Rolexopedia

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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 3353 Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback "Scalloped"}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 3353 Oyster Perpetual}}
{{#seo:
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex 3353 Bubbleback "Scalloped" — Oyster Watch Co. Signed, 1935 | Rolexopedia
|title=Rolex 3353 Oyster Perpetual — variants and auction records | Rolexopedia
|description=The Rolex 3353 is a tonneau-shaped Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback, circa 1935, with a pink dial and unusually elaborate hooded lugs. Sotheby's catalogued its documented example as "Scalloped"; the case itself is signed by Oyster Watch Co. rather than Rolex directly.
|description=Auction evidence for the Rolex 3353 Oyster Perpetual documents several case materials, dial layouts, seconds displays, and conflicting movement descriptions.
|keywords=Rolex, 3353, Bubbleback, Oyster Perpetual, vintage Rolex, Scalloped, Oyster Watch Co
|keywords=Rolex 3353, Oyster Perpetual 3353, Bubbleback, Cal. 520, hooded lugs
|image=Ref 3353 hero.webp
|image=Ref 3353 hero.webp
|image_alt=Rolex 3353 Bubbleback, Scalloped, pink dial, hooded lugs
|image_alt=Steel Rolex 3353 Oyster Perpetual with hooded lugs and salmon dial
|type=Article
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|og_type=article
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}}
}}


<small>[[Reference:bubbleback|Bubbleback]] -&gt; '''3353'''</small>
<small>[[Reference:bubbleback|Bubbleback]] → '''3353'''</small>


The 3353 is a tonneau-shaped Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback from around 1935, in stainless steel with a pink dial and fancy hooded lugs elaborate enough that Sotheby's catalogued its documented example under the name "Scalloped." The case itself is signed not by Rolex directly but by Oyster Watch Co. — the case-manufacturing name Rolex used on some of its earliest waterproof Oyster cases before consolidating everything under the Rolex signature alone.
<div class="rp-lead">
[[File:Ref 3353 hero.webp|thumb|center|640px|alt=Steel Rolex 3353 Oyster Perpetual with hooded lugs|Steel Rolex 3353 Oyster Perpetual with hooded lugs]]
</div>


<span id="core-facts"></span>
The 3353 is a small tonneau-shaped Oyster Perpetual with hooded lugs. Auction catalogues document steel, steel with pink gold, steel with yellow gold, and solid yellow-gold cases. They also show both subsidiary and centre seconds. The available catalogue record leaves the production span and any standard movement configuration unresolved.
 
[[File:Ref 3353 hero.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex 3353 Bubbleback, Scalloped, pink dial, hooded lugs|Rolex 3353 Bubbleback, "Scalloped," case signed Oyster Watch Co.]]


== Core facts ==
== Core facts ==
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|-
|-
| family
| family
| Oyster Perpetual (Bubbleback)
| Oyster Perpetual; grouped with Bubblebacks by collectors
|-
|-
| common name
| documented case materials
| "Bubbleback"; Sotheby's catalogued its documented example as "Scalloped"
| Stainless steel; steel and pink gold; steel and yellow gold; yellow gold
|-
|-
| production
| documented case shape
| documented example dated circa 1935
| Tonneau-shaped, with hooded lugs
|-
|-
| case
| documented diameter
| 29mm, tonneau-shaped, stainless steel, concave bezel, fancy hooded lugs, screw-down back and crown, case signed Oyster Watch Co.
| 28 mm in Sotheby's 2013 listing; 29 mm in Christie's 2015 and Antiquorum listings
|-
|-
| movement
| movement reports
| self-winding, caliber 520, 19 jewels
| Cal. 520, 19 jewels in two steel examples; other catalogues give 18-jewel, 8¾-ligne movements without a caliber number; Sotheby's assigned Cal. 8970 to a yellow-gold example
|-
|-
| dial (documented)
| documented seconds layouts
| pink, Arabic numerals, outer minute divisions, sunken subsidiary dial for constant seconds
| Subsidiary seconds and centre seconds
|-
|-
| documented examples
| production dates
| Christie's Geneva, 11 May 2015, sale 1407, lot 149, case no. 146'243
| Auction catalogues date individual watches from circa 1935 to 1942; these dates do not define the reference's production span
|}
|}


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


At circa 1935, the documented 3353 sits among the earliest Bubblebacks in the family, contemporary with the [[Reference:3130|3130]] and [[Reference:3133|3133]] generation but distinguished by its "Oyster Watch Co." case signature — a naming quirk from Rolex's early Oyster case production rather than a separate manufacturer. The "fancy hooded lugs" Christie's describes are unusually elaborate next to the plainer hooded-lug treatment on most Bubblebacks of the period, which is what earned the "Scalloped" catalogue name.
The 3353 belongs to the early Oyster Perpetual group collectors call Bubblebacks. Auction houses use several names for the hooded-lug shape, including “Scalloped” and “Rigid Hooded”; the terms describe the case form in those listings.


