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Fact correction: seconds layouts, case construction, dates and auction records (Antiquorum lots 181/143; Perezcope CH221643)
Update 3134 auction evidence, measurements, and movement variants
 
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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 3134 Bubbleback}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 3134 Bubbleback}}
{{#seo:
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex 3134 Bubbleback Reference Guide | BezelBase
|title=Rolex 3134 Bubbleback Reference Guide | Rolexopedia
|description=Rolex reference 3134 Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback: documented cases, subsidiary and centre-seconds movements, dial variants, case construction and auction records.
|description=Rolex reference 3134 Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback: documented cases, subsidiary and centre-seconds movements, dial variants, case construction and auction records.
|image=Ref 3134 hero.webp
|image=Ref 3134 hero.webp
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<small>[[Reference:bubbleback|Bubbleback]] → '''3134'''</small>
<small>[[Reference:bubbleback|Bubbleback]] → '''3134'''</small>


The 3134 is a 32 mm tonneau Oyster Perpetual from the 1940s and 1950s, fitted with a 9¾-ligne Rolex automatic. Catalogued watches have either subsidiary or centre seconds. Most documented cases are stainless steel; one combines steel with yellow gold. Two modern-market examples have California dials, though neither source establishes that its dial is original to the watch.
<div class="rp-lead">
[[File:Ref 3134 hero.webp|thumb|center|640px|alt=Steel 3134 with a pink California-style dial|Steel 3134 with a pink California-style dial]]
</div>


[[File:Ref 3134 hero.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex Bubbleback 3134 with pink California dial|Steel 3134 with pink California dial, circa 1941]]
The 3134 is a tonneau Oyster Perpetual documented with both subsidiary and centre seconds. Auction descriptions give movement sizes of 9½ and 9¾ lignes. Most listed cases are steel; steel-and-gold examples also appear. Auctioneers date individual watches from about 1939 to 1957; those estimates do not establish the factory production span.


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


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
|-
|-
! detail
! detail
Line 24: Line 26:
|-
|-
| family
| family
| Bubbleback (collector name; never official Rolex usage)
| Bubbleback (collector term; Rolex called it Oyster Perpetual)
|-
|-
| documented examples
| documented examples
| 1940s to 1957 by auction-catalogue dating; one dealer dates an example to c.1941
| auction records include repeat offerings; catalogued dates run from about 1939 to 1957
|-
|-
| case diameter
| case diameter
| 32 mm
| 32 mm in most records; other catalogues give 30, 32.5, and 33 mm
|-
|-
| case thickness
| case thickness
| about 14 mm
| 14 mm on Antiquorum’s 2013 example; not a reference-wide figure
|-
|-
| case shape
| case shape
Line 51: Line 53:
|-
|-
| movement
| movement
| 9¾-ligne Rolex automatic; documented descriptions vary by example
| automatic; auction descriptions give 9½ and 9¾ lignes
|-
|-
| escapement
| escapement
| straight-line lever
| lever; described as straight-line in the 2013 catalogue
|-
|-
| balance
| balance
| monometallic, self-compensating Breguet balance-spring
| monometallic with a self-compensating Breguet balance spring in 1992; Superbalance in 2013
|-
|-
| seconds
| seconds
Line 63: Line 65:
|-
|-
| case materials
| case materials
| stainless steel; stainless steel with yellow gold
| stainless steel; steel and yellow gold; two steel-and-gold listings with alloy unspecified
|}
|}


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


The 3134 belongs to the two-digit-suffixed Oyster Perpetual references 3130 through 3135. The group spans different seconds layouts and case metals. The 3134 itself appears with subsidiary seconds in Antiquorum's 1992 and 2013 catalogues, while Exclusive Timepieces lot 227 and the two California-dial watches use centre seconds.
The 3134 belongs to the two-digit-suffixed Oyster Perpetual references 3130 through 3135. The group includes different seconds layouts and case metals. Antiquorum's 1992 and 2013 examples have subsidiary seconds. Exclusive Timepieces lot 227 and the Luxe Auctioneers example have centre seconds.


