Rolexopedia

Reference:1491: Difference between revisions

[checked revision][checked revision]
← Older edit
VisualWikitext
SEO: clickable title + og:image + timestamps
Remove standalone gallery heading; retain Prince image gallery
 
(18 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 1491}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 1491}}
{{#seo:
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex 1491 (1930–1945) — Production & Dial Guide | BezelBase
|title=Rolex Prince 1491 Jump Hour (c.1930–1945) | Rolexopedia
|description=The Rolex Prince Brancard Jumping Hour 1491 — Rolex's only catalogued rectangular wrist with a heures sautantes display. Digital hour aperture at twelve, minutes around the dial, sub-seconds at six. Aegler shaped movement (Cal. 350 T.S. / 7½′′′ Extra Prima Observatory) plus Aegler-built jump-hour module. Distinct deeper case than the 1490; HS suffix on factory casebacks (F2149HS, F220) on dressy white-gold and bicolor sub-runs. Production 1930–1945.
|description=The Rolex Prince 1491 is a Brancard jump-hour watch with a numbered hour aperture at 12, a minute track, and subsidiary seconds at 6. Auction records document steel, silver, 9K, and 18K examples, including HS-marked cases.
|keywords=Rolex, Prince, 1491, 1491HS, Brancard, Jumping Hour, Heures Sautantes, Aegler, Cal. 350 T.S., Ultra Prima, Bucherer, Beyer, vintage, Art Deco, doctor watch, reference guide
|keywords=Rolex, Prince, 1491, 1491HS, Brancard, Jumping Hour, Heures Sautantes, Aegler, Cal. 350 T.S., Ultra Prima, Bucherer, Beyer, vintage, Art Deco, doctor watch, reference guide
|image=Ref 1491 hero.webp
|image=Ref 1491 hero.webp
|image_alt=Rolex Prince 1491HS two-color 18K gold jumping hour
|image_alt=Rolex Prince 1491 jump-hour Brancard on the wrist, stainless steel, jump-hour aperture at twelve
|type=Article
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-04-28T14:47:26Z
|published_time=2026-04-28T14:47:26Z
|modified_time=2026-06-29T01:16:14Z
|modified_time=2026-08-04T00:08:52Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}
}}


<small>[[Reference:prince|Prince]] -> '''1491'''</small>
<small>[[Reference:prince|Prince]] › '''1491'''</small>


The 1491 is the Brancard Jumping Hour Prince — Rolex's only catalogued rectangular wrist with a heures sautantes display, produced from 1930 into the mid-1940s. The hours read through a digital aperture at twelve o'clock, the minutes track around the dial, and the sub-seconds register sits at six. The case is a flared Brancard form, visually similar to the 1490 but slightly thicker because the jump-hour module added depth to the standard Prince movement architecture. That dimensional difference is the single most reliable authentication anchor: a 1491 case is deeper than a 1490 case, and the deeper case carries a distinct case-number sequence, often stamped with an explicit "HS" suffix (Heures Sautantes) on the inside of the caseback. The complication earned the watch the "1491HS" designation in dressy white-gold and bicolor sub-runs, with factory case stamps like F2149HS and F220 confirming the suffix is applied at the case level, not just by auction-catalog convention. The watch was commercially short-lived. Readers found the jumping-hour layout difficult to interpret, the Depression and Rolex's own Oyster Perpetual marketing absorbed catalog momentum, and the manufacturing complexity discouraged sustained production. Surviving examples are scarce; collector reports place the surfaced population in the low hundreds, with public auction examples surfacing roughly once per decade for the rarest configurations.
<div class="rp-lead">
[[File:Ref 1491 hero.webp|thumb|center|640px|alt=Rolex Prince 1491 jump-hour Brancard on the wrist, stainless steel, jump-hour aperture at twelve|Stainless steel 1491, Bonhams London, 21 June 2023, auction 28033 lot 75, jump-hour aperture at twelve, sub-seconds at six]]
</div>
 
The 1491 is a Rolex Prince Brancard with a jumping-hour display. A numbered hour disc appears through an aperture at 12 o'clock, minutes are read on the surrounding track, and subsidiary seconds sit at 6. Auction catalogues show the reference in steel, silver, 9K gold, and 18K gold. Some dressier examples carry an HS mark on the caseback, but the meaning and use of that suffix should be checked against the individual case and its papers.