<span id="production-outline"></span>
== Production outline ==
== Production outline ==


The only documented 3353 is dated circa 1935, case no. 146'243, sold at Christie's Geneva on 11 May 2015 (sale 1407, lot 149) for CHF 12,500 against a CHF 10,000&ndash;20,000 estimate.
Auction catalogues date individual 3353s from circa 1935 to 1942. Those dates belong to the listed watches and do not set the reference’s production boundaries. Case 146'243 is the clearest warning: Antiquorum dated it to 1940, while Christie's later catalogue called it circa 1935 and identified the 2006 Antiquorum appearance. These are competing catalogue dates for the same watch.
 
The case-numbered examples also show that 3353 was not limited to the steel “Scalloped” configuration. Antiquorum records case 44'249 as steel and pink gold, made in 1939, and case 201'920 as steel and yellow gold, made in 1942. Sotheby's records a solid yellow-gold example circa 1940. These auction descriptions establish individual examples; they do not show how common each material was.


<span id="movement-notes"></span>
== Movement notes ==
== Movement notes ==


Caliber 520, automatic, 19 jewels.
Antiquorum and Christie's both describe steel case 146'243 with Cal. 520 and 19 jewels. Sotheby's gives the same caliber and jewel count for steel case 146'235. For the two-tone examples, Antiquorum reports an 18-jewel 8¾-ligne movement but does not name a caliber. Sotheby's calls the movement in its yellow-gold 3353 Cal. 8970; no separate source or movement photograph in the catalogue confirms that number. Keep that label attached to Sotheby's listing.
 
The catalogue descriptions also differ in seconds layout. Case 146'243 has subsidiary seconds, while Antiquorum describes centre seconds on the steel-and-yellow-gold case 201'920. The movement number for the latter is not stated.


<span id="dial-map"></span>
== Dial map ==
== Dial map ==


Pink dial with Arabic numerals and an outer minute-division track, and a sunken subsidiary dial for constant seconds rather than the flush sub-seconds layout more common across the range.
The catalogued dials vary in color and layout:
 
* Case 146'243 appears with a pink dial and printed Arabic numerals, minute divisions, and subsidiary seconds. Antiquorum called the same watch beige in 2006; Christie's called it pink in 2015.
* Sotheby's case 146'235 has a salmon dial with silvered Roman numerals at 12, 3, 6, and 9.
* Antiquorum case 44'249 has an off-white dial with applied pink-gold Arabic 12 and dart indexes, luminous dots, and subsidiary seconds.
* Antiquorum case 201'920 has a silver dial with luminous baton and Roman indexes, outer minute divisions, and centre seconds.
* Sotheby's yellow-gold example has a silver dial with Arabic and baton indexes and subsidiary seconds.
 
These catalogue entries show several dial layouts, though they do not make a complete dial catalogue. Color terms vary: Antiquorum calls case 146'243 beige, while Christie's calls the same dial pink.
 
[[File:Ref 3353 dial.webp|thumb|right|220px|alt=Rolex 3353 steel Oyster Perpetual, salmon dial with Roman numerals at 12, 3, 6 and 9|Sotheby's case 146'235, salmon dial and Roman numerals]]


<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown-notes"></span>
== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==
== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==


29mm tonneau-shaped stainless steel case, concave bezel, and the "fancy hooded lugs" that gave the documented example its "Scalloped" catalogue name. Screw-down case back and crown. The case is signed Oyster Watch Co. rather than carrying a direct Rolex case signature — a naming convention documented on some of Rolex's earliest waterproof Oyster production. Christie's lists an associated (non-original) stainless steel bracelet and Rolex deployant clasp sold with the watch, overall bracelet length approximately 175mm.
The catalogued examples measure 28 or 29 mm, depending on the listing. Christie's describes a concave bezel, screw back, and screw-down crown on case 146'243. Antiquorum describes that case's back as screwed down and its crown as screwed down. Several catalogues describe the lugs as hooded or scalloped.
 
Christie's and Antiquorum both state that case 146'243 is signed Oyster Watch Co., while the dial and movement are signed Rolex. That signature combination is documented on case 146'243. Each other case needs its own record before assigning a signature pattern.


== Related references ==
<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
File:Ref 3353 crown.webp|Case flank and crown, Sotheby's case 146'235
File:Ref 3353 caseback.webp|Caseback, Sotheby's case 146'235
</gallery>


* [[Reference:3064|Bubbleback 3064]] — same era, tonneau case
== Bracelets and packaging ==
* [[Reference:3130|Bubbleback 3130]] — contemporary generation
* [[Reference:3548|Bubbleback 3548]] — round "Empire" case style, same broader family


See also the [[Reference:oyster-perpetual|Oyster Perpetual family index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].
The auction descriptions record different sale-day accessories: a stainless-steel Oyster bracelet with case 146'243 at Antiquorum in 2006; an associated steel bracelet and Rolex deployant clasp with that same watch at Christie's in 2015; and a riveted expanding Oyster bracelet with case 44'249 at Antiquorum in 2008. The listings record the bracelets present at sale; original delivery and reference-wide fitment remain unverified.
 