Where the 3134 separates from its immediate neighbours is in the market rather than the metal. The 3131 was a precious-metal-only reference. The 3130 was likewise gold-only, and the 3133 spans steel, two-tone and solid gold with a deep enough auction record to map. The 3134's documented population runs the other way: three of four surfaced examples are plain stainless steel, with a single steel-and-yellow-gold example from a 1992 sale. No solid-gold 3134 has surfaced in the indexed auction record at all.
Auction records document steel, one steel-and-yellow-gold case, and two steel-and-gold listings whose alloy is unspecified.
 
That thinness is measurable. A price index that carries seventeen results for the 3130 and twenty-three for the 3133 carries two for the 3134. Both of those indexed lots, Antiquorum Geneva in 1992 and again in 2013, failed to sell. A reference this lightly traded does not support the kind of variant mapping the 3133 does, and much of what a collector would want to know about the 3134 is not answerable from public records at all.


==Production outline==
==Production outline==


Auction catalogues date documented 3134 examples to the 1940s, c.1945, the 1950s and 1957. A dealer dates another example to c.1941. No source states a production start or end for the reference.
Auction catalogues date individual 3134 examples from about 1939 to 1957. The early end comes from Bruun Rasmussen's 2022 listing; Antiquorum and other catalogues place examples in the 1940s and 1950s. These estimates describe individual watches and leave the factory endpoints open.


The dates should be read as catalogue estimates rather than a production window. Exclusive Timepieces dates case 168751 to 1957. Hodinkee places Bubbleback production into the mid-1950s, so the date is late but not implausible enough to dismiss without stronger evidence.
Exclusive Timepieces dates case 168751 to 1957, while Anthony Traina's 2024 Hodinkee guide places the end of Bubbleback production in the mid-1950s. That 1957 date falls after Traina's family endpoint; the available records leave 3134's closing year unsettled.


==Movement notes==
==Movement notes==


Antiquorum Geneva's 1992 lot 181 describes a self-winding 9¾-ligne movement with 17 jewels, lever escapement, monometallic balance and a self-compensating Breguet balance spring. Exclusive Timepieces lot 227 also gives a 9¾-ligne automatic. Antiquorum's 2013 lot 143 records rhodium plating, a straight-line lever escapement and a Superbalance, but does not state the winding type or jewel count.
The cited auction lots give two movement sizes. Antiquorum's 1992 lot 181 and Exclusive Timepieces lot 227 give 9¾ lignes. Antiquorum's 1995 Milan lot 161 gives 9½ lignes and describes an automatic, 17-jewel movement with a Superbalance and Breguet spring. Klöter describes the movement in lot 443 as an intact anchor movement, without naming a caliber or winding type. The 1992 lot describes a self-winding, 17-jewel movement with lever escapement, monometallic balance and a self-compensating Breguet spring. Dr. Crott's 2015 lot describes a rotor-wind movement with a "patented super balance." Its 2019 lot gives movement number 94767 but no caliber. Pestel-Debord calls its circa-1950 example automatic and chronometer-certified. Antiquorum's 2013 lot 143 reports rhodium plating, a straight-line lever escapement and a Superbalance; its entry gives no movement size or jewel count.


No documented lot names a caliber number. The subsidiary-seconds watches are consistent with Cal. 620 or the shock-protected Cal. 635; centre-seconds watches are consistent with Cal. 630 or 645. None of those fitments is confirmed by a movement photograph or catalogue description, so the caliber remains unresolved.
Use the movement marking to identify the caliber. The cited auction catalogues give movement sizes and construction details but no caliber number; seconds layout alone cannot distinguish Cal. 620 from 635 in a subsidiary-seconds watch or Cal. 630 from 645 in a centre-seconds watch. See [[Reference:Movements#cal-620|Cal. 620]], [[Reference:Movements#cal-630|Cal. 630]], [[Reference:Movements#cal-635|Cal. 635]], and [[Reference:Movements#cal-645|Cal. 645]].