[[File:Ref 1491 hero.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex Prince 1491HS two-color 18K gold jumping hour|1491HS two-color 18K gold (Bonhams sale 29152 lot 6, c.1930) — jump-hour aperture at twelve, sub-seconds at six]]


==Core facts==
==Core facts==


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
|-
|-
! detail
! detail
Line 33: Line 36:
|-
|-
| production
| production
| 1930–1945 (earliest documented Glasgow imports 1930; latest documented original retail 1945, Bucherer invoice on Antiquorum 2008 lot 692)
| documented examples from c.1930 through the 1940s; surviving case and retail records do not establish a complete run
|-
|-
| case shape
| case shape
| flared Brancard "stretcher," like the 1490 but with greater case depth to fit the jump-hour module
| flared Brancard case, related to the 1490 and deeper on documented jump-hour examples
|-
|-
| case dimensions
| case dimensions
| approximately 22–24 mm × 34–35 mm body (Bonhams); approximately 25 × 42 mm with horns (Antiquorum). The dimensional split across catalog houses is consistent with measurement convention rather than two case sizes
| auction catalogues report approximately 22–24 mm × 34–35 mm for the body and approximately 25 × 42 mm including horns; measurement conventions differ
|-
|-
| case construction
| case construction
Line 57: Line 60:
|-
|-
| caseback marking
| caseback marking
| factory-stamped reference + serial; HS examples carry an "HS" suffix on the caseback (e.g. F2149HS, F220) but this suffix is often dropped on factory papers, accounting for catalog inconsistency
| factory reference and serial; some auction examples carry an HS suffix, including F2149HS and F220
|-
|-
| movement
| movement
| Aegler shaped, 7½′′′ (or 7′′′) base architecture with jumping-hour module mounted on the standard Prince base — the module is Aegler-built, not sourced from a complication specialist
| shaped Prince movement with a jumping-hour mechanism; catalogues identify examples as 350 T.S. or 7½′′′ Extra Prima
|-
|-
| caliber labels
| caliber labels
| "7½′′′ Extra Prima Observatory" (Antiquorum, multiple sales); "Cal. 350 T.S." (Phillips); "15j Observatory" (lower-grade variants). Same base movement, different grade tiers
| 350 T.S., 7½′′′ Extra Prima, and related Observatory descriptions appear in auction catalogues; labels and jewel counts vary by example
|-
|-
| jewels
| jewels
| 15 (gold-cased examples) / 17 (HS + steel/silver examples)
| 15 jewels on the Bonhams steel and gold examples; some catalogues report 17 or 18
|-
| beat rate
| 18,000 vph
|-
| power reserve
| approximately 50 hours
|-
|-
| escapement
| escapement
| lateral lever
| lateral lever
|-
| balance
| bimetallic, with Breguet overcoil hairspring
|-
|-
| adjustments
| adjustments
| 6 positions, Observatory-grade
| six-position adjustment appears on some catalogued examples; not established for every surviving watch
|-
|-
| dial layout
| dial layout
Line 87: Line 81:
|-
|-
| materials documented
| materials documented
| stainless steel, sterling silver, 9K yellow / white / bicolor, 18K yellow / white / bicolor; platinum is widely cited in editorial sources but is NOT corroborated in the auction record (the platinum claim likely cross-attributes from the 1490)
| stainless steel, sterling silver, 9K yellow / white / bicolor, 18K yellow / white / bicolor; platinum is not confirmed by the auction records cited here
|-
 
| price band (hammer)
| GBP 4,812 (9K yellow, Bonhams 2019) → GBP 6,247–12,160 (stainless, Bonhams) → CHF 10,000 (Christie's Geneva 2018) → USD 11,875 (Christie's NY 2020) → CHF 17,825–18,400 (Antiquorum HS 1997–2000) → EUR 27,028 (Artcurial 1932 bicolor) → CHF 34,500 (Antiquorum 1990 white+yellow HS) → CHF 44,000–50,000 estimate (Antiquorum 2008 white-gold HS pair). Dealer ask USD 44,445 (Chrono24) corroborates the high end
|}
|}


