between watches. Check the reference inside the caseback, the case serial, the crown, the lugs, and the movement before assigning a construction date. A generic “two-piece” label is not a substitute for inspecting the case, especially when the back or bezel has been replaced.


The 2764 was built in three case configurations. Stainless steel is the most common at auction and in surviving populations; the Phillips Geneva Watch Auction THREE lot (case 107118) is stainless steel. Gold shell (a layer of gold applied over a stainless steel base case, typically with a stainless caseback) accounts for the middle tier of surviving examples. Gold-plated (thin electroplated gold over base metal) examples also exist.
===Case materials===


No solid gold 2764 example is confirmed in auction archives or dealer surveys. That distinguishes the reference from the 4467, the contemporary 18K gold Big Bubbleback Datejust, and from solid-gold examples among other 31–32mm Bubbleback siblings. Claimed solid-gold 2764 watches warrant caseback weight documentation and hallmark photography before the claim can be taken at face value.
Stainless steel is documented in the Phillips, Heritage, and Christie's lots. Gold-shell and plated cases are reported in dealer and collector material, but the current auction sample does not establish how common they were. A claimed solid-gold 2764 needs hallmarks, caseback photographs, and weight evidence; the reference number alone is not enough.


<span id="dial-variants"></span>
<span id="dial-variants"></span>
== Dial variants ==
==Dial variants==
 
[[File:Ref 2764 dial-detail.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Super Precision dial sub-seconds register|Super Precision dial: sub-seconds register]]
The 2764 produces a wider dial variety than most single Bubbleback references of the period, partly because the production window ran over a decade and partly because the reference carried multiple retailer variants, each with its own dial configuration.


A two-tone champagne radium dial appears in the rarer surfaced examples documented through Antiquorum: champagne-toned center with a contrasting outer chapter ring, radium-lumed hour markers, typically paired with luminous baton or pencil hands. The warm champagne palette reads distinctly from the more common cream or off-white dials and is the configuration most closely associated with the Birks Canada retailer signature.
The published record includes plain silver or cream dials, two-tone silvered or champagne dials, California layouts, and retailer-signed examples. These are observed configurations, not a complete factory list.


A multi-tone off-white dial with copper or gold raised Arabic numerals is the configuration Phillips presented as Lot 126 in the Geneva Watch Auction THREE (May 2016). The dial is an off-white with tonal shifts across the surface, applied raised Arabic numerals at every hour position in copper or gold tone, a conventional seconds sub-register at 6 o'clock. The Phillips example, stainless steel with case 107118 dated 1941, sold for CHF 31,250 against an estimate of 15,000–25,000. This is the 2764's public-auction benchmark for a strong-condition example.
[[File:Ref 2764 dial-detail.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex 2764 dial with subsidiary seconds|Rolex 2764 dial with subsidiary seconds]]
A California-dial 2764 catalogued by Christie's (case 96429, circa 1936) has Arabic numerals on one half and Roman numerals on the other, with subsidiary seconds. Christie's describes a two-part case, domed crystal, screw-down back and crown, and a 19-jewel 9¾′′′ movement. That lot is useful evidence for the dial layout and case form, but one lot cannot define the whole reference.


The California-dial 2764, documented by Bachmann &amp; Scher, pairs Arabic numerals on the lower half with Roman numerals on the upper half, the "California" layout that Rolex used on a small number of dial configurations across the 1930s and 1940s, and that Wind Vintage and other specialist dealers have catalogued extensively on later Submariner and Explorer references. The 2764 California is one of the earlier appearances of the layout. Radium-lumed markers at the hour positions; blued steel or luminous baton hands depending on the example.
Phillips lot 126 in the 2016 Geneva Watch Auction records case 107118, movement 91'390, a 1941 date, stainless steel construction, and a multi-tone off-white dial with raised numerals. A later Christie's catalogue entry describes a steel-and-gilt 2764 from the 1950s; that listing extends the observed catalogue span but does not establish an uninterrupted production run. Its estimate and result are listed in the auction section below. The auction description does not establish a universal 2764 dial specification.