==Dial map==
==Dial map==


[[File:Ref 3134 dial-matte-silver.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=3134 matte silver dial with luminous Arabic numerals|Matte silver dial, applied luminous Arabic numerals and subsidiary seconds, case 104396]]
The auction record includes several dial layouts. These are catalogue descriptions; original dial fitment remains unverified.
[[File:Ref 3134 dial-california.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=3134 pink California dial|California dial in pink, half Roman and half Arabic, circa 1941]]
[[File:Ref 3134 dial-california-chronometer.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=3134 California dial marked Chronometer with centre seconds|The second California example, marked Chronometer and running centre sweep seconds, circa 1945]]


Four dial configurations are documented across the surfaced examples.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Dial
! Catalogue example
! Seconds
! Notes
|-
| Black
| [https://www.collectorssquare.com/en/watches/rolex/oyster-perpetual/ref-rolex-3134/lpi Antiquorum Geneva 1992, steel and yellow gold]
| Subsidiary
| The catalogue describes the case as having hooded fluted lugs.
|-
| Silvered, printed Roman numerals
| [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-117-161 Antiquorum Milan 1995]
| Centre
| Steel, 32 mm; 9½-ligne automatic.
|-
| Matte silver with applied luminous Arabic numerals
| [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-3134-lot-272-143 Antiquorum Geneva 2013, case 104396]
| Subsidiary
| Outer minutes track.
|-
| Pink, luminous Arabic and squared numerals
| [https://everywatch.com/rolex/oyster-perpetual/watch-9107818 Exclusive Timepieces, case 168751]
| Centre
| Patinated dial; outer minutes track.
|-
| Silvered with Arabic numerals
| [https://www.kloeter-auktionen.de/Katalog_185.pdf Galerie + Auktionshaus Peter Klöter, Auction 185, lot 443]
| Subsidiary
| Catalogue gives 30 mm and dates the watch to circa 1955; the listed alloy and case construction are not specified beyond steel/gold.
|-
| Silvered with applied indexes
| [https://uhren-muser.de/catalogues/en/Crott_91_US.pdf Dr. Crott 2015, case 529380]
| Centre
| Silver and gold case; luminous alpha hands.
|-
| Two-colour silvered, signed Beyer
| [https://uhren-muser.de/en/archives/101/50620 Dr. Crott 2019, case 126947]
| Centre, visible in catalogue photograph
| Dr. Crott calls it "Double Name"; the record gives movement no. 94767 and delivery to Beyer in Zurich with original box.
|-
| California-style, half Roman and half Arabic
| [https://www.sothebys.com/en/slideshows/10-watches-under-10000-watches-online Sotheby's 2018]; [https://www.lot-art.com/auction-lots/ROLEX-REF-3134-STEEL-BUBBLE-BACK-WITH-CALIFORNIA-DIAL-CIRCA-1945/118-rolex_3134_steel_3134-15.1.26-luxe Luxe 2026]
| Centre
| The photographs appear to show one watch offered twice. Luxe notes toning and spotting; dial originality is unverified.
|-
| Cream with railway track, applied arrowhead indexes and numerals
| [https://www.gazette-drouot.com/en/lots/8352267-rolex-vers-1950-modele-oyster--- Pestel-Debord 2018]
| Not stated
| Gold lance hands; catalogue gives 33 mm.
|-
| Black with pale markers
| [https://www.lot-art.com/auction-lots/Rolex-A-wristwatch-of-steel-Model-Oyster-Perpetual-Bubbleback-ref-3134-Mechanical/2009-rolex_wristwatch_steel_3134-30.11.22-bruun Bruun Rasmussen 2022]
| Not stated
| The catalogue says the dial and hands were relumed; operation was not guaranteed.
|}


The matte silver dial with applied luminous Arabic numerals and subsidiary seconds appears on Antiquorum's 2013 example, case 104396. Case 168751 has a pink dial with luminous Arabic and squared numerals, an outer minutes track and centre seconds. A black subsidiary-seconds dial appears on the 1992 steel-and-yellow-gold example.
Rolex filed Swiss patent CH221643 for the California-style dial design in May 1941; it was issued in June 1942. The patent dates the design; individual dials need separate provenance.