==Where it sits in the line==
== Where it sits in the line ==


The 1491 launched in 1930 as the complication-bearing companion to the standard 1490 Brancard. The two references share the flared Art-Deco rectangular case shape and the same Aegler shaped-movement family at the architectural base, but the 1491 carries a jumping-hour module mounted on top of the standard Prince movement. The module added enough mechanical thickness that the 1491 case had to be deepened to accommodate it. Rolex assigned the 1491 a separate case-number sequence rather than fitting the module into 1490-stamped cases, and on the dressier white-gold and bicolor sub-runs the casebacks were stamped with an explicit "HS" suffix (Heures Sautantes). The Watchprosite collector record summarises the architecture cleanly: the HS module is "slightly thicker than the regular Prince movement and thus had a special case number, and most had the letters HS in the reference number."
The 1491 belongs beside the standard 1490 Brancard, but the jump-hour display and deeper documented cases separate it from the ordinary two-dial Prince. Auction catalogues use both 1491 and 1491HS, with the HS suffix appearing on some casebacks rather than consistently in papers. The suffix should therefore be recorded as an observation on the case, not assumed from the reference alone.


The Brancard Prince family runs the 971, 1490, and 1491 in parallel through 1930–1945, with the 1862 and other Classic Princes alongside them on a different case shape. Where the 1490 dominated period Rolex advertising and the 971 carried the chronometer-grade marketing, the 1491 was a complication showcase — technically distinguished, rare in the catalog, and never marketed at the same volume. Two auction-record signals corroborate the short production: the 1491 surfaces in modern auctions at roughly the same depth as the platinum 971 (a configuration documented in single-digit examples), and the population proxy from Watchprosite places surviving 1491s in the low hundreds, with the dressier 1491HS configurations surfacing once per decade or less.
The 971, 1490, and 1491 are part of the Brancard Prince group. Other Prince references use different case shapes. A silver jump-hour watch sold by Phillips was catalogued as a 1490, while similar Antiquorum examples were catalogued as 1491HS. The disagreement is unresolved, so visual similarity alone is not enough to settle the reference.


A possible sibling reference deserves naming carefully. Robb Report identifies a ref. 1571 "Railway Prince" with the same jumping-hour complication in a different Prince case form; the attribution is not corroborated by other primary sources and should be treated as an open lead. Phillips's 2016 Beyer-signed silver jump-hour Prince is catalogued as ref. 1490, while Antiquorum's similar-layout examples are catalogued as 1491HS — Phillips and Antiquorum disagree on the reference number for visually identical configurations. The most defensible reading is that any Brancard Prince with the jumping-hour layout is a 1491 (with HS suffix on the dressier sub-runs), and the Phillips 1490 attribution is a catalog reading-from-paperwork-only ambiguity stemming from the HS-on-caseback-but-not-on-papers convention.
== The jumping-hour mechanism ==


==The jumping-hour mechanism==
[[File:Ref 1491 18k-glasgow-1930.webp|thumb|right|260px|alt=Rolex Prince 1491 18K Glasgow 1930|Rolex Prince 1491 18K yellow gold with a 1930 Glasgow import mark, showing the hour aperture at 12 and subsidiary seconds at 6]]