Silver or cream with luminous Arabic numerals is the "Turtle Perpetual" retailer variant. The Heritage Auctions example retailed through Zell Bros. of Portland, Oregon, carries a silver or cream dial with luminous Arabic numerals at every hour position and the retailer's "Turtle Perpetual" mark in addition to the Rolex text. This is the single best-known retailer variant of the reference and gives the 2764 a named place in the North American retailer-signature literature that collectors of the period track.
Heritage’s circa-1937 case 107524 carries a silver dial with luminous Arabic numerals and baton hands, signed “Turtle Perpetual, Zell Bros.” The retailer signature is a documented branch of the reference. A Birks-signed champagne dial is cited in the older source set, but no lot record was located in this pass, so that attribution remains a lead until the watch or catalogue entry is checked.


The baseline configuration is the standard cream or off-white dial. Applied or painted Arabic numerals, Rolex coronet and "Oyster Perpetual" line at 12 o'clock, "SUPER PRECISION" or "Precision" or "Officially Certified Chronometer" mark below 6 o'clock, sub-seconds register integrated into the dial. This is the configuration that appears most often in unsigned examples without retailer provenance.
Hands and lume vary with the dial. Compare their length, finish, and lume condition with the dial before calling a set original. A matching patina can support period fit, but it does not prove that the hands and dial left the factory together.
 
Hands across the dial variants fall into four recurring styles. Blued steel sword hands on the more austere dials; luminous baton hands on the radium-marked variants; pencil or stick hands with radium inserts on the standard configurations; cathedral hands on a smaller subset of examples, typically paired with the more formal dial layouts.


<span id="the-zell-bros-turtle-perpetual"></span>
<span id="the-zell-bros-turtle-perpetual"></span>
== The Zell Bros "Turtle Perpetual" ==
==The Zell Bros. “Turtle Perpetual”==


Zell Bros was a Portland, Oregon jewelry retailer that carried Rolex in the late 1930s and 1940s. Their "Turtle Perpetual" designation for a 2764 variant is a retailer-specific naming convention, a local dealer's marketing term for the Bubbleback's distinctive domed caseback rather than a Rolex factory designation. The "turtle" reference is to the caseback dome's resemblance to a turtle's shell. The name appears on Zell Bros-signed dials and sometimes also in accompanying retail paperwork.
Heritage documents a stainless 2764, circa 1937, case 107524, with a silver dial signed “Turtle Perpetual, Zell Bros.” and a two-body screw-back case. “Turtle Perpetual” is a retailer name, not a Rolex reference or factory model designation. The name refers to the rounded Bubbleback caseback.


Heritage Auctions has documented at least one Zell Bros "Turtle Perpetual" 2764 in their archives, and the reference is mentioned in collector forum discussions of North American Rolex retailer signatures from the period. The practice of regional retailers applying their own nicknames to Rolex models was common in the pre-war and early post-war years. Rolex distribution was less centralized, and retailers had more latitude to present watches under their own language. Zell Bros is one of the better-documented American examples.
That single auction record supports the existence of a Zell Bros.-signed branch. It does not establish how many were made, whether every Zell Bros. dial used the same layout, or whether a loose dial is original to a particular case. Check the dial printing, case, movement, and provenance together.
 
The Zell Bros 2764 dials are typically the silver or cream configuration with luminous Arabic numerals, paired with the retailer's signature alongside the Rolex text. An authentic Zell Bros "Turtle Perpetual" 2764 is a cross-category collectible: a Bubbleback for Rolex collectors, a retailer-signed vintage American watch for specialists in period dealer variants, and a 620-era dress watch with chronometer-grade possibilities behind it depending on the individual example's dial mark.


<span id="the-birks-canada-variants"></span>
<span id="the-birks-canada-variants"></span>
== The Birks Canada variants ==
==The Birks Canada variants==


Birks (Henry Birks &amp; Sons, the Canadian luxury retailer founded in Montreal in 1879) carried Rolex through the pre-war, wartime, and post-war decades. Birks-signed Bubblebacks exist across multiple references, and the 2764 is represented in their retail output by the two-tone champagne dial variants.
Birks-signed Rolex watches are reported in the current source set, and an older Antiquorum reference is associated with a two-tone champagne dial. The material reviewed here does not provide a lot number or a complete image record for a Birks 2764. Treat the retailer attribution as a lead until the signed dial and its catalogue or provenance are available.