Two modern-market 3134 examples have half-Roman, half-Arabic California dials: a Luxe Auctioneers watch dated c.1945 and a dealer-listed watch dated c.1941. Neither source establishes dial originality, and Hodinkee warns that refinished California dials are common on Bubblebacks. Rolex filed Swiss patent CH221643 for the layout in May 1941; the patent was issued in June 1942.
<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
File:Ref 3134 dial-matte-silver.webp|alt=3134 matte silver dial with luminous Arabic numerals|Matte silver dial, applied luminous Arabic numerals and subsidiary seconds, case 104396
File:Ref 3134 dial-california.webp|alt=3134 pink California dial|California-style dial in pink, half Roman and half Arabic
File:Ref 3134 dial-california-chronometer.webp|alt=3134 California dial marked Chronometer with centre seconds|The second California example, marked Chronometer and running centre sweep seconds, circa 1945
</gallery>


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


[[File:Ref 3134 case-profile.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=3134 case profile showing the domed caseback|Case profile: curved lugs, inclined bezel, screw-down crown and the domed back the family is named for]]
Most auction descriptions give a 32 mm diameter. Klöter's 2019 catalogue gives 30 mm; Bruun Rasmussen gives 32.5 mm; Pestel-Debord's 2018 lot gives 33 mm. These are lot measurements, not a confirmed reference-wide dimension. Antiquorum's 2013 lot 143 is 14 mm thick; it is the only source reviewed with a thickness figure. The cases are tonneau-shaped, with an inclined smooth bezel, acrylic crystal and screw-down crown.
[[File:Ref 3134 caseback.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=3134 screw-down caseback|Screw-down caseback with milled edge]]


Documented cases measure 32 mm across. Antiquorum's 2013 lot 143 is 14 mm thick; no second source gives thickness. The tonneau case has an inclined smooth bezel, acrylic crystal and screw-down crown.
Antiquorum's 2013 lot 143 calls the case "three body," and Exclusive Timepieces describes case 168751 as "composed of three parts." Both catalogue descriptions identify a three-part case.


Antiquorum's 2013 lot 143 calls the case "three body," and Exclusive Timepieces describes case 168751 as "composed of three parts." The available 3134 catalogues therefore support a three-part description. Family-level accounts of a two-piece Oyster platform after 1936 do not establish the construction of this reference.
Antiquorum's 1992 catalogue describes its steel-and-yellow-gold example as having "hooded fluted lugs," while case 168751 has curved lugs. The hooded-lug distinction remains catalogue evidence because no photograph of the 1992 watch has been located. Pestel-Debord describes a domed screw-down back and an era crown; Dr. Crott's 2019 catalogue specifies a screw-down "Oyster Patent" crown on case 126947. Collectors use “Bubbleback” for this family; Rolex called the model Oyster Perpetual.


Antiquorum's 1992 catalogue describes its steel-and-yellow-gold example as having "hooded fluted lugs," while case 168751 has curved lugs. No photograph of the 1992 watch has been located, so the hooded-lug description remains catalogue evidence rather than a visually confirmed sub-variant.
<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
 
File:Ref 3134 case-profile.webp|alt=3134 case profile showing the domed caseback|Case profile: curved lugs, inclined bezel, screw-down crown and the domed back the family is named for
The side-profile photograph shows a domed caseback, although no auction description uses that term. Antiquorum catalogues both known lots as Oyster Perpetual, and other auction titles call the 3134 a Bubbleback. Those descriptions agree with the confirmed self-winding 9¾-ligne movement.
File:Ref 3134 caseback.webp|alt=3134 screw-down caseback|Screw-down caseback with milled edge
</gallery>


==Bracelets, end links, and clasps==
==Bracelets, end links, and clasps==


Only one documented example carries a bracelet: case 168751, on a riveted steel Oyster. That is period-correct for a 1940s steel Bubbleback and nothing more. A bracelet dates itself, not the watch head, and no documentation ties this one to original delivery. The Luxe example came on an associated leather strap with a Rolex steel tang buckle, which is to say on nothing original at all.
Two catalogued examples carry riveted steel bracelets. Exclusive Timepieces lists one on case 168751, but its fitting date is unstated. Dr. Crott describes the bracelet on case 126947 as later. The Luxe example has an associated leather strap and a Rolex steel tang buckle; Pestel-Debord describes its leather strap as added. Treat these bracelet associations as object-specific; original fitment remains unproved.
 