[[File:Ref 1491 18k-glasgow-1930.webp|thumb|right|260px|alt=Rolex Prince 1491 18K Glasgow 1930|1491 18K yellow gold, Glasgow Import mark 1930 (Bonhams sale 29152 lot 23) — front view shows the jump-hour aperture at twelve and the sub-seconds register at six]]
The mechanism adds an hour disc to the shaped Prince movement. The disc advances once per hour and is read through the aperture at 12. The surviving auction record identifies the base in different ways, including 350 T.S. and 7½′′′ Extra Prima. Those labels and jewel counts vary between lots, so this page does not collapse every catalogue description into a single universal specification.
The Aegler shaped-movement family that powered the standard Prince — Cal. 300, Cal. 350, Cal. 7½′′′ T.S. 300 — receives a jumping-hour module on the 1491. The module is Aegler-built rather than sourced from a complication specialist (Audemars Frères, Le Coultre, or one of the period jump-hour module makers like Hahn or Cortébert). It mounts on top of the standard Prince base movement and consists of an hour disc carrying the twelve hour numerals, an instantaneous-jump mechanism that advances the disc one position per hour at the moment the minute hand reaches twelve, and a small aperture cut into the dial at the twelve o'clock position through which one numeral at a time is visible.


The module added enough thickness to the standard movement that the 1491 case is deeper than the 1490 case. That dimensional difference is the canonical authentication tell. A Brancard claimed as a 1491 that has the same case depth as a 1490 is either a transplant (1490 case fitted with a later jumping-hour module) or a misidentified 1490 with a refinished aperture-style dial. The 1491 case is also distinguished by its case-number sequence: F-prefix factory stamps are documented on multiple HS examples (F2149HS at Antiquorum 2008 lot 692, F220 at Bonhams 2024), and the "HS" letters appear on the caseback even when the same letters are absent from accompanying factory papers.
The deeper case is a useful comparison with the 1490, but it is only one part of an authentication check. The movement, module, dial aperture, case number, hallmarks, and caseback should agree. F2149HS and F220 are documented on individual auction examples; they do not establish a complete HS numbering rule.


A service-untouched 1491 typically shows one of three documented failure modes. The jump impulse spring weakens with age and produces a "lazy" disc advance, the disc rotating partially rather than snapping cleanly to the next numeral. The disc retention pawl wears at the impulse face and produces hour-disc jitter under wrist movement. The dial aperture wears at its mounting points and the disc misaligns with the aperture window, showing fragments of two numerals simultaneously. A 1491 that "sets time but the hour disc disengages immediately" is symptomatic of broken impulse spring engagement: a known service intervention rather than a hidden fault.
Service condition matters. A jump-hour watch can show a disc that fails to advance cleanly or sits out of alignment, but the cited sources do not provide a reliable 1491 service manual or a reference-wide list of failure modes. Those symptoms should be assessed by a qualified vintage movement specialist.


The base movement runs at 18,000 vph with approximately 50 hours of power reserve, the same parameters as the standard Prince calibers. Adjustment is to 6 positions, Observatory-grade. Catalog descriptions vary across auction houses. Antiquorum and Christie's typically write "7½′′′ Extra Prima Observatory quality"; Phillips writes "Cal. 350 T.S. 15j"; some lower-grade examples carry "15-jewel Observatory." Collector consensus reads these as the same base architecture under three different grade-and-house labels. There is no separate caliber number for the jumping-hour module itself; the module is an addition to the standard Prince base rather than a distinct movement.
== Dial layout ==


==Dial layout==
[[File:Ref 1491 dial-layout-detail.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex Prince 1491 dial straight-on, showing the red digital hour aperture at twelve, minute numerals around the perimeter, and sub-seconds at six|Straight-on view of the three-zone layout: digital hour aperture at twelve (reading "4" in red), minute numerals around the perimeter, sub-seconds at six. Stainless steel example, Bonhams 2021.]]
The dial has three reading areas: the hour aperture at 12, the minute track around the perimeter, and subsidiary seconds at 6. The aperture can be square or rounded in surviving examples. A conventional analog reading is not possible because the hour is shown by a disc rather than a hand.