A Birks 2764 typically carries the "Birks" signature below the Rolex coronet on the dial, paired with the standard Oyster Perpetual text and the "SUPER PRECISION" or "Precision" mark. The two-tone champagne dial configuration associated with Birks distribution reads as a dressier, warmer variant than the plainer cream dials; the champagne palette matches the gold shell case finish when the two are paired.
A retailer signature can date a sales channel or add provenance, but it does not by itself prove the movement, case material, or dial furniture are original to one watch. Apply the same inspection standard used for any signed vintage dial.
 
Birks-signed Rolex watches from this period trade in a specialist segment of the Canadian vintage market. An original Birks 2764 with its two-tone champagne dial is period-correct, desirable, and uncommon enough to warrant retailer-signature premiums at the North American end of the auction circuit.


<span id="auction-record"></span>
<span id="auction-record"></span>
== Auction record ==
==Auction record==


The 2764's public auction footprint is dominated by the Phillips Geneva Watch Auction THREE result, with supporting examples from Heritage, Antiquorum, and Bachmann &amp; Scher dealer listings.
The public sample is small. Phillips, Heritage, and Christie's provide lot-level records; dealer pages and collector references are useful for leads but should not be treated as a census.


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
Line 169: Line 147:
! Date
! Date
! Lot
! Lot
! Case No
! Case no.
! Material
! Material
! Dial
! Dial or movement note
! Result
! Result
|-
|-
| Phillips Geneva Watch Auction THREE
| Phillips, Geneva Watch Auction THREE
| May 2016
| May 2016
| 126
| 126
| 107118
| 107118
| Stainless steel
| Stainless steel
| Multi-tone off-white, raised gold Arabic
| Multi-tone off-white dial; 9¾′′′ automatic, 17 jewels
| '''CHF 31,250''' (est. 15,000–25,000)
| '''CHF 31,250''' (estimate CHF 15,000–25,000)
|-
|-
| Heritage Auctions
| Heritage Auctions, New York
| —
| October 2017
| —
| 54318
| 107524
| 107524
| Stainless steel
| Stainless steel
| Silver/cream with luminous Arabic, Zell Bros "Turtle Perpetual" signed
| Silver dial, luminous Arabic numerals, Zell Bros. “Turtle Perpetual”
| Earliest documented case
| Sold for $525
|-
|-
| Antiquorum
| Christie's
| —
| Circa 1936 lot record
| —
| 5091681
| —
| 96429
| —
| Stainless steel
| Two-tone champagne radium, Birks-signed
| California dial; 9¾′′′ movement, 19 jewels, two-part case
| Referenced in collector archives
| Sale record cited; verify catalogue terms
|-
|-
| Bachmann &amp; Scher
| Christie's
| —
| Circa 1941 lot record
| —
| 5158175
| —
| 108735
| —
| Stainless steel
| California (Arabic + Roman + radium)
| Two-tone silvered dial; 9¾′′′ movement, 19 jewels, two-part case
| Dealer listing, California-dial example
| Sale record cited; verify catalogue terms
|}
|}


The Phillips Geneva Watch Auction THREE Lot 126 result is the public benchmark. Case 107118, movement 91390, dated 1941, stainless steel, multi-tone off-white dial with raised copper or gold Arabic numerals, expandable bracelet of the period. Estimate CHF 15,000–25,000; sold CHF 31,250. The result sits meaningfully above the high estimate. The configuration (strong dial, clean case, period-correct hardware) drew committed bidding, and the case number places the watch near the middle of the 2764's production window.
Phillips records the 1941 lot at CHF 31,250 against a CHF 15,000–25,000 estimate. That is one result for one watch, not a price guide for the reference. Heritage’s listing identifies its case, dial, movement type, and two-body construction and reports a $525 result; the condition notes matter when comparing it with later sales.