==The suffix question==


Rolex used slash suffixes on Bubbleback references through this period to encode case metal, and the system is real: Colin A. White's ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' documents 172 distinct Bubblebacks, including slash variants of otherwise identical reference numbers, with 1578/7 and 1578/8 as worked examples.
==Case-metal suffixes==


A specific five-rung ladder for the 3134 — steel, rolled-gold cap, gold bezel, pink gold, yellow gold — circulates in secondary compilations. It is not reproduced here, because no documented source ties that ladder to this reference, and the compilations carrying it attribute it to an author who does not exist. The general system is documented. The per-reference ladder, for the 3134 specifically, is not. What the auction record actually shows is two case materials: steel, and steel with yellow gold.
Rolex used slash suffixes on Bubbleback references to distinguish case metals. Colin A. White's ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' gives 1578/7 and 1578/8 as examples. Auction catalogues describe steel, steel-and-yellow-gold, and steel/gold 3134 cases. The two steel/gold descriptions do not specify the alloy or connect the material to a reference suffix, so the 3134 suffix map remains unconfirmed.


==Auction record==
==Auction record==
Line 137: Line 193:
| 1992-10-17
| 1992-10-17
| 181
| 181
| —
| Not stated
| Steel and yellow gold
| Steel and yellow gold
| Black
| Black
| EUR 15,000–18,000 (Collector Square conversion)
| Not stated
| Unsold
| Unsold
|-
| Antiquorum Milan
| 1995-05-22
| 161
| Not stated
| Steel
| Silvered, printed Roman numerals, centre seconds
| ITL 3,800–4,200
| Result not located
|-
|-
| Antiquorum Geneva #272
| Antiquorum Geneva #272
Line 151: Line 216:
| CHF 4,000–6,000
| CHF 4,000–6,000
| Unsold
| Unsold
|-
| Dr. Crott 91st auction
| 2015-05-16
| 41059
| 529380
| Steel and gold
| Silvered, applied indexes, centre seconds
| EUR 2,700–3,500
| Result not located
|-
| Pestel-Debord
| 2018-01-19
| 13
| Not stated
| Steel
| Cream, railway track, applied numerals and arrowhead indexes
| Not stated
| Result not located
|-
| Sotheby's Watches Online
| 2018-10-05
| Not stated
| Not stated
| Steel
| California-style, centre seconds
| USD 4,000–6,000
| Result not located; photograph appears to match Luxe 2026
|-
|-
| Exclusive Timepieces
| Exclusive Timepieces
| —
| Not stated
| 227
| 227
| 168751
| 168751
Line 160: Line 252:
| EUR 6,000–12,000
| EUR 6,000–12,000
| EUR 13,650
| EUR 13,650
|-
| Dr. Crott 101st auction
| 2019-11-16
| 329
| 126947
| Steel
| Two-colour silvered, Beyer-signed
| EUR 4,000–6,000
| EUR 7,300
|-
| Galerie + Auktionshaus Peter Klöter, Auction 185
| 2019-11-30
| 443
| Not stated
| Steel/gold; alloy and case layout not detailed
| Silvered Arabic numerals, subsidiary seconds
| Not stated
| Result not located
|-
| Bruun Rasmussen
| 2022-11-30
| 2009
| Not stated
| Steel
| Black; dial and hands relumed
| Not stated
| Result not located
|-
|-
| Luxe Auctioneers
| Luxe Auctioneers
| 2026-01-15
| 2026-01-15
| 118
| 118
| —
| Not stated
| Steel
| Steel
| California
| California
| —
| Not stated
| USD 3,250 hammer; USD 4,063 total reported by EveryWatch
| USD 3,250 hammer; USD 4,063 total reported by EveryWatch
|}
|}