The 1491 dial reads in three zones rather than two. The hours appear in a small square or circular aperture at twelve o'clock, displaying one numeral at a time as the disc advances. The minutes track around the perimeter of the dial, marked at standard five-minute intervals or in finer detail depending on dial variant. The sub-seconds register sits at six o'clock, the same position as on the standard duo-dial Prince. The result is a dial that reads less intuitively than a conventional analog wrist. Three discrete zones must be combined to register the time, and the Watchprosite collector record describes the layout bluntly: "very difficult to actually tell the time."
Documented dial configurations include:


Documented dial configurations on surfaced 1491 examples:
* Silvered dial with painted Arabic minute track, hour aperture at twelve, sub-seconds at six. A configuration documented on 9K and 18K examples.
* Silvered dial with applied Breguet-style minute markers, hour aperture, sub-seconds. Also documented on dressier white-gold and bicolor examples.


* Silvered dial with painted Arabic minute track, hour aperture at twelve, sub-seconds at six. The most common configuration on 9K and 18K examples.
[[File:Ref 1491 gold jump-hour detail.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex Prince 1491HS two-color 18K gold jumping hour, Bonhams sale 29152 lot 6|1491HS two-color 18K gold (yellow + white), Bonhams sale 29152 lot 6, c.1930, jump-hour aperture at twelve, sub-seconds at six]]
* Silvered dial with applied Breguet-style minute markers, hour aperture, sub-seconds. Typical on dressier white-gold and bicolor examples.
* Two-tone sector dial with hour aperture and sub-seconds. Late 1930s Art-Deco geometric variants.
* Two-tone sector dial with hour aperture and sub-seconds. Late 1930s Art-Deco geometric variants.
* Bucherer-double-signed dial. Antiquorum 2008 lot 692, white-gold 1491HS with original 1945 Bucherer invoice. The only documented retailer-double on a 1491.
* Bucherer-double-signed dial. Antiquorum 2008 lot 692, white-gold 1491 with original 1945 Bucherer invoice. A documented retailer-signed example.
* Beyer Zurich-signed dial. Phillips 2016 lot 89, silver Brancard with jumping hour. Phillips catalogued as ref. 1490 but the layout matches Antiquorum's 1491HS examples; the attribution dispute is unresolved at the catalog level.
* Beyer Zurich-signed dial. Phillips 2016 lot 89, silver Brancard with jumping hour. Phillips catalogued as ref. 1490 but the layout matches Antiquorum's 1491HS examples; the attribution dispute is unresolved at the catalog level.


Hand styles are limited: the minute hand is typically blued steel pencil or sword form, and the sub-seconds hand is blued steel. The hour disc itself uses Arabic numerals on most surfaced examples, with Roman numerals on a small minority of dressy late-1930s configurations.
Blued pencil or sword minute hands and blued subsidiary-seconds hands appear in the cited lots. The hour disc is usually Arabic in the published examples; other numerals should be treated as individual-dial evidence.
 
==Authentication==
 
Authentication of a 1491 follows the Prince-family workflow with three reference-specific differences.


# Case depth versus the 1490. A genuine 1491 case is measurably thicker than a 1490 case because the jumping-hour module sits on top of the standard Prince base movement. A side-by-side caliper measurement against a known-correct 1490 is the cleanest check. A Brancard claimed as a 1491 with 1490-equivalent case depth is either a 1490 with a refinished aperture-style dial (no jump module installed) or a 1490 case fitted with a later jump-hour mechanism in service.
== Authentication ==


# Caseback HS suffix. Dressy white-gold and bicolor 1491HS examples carry "HS" on the inside of the caseback, sometimes with a factory case stamp (F2149HS at Antiquorum 2008, F220 at Bonhams 2024). The suffix is often dropped on accompanying factory papers, so a 1491 with HS-marked caseback but plain "1491" on the warranty card is consistent with factory practice rather than evidence of mismatched paperwork. A 1491HS-marked caseback on a thinner 1490-depth case is a transplant.
A 1491 identification should compare the whole watch rather than rely on one visual cue.