The Heritage Zell Bros "Turtle Perpetual" example (case 107524) is the earliest documented 2764 serial. The retailer signature and nickname combination makes it a collector-category piece in the North American specialist market.
The Christie's entries broaden the observed case and movement sample. Their descriptions include a California dial, a two-tone silvered dial, and 19-jewel 9¾′′′ movements in two-part cases. The records support variant-level comparison, not a complete production or serial-number range.
 
The Antiquorum two-tone champagne radium examples and the Bachmann &amp; Scher California variant fill out the configuration space. No 2764 has exceeded the Phillips 2016 result in publicly-indexed sales.


<span id="case-number-observations"></span>
<span id="case-number-observations"></span>
=== Case number observations ===
===Case number observations===


Observed 2764 case numbers cluster in the 107000-range based on the two best-documented examples (107118 on the Phillips lot, 107524 on the Heritage Zell Bros example). Given the ten-plus-year production window and the mid-century Rolex serial allocation pattern (serials shared across contemporary references), the 2764's own range likely extends substantially above and below this cluster. The small public-auction sample size constrains tighter mapping.
Published examples include case numbers 96'429, 107'007, 107'118, 107'524, and 108'735. They span circa-1936 to circa-1941 catalogue descriptions, but the sample is too small to map production or assign a date from the reference alone. Use the case serial, movement, dial, and documented provenance together.


<span id="collecting-considerations"></span>
<span id="collecting-considerations"></span>
== Collecting considerations ==
==Collecting considerations==
 
For an original 2764, check that the reference inside the caseback, the case serial, the movement family, and the dial construction make sense together. A 620-family movement is expected in the public examples, but the jewel count and exact marking vary between records.
 
Check the case for replaced backs, over-polishing, altered lugs, and later crowns. Check the dial for refinishing, relumed markers, moved printing, and retailer text that is not supported by a catalogue or provenance. A loose retailer-signed dial can be genuine and still be fitted to the wrong case.
 
Case material claims need their own evidence. Stainless examples are documented; gold-shell, plated, and claimed solid-gold watches should be assessed from the metal marks and case construction rather than from a listing title. Bracelet and clasp evidence dates those parts, not the watch head.


The 2764 occupies a specific Bubbleback slot: chronometer-grade dress watch with the "SUPER PRECISION" mark, the odd-suffix Cal. 620N behind the dial, and a cluster of retailer variants that are themselves collector categories.
The auction results above are isolated observations. They are not a reliable market range, and a single Phillips result should not be used to rank Zell Bros., Birks, California, or unsigned examples.


The desirability hierarchy is clear enough. Zell Bros "Turtle Perpetual" sits at the top, then the strongest benchmark auction examples, then the retailer-signed and California-dial rarities, then the more ordinary Precision and Officially Certified Chronometer watches.
==Related references==


Authentication on the 2764 is mostly about movement and dial making sense together. The movement should still be from the 620 family, and the dial text should fit one of the known period designations rather than a stripped or simplified refinish.
* [[Reference:3131|Bubbleback 3131]] (1936–1948)
* [[Reference:3065|Bubbleback 3065]] (1937–1950)
* [[Reference:3458|Bubbleback 3458]] (1934–1948)
* [[Reference:2940|Bubbleback 2940]] (1940–1949)
* [[Reference:3595|Bubbleback 3595]] (1941–1949)
* [[Reference:4467|Bubbleback 4467]] (1945–1949)


Case material should be stainless steel, gold shell, or gold-plated. Claimed solid-gold examples require hallmark photography and caseback weight documentation. Zell Bros ("Turtle Perpetual") and Birks retailer signatures are period-correct; unusual retailer marks warrant research against known North American and European archives, and added retailer text on a refinished dial is a standard flag. Radium markers should patinate together with radium-inserted hands. Mismatched lume color across dial and hands points to a replacement, and refinished dials with relumed markers reduce value meaningfully.
See also the [[Reference:bubbleback|Bubbleback family index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet and clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].