Antiquorum's 2006 lot for case 146'243 included a box and detail leaflet. This documents what accompanied one watch at that sale; it does not identify a 3353-specific packaging set.


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


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
! Sale !! Lot !! Case no. !! Configuration !! Estimate !! Result
! Sale !! Lot !! Case no. !! Catalogued configuration !! Estimate !! Result
|-
|-
| Christie's, Geneva, 11 May 2015 || 149 || 146'243 || Stainless steel, tonneau-shaped, pink dial, fancy hooded lugs, case signed Oyster Watch Co., with associated bracelet and clasp || CHF 10,000&ndash;20,000 || CHF 12,500
| Antiquorum, Geneva, 14 May 2006 || 88 || 146'243 || Steel, beige Arabic subsidiary-seconds dial, Cal. 520, 19 jewels || CHF 10,000–15,000 || CHF 17,700
|-
| Christie's, Geneva, 11 May 2015 || 149 || 146'243 || Steel, pink Arabic subsidiary-seconds dial, Cal. 520, 19 jewels; catalogue identifies the 2006 Antiquorum appearance || CHF 10,000–20,000 || CHF 12,500
|-
| Antiquorum, Geneva, 16 March 2008 || 284 || 44'249 || Steel and pink gold; off-white applied-index dial, subsidiary seconds; 18-jewel 8¾-ligne movement, caliber not stated || CHF 11,000–13,000 || CHF 11,400
|-
| Antiquorum, Geneva, 11 November 2012 || 568 || 201'920 || Steel and yellow gold; silver baton/Roman dial, centre seconds; 18-jewel 8¾-ligne movement, caliber not stated || CHF 3,500–5,500 || not shown
|-
| Sotheby's, New York, 10 December 2013 || 271 || not stated || Yellow gold, silver Arabic/baton subsidiary-seconds dial; listed as Cal. 8970 || USD 6,000–8,000 || USD 9,375
|-
| Sotheby's, “100 Years of Oyster,” lot 203 || 203 || 146'235 || Steel, salmon dial with Roman 12/3/6/9, Cal. 520, 19 jewels || USD 7,000–14,000 || hidden on public listing
|}
|}


Only one 3353 has a located auction result; no second case number or dial variant has surfaced to compare it against.
Antiquorum records case 146'243 in 2006, and Christie's identifies the same watch in 2015. Sotheby's case 146'235 is a separate case-numbered example. The indexed auction record includes more 3353 sales than those shown here; this table selects records that document distinct case materials, dial layouts, and movement descriptions.
 
 
<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
File:Ref 3353 hero.webp|Steel Rolex 3353 Oyster Perpetual with hooded lugs
File:Ref 3353 dial.webp|Sotheby's case 146'235, salmon dial with Roman numerals
File:Ref 3353 caseback.webp|Caseback, Sotheby's case 146'235
File:Ref 3353 crown.webp|Case flank and crown, Sotheby's case 146'235
</gallery>


== Sources ==
== Sources ==


* [https://www.collectorsquare.com/en/watches/rolex/rolex-other-model/ref-rolex-3353/lpi "Rolex, A fine, rare and unusual stainless steel automatic wristwatch with pink dial and fancy hooded lugs", ref. 3353, Christie's Geneva, sale 1407, lot 149, 2015, via CollectorSquare Luxprice Index]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-108-88 Antiquorum, Rolex ref. 3353 case 146'243, lot 88, 14 May 2006]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/buy/d70866bc-767f-4953-be09-238c245e39ea/lots/bdbd04c0-1529-43fb-9c7d-f1bd8a74fd0c "Rolex, Reference 3353 Oyster Perpetual 'Scalloped'", Sotheby's]
* [https://www.christies.com/lot/rolex-a-fine-rare-and-unusual-stainless-5892958/ Christie's, Rolex ref. 3353 case 146'243, lot 149, 11 May 2015]
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-rolex-bubbleback-and-why-it-still-matters Anthony Traina, "The Rolex Bubbleback And Why It Still Matters", Hodinkee, 2024]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2026/important-watches/reference-3353-oyster-perpetual-a-stainless-steel Sotheby's, Rolex ref. 3353 case 146'235, lot 203]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-203-284 Antiquorum, Rolex ref. 3353 case 44'249, lot 284, 16 March 2008]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-267-568 Antiquorum, Rolex ref. 3353 case 201'920, lot 568, 11 November 2012]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2013/watches-n09055/lot.271.html Sotheby's, Rolex ref. 3353 yellow gold, lot 271, 10 December 2013]
* [https://www.collectorsquare.com/en/watches/rolex/rolex-other-model/ref-rolex-3353/lpi CollectorSquare LuxPrice Index, indexed auction records for reference 3353]
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-rolex-bubbleback-and-why-it-still-matters Anthony Traina, “The Rolex Bubbleback and Why It Still Matters,” Hodinkee, 2024]


[[Category:Bubbleback]]
[[Category:Bubbleback]]
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