# Movement-to-module match. The jumping-hour module should be Aegler-built, recognizable from the integrated module-on-base architecture and the period-correct Aegler finish. A jump-hour module by Le Coultre, Hahn, Cortébert, or any other period maker under a Prince case is a transplant. The 1491 movement bridge should carry the standard Prince signing (Aegler or "Rolex Prince" depending on grade tier), with the module mounted to the rear of the bridge.
# **Case and module.** The deeper case seen on documented jump-hour examples is consistent with the added mechanism, but a measurement by itself cannot prove the reference.
# **Caseback and papers.** Record the reference, serial, HS suffix if present, and hallmarks separately. Auction catalogues show that HS can appear on a caseback while papers use a shorter reference.
# **Movement and dial.** The movement and jumping-hour mechanism should agree with the case and aperture. A later or unrelated module is a lead for further examination, not an automatic verdict.
# **Hallmarks and condition.** Glasgow or Edinburgh marks can date a case. Service work, refinishing, replacement dials, and replaced crowns must be separated from original delivery.


Three reference-broad checks also apply. The crown should be onion-form push-pull and signed Rolex; gold cases carry gold crowns. Glasgow / Edinburgh import hallmarks date the case to a single year. The surfaced 1491 record carries 1930 Glasgow imports, with Glasgow and continental hallmarks documented through the late 1930s. Caseback engravings should be factory-stamped; hand-engraved presentation marks (the 1932 caseback engraving on the Artcurial bicolor example) sit alongside factory stamping rather than replacing it.
The cited auction record is not sufficient to publish a universal case-number sequence, module-maker rule, or population estimate. Those claims require movement photographs and archival or service documentation for each example.


==The Datejust precedent claim==
== The Datejust precedent claim ==


A recurring claim in the Prince literature reads the 1491's hour aperture as the conceptual ancestor of the 1945 Datejust window. Jake Ehrlich (Rolex Magazine) and rolexencyclopedie.nl independently propose the lineage. The argument is structural: both designs cut a window into the dial, both display a single value at a time through the window, both rely on a disc that advances by mechanism rather than by hand. The connection is plausible but not corroborated by primary Rolex documentation. The Datejust window is conventionally credited to a separate development thread within Rolex's Perpetual research rather than to the Prince's jumping-hour module, and the lineage claim sits as editorial speculation across two sources rather than established fact.
Some Prince histories compare the 1491 hour aperture with the Datejust date window introduced later. Both use a disc behind an aperture, but the cited sources contain no Rolex document linking the two developments. The comparison is an editorial hypothesis, not an established design lineage.


==Auction record==
== Auction record ==


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
Line 163: Line 154:
| 2008
| 2008
| Antiquorum (lot 692)
| Antiquorum (lot 692)
| white-gold 1491HS Bucherer-retailed, 1945 invoice, F2149HS case stamp
| 9K white gold, Bucherer-retailed, 1945 invoice, case 1578
| est. CHF 44,000–50,000
|-
| 2008
| Antiquorum (lot 693)
| 18K white gold 1491HS, F2149HS case stamp
| est. CHF 44,000–50,000
| est. CHF 44,000–50,000
|-
|-
Line 171: Line 167:
| CHF 10,000
| CHF 10,000
|-
|-
| 2019
| 2019-05-21
| Bonhams
| Bonhams (lot 25395/66)
| 9K yellow, 1930
| 9K yellow, Glasgow import 1930
| GBP 4,812
| GBP 4,812.50
|-
| 2020-08-05
| Bonhams (lot 25956/6)
| stainless steel
| est. GBP 6,000–8,000, unsold
|-
|-
| 2020
| 2020
Line 181: Line 182:
| USD 11,875
| USD 11,875
|-
|-
| various
| 2021-05-18
| Bonhams
| Bonhams (lot 26683/45)
| stainless
| stainless steel
| GBP 6,247–12,160
| GBP 6,247.50
|-
| 2023-06-21
| Bonhams (lot 28033/75)
| stainless steel
| GBP 12,160
|-
| 2024-06-19
| Bonhams (lot 29152/23)
| 18K yellow gold, Glasgow import 1930
| est. GBP 8,000–12,000
|-
|-
| 2024
| 2024-06-19
| Bonhams
| Bonhams (lot 29152/6)
| 1491HS two-color 18K, case F220
| 1491HS two-color 18K, case F220
| est. GBP 10,000–15,000
| est. GBP 10,000–15,000, unsold
|-
|-
| various
| various
Line 201: Line 212:
| EUR 27,028
| EUR 27,028
|-
|-
| current
| 2016
| Chrono24 (dealer ask)
| Sotheby's (GE1604, lot 135)
| various 1491HS
| unsold, configuration not detailed in the retrieved listing
| USD 44,445
| unsold
|-
|}
|}