The Phillips 2016 result at CHF 31,250 is the current public-auction benchmark for a strong-configuration 2764. Clean stainless examples with "SUPER PRECISION" and period-correct hardware anchor roughly CHF 10,000–25,000 depending on condition and dial. Zell Bros and Birks retailer signatures push into the CHF 20,000–35,000+ range when paired with strong condition.
<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
Ref 2764 hero.webp|2764 Bubbleback
Ref 2764 full.webp|2764 full watch
Ref 2764 caseback.webp|2764 caseback
Ref 2764 dial-detail.webp|2764 dial detail
</gallery>


== Sources ==
== Sources ==
* [https://www.phillips.com/auctions/watches Phillips — 2764 lot126 2016]
* [https://www.phillips.com/auction/CH080116 Phillips, Geneva Watch Auction THREE, lot 126]
* [https://www.ha.com/ Heritage Auctions — 2764 turtle perpetual]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2026/important-watches/reference-2764-bubbleback-retailed-by-serpico-y Sotheby's, Reference 2764 Bubbleback, circa 1941, lot 202]
* [https://www.bachmann-scher.de/ Bachmann & Scher — 2764 california]
* [https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-a-steel-and-gilt-automatic-wristwatchrolex-model-1892055/ Christie's, steel-and-gilt Ref. 2764 catalogue entry, 1950s]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/ Antiquorum — 2764]
* [https://jewelry.ha.com/itm/timepieces/rolex-ref-2764-andquot-turtle-perpetualandquot-bubble-back-circa-1937/a/5309-54318.s Heritage Auctions, ref. 2764 Turtle Perpetual]
* [https://calibercorner.com/ Caliber Corner — src caliber corner 620]
* [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5091681 Christie's, ref. 2764 California dial]
* [https://www.watchuseek.com/ WatchUSeek — 2764]
* [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5158175 Christie's, ref. 2764, case 108735]
* ''vintage watch specialist 2764''
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/ Antiquorum catalogue index, 2764 lead]
* [https://calibercorner.com/ Caliber Corner, Rolex 620 family]
* [https://www.esslinger.com/ Esslinger parts catalogue, 9¾-line automatic parts]
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* [https://www.esslinger.com/ Esslinger parts catalog — parts listings]


[[Category:Bubbleback]]
[[Category:Bubbleback]]
[[Category:Working Draft]]

Latest revision as of 01:39, 29 September 2026


Bubbleback › 2764

Rolex 2764 Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback
Rolex 2764 Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback

Reference 2764 is a small Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback seen in late-1930s and 1940s examples. Published catalogues place examples around 1936–1941, while later Christie's records also catalogue a 2764 in the 1950s. That later entry may reflect a late example or a catalogue attribution that needs further checking; Rolex production ledgers for the reference are not public. Surviving watches use 620-family automatic movements and may have standard, Super Precision, or retailer-signed dials, so the movement and dial need to be checked on each watch.

Core facts

detail value
reference 2764
family Bubbleback
production Published examples, circa 1936–1950s; endpoint and continuity remain unconfirmed
case diameter About 30–32mm in published listings, depending on example and measuring method
lug-to-lug About 39mm in auction listings
lug width Published listings vary; measure the individual case
case construction Two-part/two-body Oyster case in the cited auction catalogues
bezel Smooth, fixed bezel on documented examples
crystal Acrylic or plastic on documented examples
crown and back Screw-down crown and screw-down caseback
movement 620-family automatic, commonly recorded as 9¾′′′ and 17 or 19 jewels; some records use 620N
power reserve Published dealer figures range around 35–41 hours; verify the movement
dial text Examples read “PRECISION,” “SUPER PRECISION,” or “Officially Certified Chronometer”
retailer signatures Zell Bros. “Turtle Perpetual” is documented; Birks is reported in the source set but needs lot-level verification
case materials Stainless steel is documented; gold-shell and plated examples are reported and require case inspection

Where it sits in the line

The 2764 belongs to the roughly 30–32mm Bubbleback group that used Rolex’s early full-rotor automatic movements. The reference sits alongside other 620-family Oyster Perpetuals; its number alone does not establish a particular movement grade, dial, or case material. The surviving public record includes a circa-1936 California-dial example, a circa-1937 Zell Bros. watch, and a 1941 Phillips lot.