Case 168751 sold for EUR 13,650 against a EUR 6,000–12,000 estimate. Luxe Auctioneers reported a USD 3,250 hammer for its California-dial example; EveryWatch reports USD 4,063 including fees. The Luxe catalogue notes dial toning and minor spotting and describes the leather strap as associated.
Case 168751 sold for EUR 13,650 against a EUR 6,000–12,000 estimate. Dr. Crott reports EUR 7,300 for case 126947 against a EUR 4,000–6,000 estimate. Luxe Auctioneers reported a USD 3,250 hammer for its California-dial example; EveryWatch reports USD 4,063 including fees.


Both indexed Antiquorum lots were unsold. Four published results across thirty-four years do not establish a market level for the reference.
Antiquorum's 1992 and 2013 lots were unsold; cases 168751 and 126947 sold for the prices above. Results remain missing for several listings, so the table is incomplete as a market sample.


== Related references ==
==Related references==


* [[Reference:3131|Bubbleback 3131]] — 1936–c.1948
* [[Reference:3131|Bubbleback 3131]] (1936–c.1948)
* [[Reference:3132|Bubbleback 3132]]
* [[Reference:3132|Bubbleback 3132]]
* [[Reference:3372|Bubbleback 3372]]
* [[Reference:3372|Bubbleback 3372]]
* [[Reference:3065|Bubbleback 3065]] — 1937–1950
* [[Reference:3065|Bubbleback 3065]] (1937–1950)
* [[Reference:3595|Bubbleback 3595]] — 1941–1949
* [[Reference:3595|Bubbleback 3595]] (1941–1949)
* [[Reference:2940|Bubbleback 2940]] — 1940–1949
* [[Reference:2940|Bubbleback 2940]] (1940–1949)


See also the [[Reference:bubbleback|Bubbleback family index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].
See also the [[Reference:bubbleback|Bubbleback family index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].
== Gallery ==
<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
File:Ref 3134 hero.webp|alt=Steel Rolex 3134 with pink California-style dial|Steel 3134 with California-style dial
File:Ref 3134 dial-matte-silver.webp|alt=3134 matte silver dial with luminous Arabic numerals|Matte silver dial and subsidiary seconds
File:Ref 3134 dial-california.webp|alt=3134 pink California dial|Pink California-style dial
File:Ref 3134 dial-california-chronometer.webp|alt=3134 California dial marked Chronometer with centre seconds|California-style dial with centre seconds
File:Ref 3134 case-profile.webp|alt=3134 case profile showing the domed caseback|Case profile
File:Ref 3134 caseback.webp|alt=3134 screw-down caseback|Caseback
</gallery>