The 1491 commands a 2–4× premium over a comparable steel or yellow-gold 1490, and a 5–10× premium in white-gold or bicolor HS form. Phillips Geneva carries no documented 1491 lots in their public archive. Auction representation runs through Antiquorum and Bonhams, with Christie's, Artcurial, and Tajan filling out the European tier. Sotheby's GE1604 lot 135 from 2016 (an unsold 1491 estimate) is cited via aggregator only and lacks direct catalog documentation in the public record.
The records show a wide spread between steel, yellow-gold, white-gold, and bicolor examples. Results depend on case material, dial originality, hallmarks, papers, and condition. The table is a selected auction record, not a price guide. The Phillips public archive and the Sotheby's listing cited here do not establish a complete auction census.
 
 
== Related references ==
 
* [[Reference:1527|Prince 1527]], 1930–1945
* [[Reference:1490|Prince 1490]], 1928–1945
* [[Reference:1862|Prince 1862]], 1928–1942
* [[Reference:971|Prince 971]], Brancard Art-Deco (1928–1938)
* [[Reference:1343|Prince 1343]], Classic Rectangular (1928–1935)
* [[Reference:3361|Prince 3361]]
 
See also the [[Reference:prince|Prince family index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].
 
 
<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
File:Ref 1491 hero.webp|Whole-watch view, stainless-steel example
File:Ref 1491 18k-glasgow-1930.webp|18K example with Glasgow import mark
File:Ref 1491 dial-layout-detail.webp|Dial layout with jump-hour aperture and subsidiary seconds
File:Ref 1491 gold jump-hour detail.webp|Two-colour 18K 1491HS example
</gallery>