Steel Rolex 2764 Bubbleback
Steel Rolex 2764 Bubbleback

The 2764 predates the 36mm Datejust and has no date window. Its 31–32mm case, domed back, and small seconds layout place it in the dress-watch side of the pre-Datejust Oyster Perpetual line. Case measurements in auction records range from about 30mm to 32mm; the difference can reflect the individual case and whether the measurement excludes the lugs.

The “Super Precision” mark

“SUPER PRECISION” is a period dial designation found on some 2764 examples. Auction and dealer descriptions associate it with adjusted or chronometer-oriented 620-family movements, but the dial text alone is not a surviving timing certificate. “PRECISION” and “Officially Certified Chronometer” also occur in the reference’s published record. Read the dial together with the movement, case, and any period papers rather than treating the wording as a complete grade history.

The phrase is useful for identifying a dial branch, not for ranking every 2764. A watch with the text may have had a movement replaced or serviced, and a watch without it may still be an original 620-family example. The movement marking and the dial’s construction should agree before the designation is treated as original to the watch.

The 620 family and the “N” suffix

The public examples reviewed identify the movement as a 9¾-line Rolex automatic from the 620 family. Phillips records its 1941 lot as a 9¾′′′ automatic with 17 jewels; Christie's catalogues other 2764 examples with 19 jewels. Dealer records often call a movement 620N and give figures such as 18,000 vibrations per hour and about 41 hours of reserve. Those records describe individual watches, not a specification that can be assigned to every 2764.

Parts listings use “N” and “NA” alongside size and parts-group references for 9¾-line automatic calibres. That is evidence for a catalogue suffix, but the sources reviewed do not establish a single technical meaning for every movement marked 620N. Do not use the suffix by itself to prove a chronometer adjustment, a production date, or originality to the case.

Case and construction

The cited Heritage and Christie's catalogues describe 2764 cases as two-body or two-part Oyster cases with a screw-down back. They list stainless examples around 31–32mm, acrylic or plastic crystals, and screw-down crowns. The caseback is domed to clear the automatic rotor, which gives the Bubbleback its characteristic profile.

Rolex 2764 Bubbleback caseback
Rolex 2764 Bubbleback caseback

Case details vary between watches. Check the reference inside the caseback, the case serial, the crown, the lugs, and the movement before assigning a construction date. A generic “two-piece” label is not a substitute for inspecting the case, especially when the back or bezel has been replaced.

Case materials

Stainless steel is documented in the Phillips, Heritage, and Christie's lots. Gold-shell and plated cases are reported in dealer and collector material, but the current auction sample does not establish how common they were. A claimed solid-gold 2764 needs hallmarks, caseback photographs, and weight evidence; the reference number alone is not enough.

Dial variants

The published record includes plain silver or cream dials, two-tone silvered or champagne dials, California layouts, and retailer-signed examples. These are observed configurations, not a complete factory list.

Rolex 2764 dial with subsidiary seconds
Rolex 2764 dial with subsidiary seconds

A California-dial 2764 catalogued by Christie's (case 96429, circa 1936) has Arabic numerals on one half and Roman numerals on the other, with subsidiary seconds. Christie's describes a two-part case, domed crystal, screw-down back and crown, and a 19-jewel 9¾′′′ movement. That lot is useful evidence for the dial layout and case form, but one lot cannot define the whole reference.

Phillips lot 126 in the 2016 Geneva Watch Auction records case 107118, movement 91'390, a 1941 date, stainless steel construction, and a multi-tone off-white dial with raised numerals. A later Christie's catalogue entry describes a steel-and-gilt 2764 from the 1950s; that listing extends the observed catalogue span but does not establish an uninterrupted production run. Its estimate and result are listed in the auction section below. The auction description does not establish a universal 2764 dial specification.

Heritage’s circa-1937 case 107524 carries a silver dial with luminous Arabic numerals and baton hands, signed “Turtle Perpetual, Zell Bros.” The retailer signature is a documented branch of the reference. A Birks-signed champagne dial is cited in the older source set, but no lot record was located in this pass, so that attribution remains a lead until the watch or catalogue entry is checked.

Hands and lume vary with the dial. Compare their length, finish, and lume condition with the dial before calling a set original. A matching patina can support period fit, but it does not prove that the hands and dial left the factory together.