==Sources==
== Sources ==




* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-146-8 Antiquorum, Rolex Prince Brancard, ref. 1491, 1992 catalogue record]
* "Rolex Prince 1491HS White + Yellow Gold Jumping Hour", Antiquorum, 1990
* "Rolex Prince 1491HS White + Yellow Gold Jumping Hour", Antiquorum, 1990
* "Rolex Prince 1491HS White Gold Bucherer-Retailed 1945", Antiquorum, 2008
* "Rolex Prince 1491 White Gold Bucherer-Retailed 1945, Case 1578", Antiquorum, 2008, lot 692
* "Rolex Prince 1491HS 18K Bicolor Observatory 1935", Christie's, 2020
* "Rolex Prince 1491HS White Gold, Case F2149HS", Antiquorum, 2008, lot 693
* "Rolex Prince 1491HS 18K Bicolor", Christie's, 2018
* "Rolex Prince 1491HS 18K Bicolor Observatory 1935", Christie's, 2020, lot 130
* "Rolex Prince 1491HS Two-Color 18K Case F220", Bonhams, 2024
* "Rolex Prince 1491HS 18K Bicolor", Christie's, 2018, lot 113
* "Rolex Prince 1491 9K Yellow Gold 1930", Bonhams, 2019
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/29152/lot/6/rolex-a-rare-and-unusual-two-colour-18k-gold-manual-wind-jump-hour-wristwatch-prince-jump-hour-ref-1491hs-circa-1930/ "Rolex Prince Jump Hour, Ref: 1491HS, Two-Colour 18K Gold, Case F220", Bonhams "Fine Watches", 2024-06-19, est. GBP 10,000-15,000, unsold]
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/25395/lot/66/rolex-a-rare-9k-gold-manual-wind-jump-hour-wristwatch-prince-ref-1491-glasgow-import-mark-for-1930/ "Rolex Prince, Ref: 1491, 9K Gold, Glasgow Import Mark for 1930", Bonhams "Watches and Wristwatches", 2019-05-21, sold GBP 4,812.50]
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/29152/lot/23/rolex-a-fine-and-rare-18k-gold-manual-wind-jump-hour-wristwatch-prince-jump-hour-ref-1491-glasgow-import-mark-for-1930/ "Rolex Prince Jump Hour, Ref: 1491, 18K Gold, Glasgow Import Mark for 1930", Bonhams "Fine Watches", 2024-06-19, est. GBP 8,000-12,000]
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/28033/lot/75/rolex-a-rare-and-unusual-stainless-steel-manual-wind-jump-hour-wristwatch-prince-jump-hour-ref-1491-circa-1930/ "Rolex Prince Jump Hour, Ref: 1491, Stainless Steel", Bonhams "Fine Watches", 2023-06-21, sold GBP 12,160]
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/26683/lot/45/rolex-an-unusual-stainless-steel-manual-wind-jump-hour-wristwatch-prince-jump-hour-ref-1491-circa-1930/ "Rolex Prince Jump Hour, Ref: 1491, Stainless Steel", Bonhams "Watches and Wristwatches", 2021-05-18, sold GBP 6,247.50]
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/25956/lot/6/rolex-an-unusual-stainless-steel-manual-wind-jump-hour-wristwatch-prince-jump-hour-ref-1491-circa-1930/ "Rolex Prince Jump Hour, Ref: 1491, Stainless Steel", Bonhams "Fine Watches", 2020-08-05, est. GBP 6,000-8,000, unsold]
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/99894 Phillips Geneva Watch Auction Four, lot 89, silver jump-hour Prince catalogued as ref. 1490]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2016/important-watches-ge1604/lot.135.html "Rolex", Sotheby's "Important Watches" (GE1604), 2016, lot 135]
* "Rolex Prince 1491 Bicolor 1932 Engraved", Artcurial
* "Rolex Prince 1491 Bicolor 1932 Engraved", Artcurial
* "Prince personal journey — 1491 Jumping Hour module thicker", Watchprosite
* "Rolex Prince 1491, proposed conceptual ancestor of the 1945 Datejust window", rolexencyclopedie.nl
* "Rolex Prince Jumping Hour — population proxy", Watchprosite, 2020
* "Rolex Prince 1491 — proposed conceptual ancestor of the 1945 Datejust window", rolexencyclopedie.nl
* [https://www.rolexmagazine.com/2017/05/the-complete-history-of-rolex-prince.html Jake Ehrlich, "The Complete History of the Rolex Prince", Rolex Magazine, 2017-05]
* [https://www.rolexmagazine.com/2017/05/the-complete-history-of-rolex-prince.html Jake Ehrlich, "The Complete History of the Rolex Prince", Rolex Magazine, 2017-05]
* [https://quillandpad.com/2019/04/09/the-golden-age-of-rolex-movements-part-i-sowing-the-seeds-of-greatness/ Tim Mosso, "The Golden Age of Rolex Movements Part I", Quill & Pad, 2019-04-09]
* [https://quillandpad.com/2019/04/09/the-golden-age-of-rolex-movements-part-i-sowing-the-seeds-of-greatness/ Tim Mosso, "The Golden Age of Rolex Movements Part I", Quill & Pad, 2019-04-09]
Retrieved from "https://rolexopedia.net/wiki/Reference:1491"