The Zell Bros. “Turtle Perpetual”

Heritage documents a stainless 2764, circa 1937, case 107524, with a silver dial signed “Turtle Perpetual, Zell Bros.” and a two-body screw-back case. “Turtle Perpetual” is a retailer name, not a Rolex reference or factory model designation. The name refers to the rounded Bubbleback caseback.

That single auction record supports the existence of a Zell Bros.-signed branch. It does not establish how many were made, whether every Zell Bros. dial used the same layout, or whether a loose dial is original to a particular case. Check the dial printing, case, movement, and provenance together.

The Birks Canada variants

Birks-signed Rolex watches are reported in the current source set, and an older Antiquorum reference is associated with a two-tone champagne dial. The material reviewed here does not provide a lot number or a complete image record for a Birks 2764. Treat the retailer attribution as a lead until the signed dial and its catalogue or provenance are available.

A retailer signature can date a sales channel or add provenance, but it does not by itself prove the movement, case material, or dial furniture are original to one watch. Apply the same inspection standard used for any signed vintage dial.

Auction record

The public sample is small. Phillips, Heritage, and Christie's provide lot-level records; dealer pages and collector references are useful for leads but should not be treated as a census.

Venue Date Lot Case no. Material Dial or movement note Result
Phillips, Geneva Watch Auction THREE May 2016 126 107118 Stainless steel Multi-tone off-white dial; 9¾′′′ automatic, 17 jewels CHF 31,250 (estimate CHF 15,000–25,000)
Heritage Auctions, New York October 2017 54318 107524 Stainless steel Silver dial, luminous Arabic numerals, Zell Bros. “Turtle Perpetual” Sold for $525
Christie's Circa 1936 lot record 5091681 96429 Stainless steel California dial; 9¾′′′ movement, 19 jewels, two-part case Sale record cited; verify catalogue terms
Christie's Circa 1941 lot record 5158175 108735 Stainless steel Two-tone silvered dial; 9¾′′′ movement, 19 jewels, two-part case Sale record cited; verify catalogue terms

Phillips records the 1941 lot at CHF 31,250 against a CHF 15,000–25,000 estimate. That is one result for one watch, not a price guide for the reference. Heritage’s listing identifies its case, dial, movement type, and two-body construction and reports a $525 result; the condition notes matter when comparing it with later sales.

The Christie's entries broaden the observed case and movement sample. Their descriptions include a California dial, a two-tone silvered dial, and 19-jewel 9¾′′′ movements in two-part cases. The records support variant-level comparison, not a complete production or serial-number range.

Case number observations

Published examples include case numbers 96'429, 107'007, 107'118, 107'524, and 108'735. They span circa-1936 to circa-1941 catalogue descriptions, but the sample is too small to map production or assign a date from the reference alone. Use the case serial, movement, dial, and documented provenance together.

Collecting considerations

For an original 2764, check that the reference inside the caseback, the case serial, the movement family, and the dial construction make sense together. A 620-family movement is expected in the public examples, but the jewel count and exact marking vary between records.

Check the case for replaced backs, over-polishing, altered lugs, and later crowns. Check the dial for refinishing, relumed markers, moved printing, and retailer text that is not supported by a catalogue or provenance. A loose retailer-signed dial can be genuine and still be fitted to the wrong case.

Case material claims need their own evidence. Stainless examples are documented; gold-shell, plated, and claimed solid-gold watches should be assessed from the metal marks and case construction rather than from a listing title. Bracelet and clasp evidence dates those parts, not the watch head.

The auction results above are isolated observations. They are not a reliable market range, and a single Phillips result should not be used to rank Zell Bros., Birks, California, or unsigned examples.

Related references

See also the Bubbleback family index, movement reference, bracelet and clasp guide, and serial numbers by year.

  • 2764 Bubbleback
    2764 Bubbleback
  • 2764 full watch
    2764 full watch
  • 2764 caseback
    2764 caseback
  • 2764 dial detail
    2764 dial detail

Sources

Retrieved from "https://rolexopedia.net/index.php?title=Reference:2764&oldid=11095"