== Sources ==
== Sources ==
Line 190: Line 320:
* [https://www.collectorsquare.com/en/watches/rolex/oyster-perpetual/ref-rolex-3134/lpi Antiquorum, "Antiquorum Geneva #140 Lot 181 — Rolex ref 3134 steel and yellow gold, black dial, 1940s", Antiquorum, 1992-10-17]
* [https://www.collectorsquare.com/en/watches/rolex/oyster-perpetual/ref-rolex-3134/lpi Antiquorum, "Antiquorum Geneva #140 Lot 181 — Rolex ref 3134 steel and yellow gold, black dial, 1940s", Antiquorum, 1992-10-17]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-3134-lot-272-143 Antiquorum, "Antiquorum Geneva #272 Lot 143 — Rolex ref 3134 steel, matte silver dial, case 104396", Antiquorum, 2013-05-12]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-3134-lot-272-143 Antiquorum, "Antiquorum Geneva #272 Lot 143 — Rolex ref 3134 steel, matte silver dial, case 104396", Antiquorum, 2013-05-12]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-117-161 Antiquorum, "Antiquorum Milan, 22 May 1995, lot 161 — Rolex Oyster Perpetual Chronometer ref. 3134", Antiquorum, 1995-05-22]
* [https://uhren-muser.de/catalogues/en/Crott_91_US.pdf Dr. Crott Auctioneers, "Dr. Crott 91st Auction, lot 41059 — Rolex ref. 3134, case 529380", Dr. Crott Auctioneers, 2015-05-16]
* [https://www.gazette-drouot.com/en/lots/8352267-rolex-vers-1950-modele-oyster--- Pestel-Debord, "Pestel-Debord, 19 January 2018, lot 13 — Rolex ref. 3134", Pestel-Debord / Gazette Drouot, 2018-01-19]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/slideshows/10-watches-under-10000-watches-online Sotheby's, "Sotheby's Watches Online slideshow, October 2018 — Rolex ref. 3134", Sotheby's, 2018-10-05]
* [https://everywatch.com/rolex/oyster-perpetual/watch-9107818 EveryWatch, "Exclusive Timepieces Lot 227 — Rolex ref 3134 Bubbleback steel, pink dial, case 168751", EveryWatch]
* [https://everywatch.com/rolex/oyster-perpetual/watch-9107818 EveryWatch, "Exclusive Timepieces Lot 227 — Rolex ref 3134 Bubbleback steel, pink dial, case 168751", EveryWatch]
* [https://uhren-muser.de/en/archives/101/50620 Dr. Crott Auctioneers, "Dr. Crott 101st Auction, lot 329 — Rolex ref. 3134, case 126947", Dr. Crott Auctioneers, 2019-11-16]
* [https://www.lot-art.com/auction-lots/Rolex-A-wristwatch-of-steel-Model-Oyster-Perpetual-Bubbleback-ref-3134-Mechanical/2009-rolex_wristwatch_steel_3134-30.11.22-bruun Bruun Rasmussen, "Bruun Rasmussen, 30 November 2022, lot 2009 — Rolex ref. 3134", Bruun Rasmussen, 2022-11-30]
* [https://www.kloeter-auktionen.de/Katalog_185.pdf Galerie + Auktionshaus Peter Klöter, "Galerie + Auktionshaus Peter Klöter, Auction 185, lot 443 — Rolex Oyster Perpetual ref. 3134", Galerie + Auktionshaus Peter Klöter, 2019-11-30]
* [https://www.lot-art.com/auction-lots/ROLEX-REF-3134-STEEL-BUBBLE-BACK-WITH-CALIFORNIA-DIAL-CIRCA-1945/118-rolex_3134_steel_3134-15.1.26-luxe Luxe Auctioneers, "Luxe Auctioneers — Rolex ref 3134 steel Bubble Back with California dial, circa 1945", Luxe Auctioneers, 2026-01-15]
* [https://www.lot-art.com/auction-lots/ROLEX-REF-3134-STEEL-BUBBLE-BACK-WITH-CALIFORNIA-DIAL-CIRCA-1945/118-rolex_3134_steel_3134-15.1.26-luxe Luxe Auctioneers, "Luxe Auctioneers — Rolex ref 3134 steel Bubble Back with California dial, circa 1945", Luxe Auctioneers, 2026-01-15]
* [https://www.collectorsquare.com/en/watches/rolex/oyster-perpetual/ref-rolex-3134/lpi Collectors Square, "Collectors Square price index — Rolex Oyster Perpetual ref 3134", Collectors Square]
* [https://www.collectorsquare.com/en/watches/rolex/oyster-perpetual/ref-rolex-3134/lpi Collectors Square, "Collectors Square price index — Rolex Oyster Perpetual ref 3134", Collectors Square]
* [https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/lists/rolex-bubbleback-watches-collector-guide-1931-1950s-1235893131/ Robb Report, "Robb Report — A Collector's Guide to Rolex Bubbleback Watches 1931-1950s", Robb Report, current]
* [https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/lists/rolex-bubbleback-watches-collector-guide-1931-1950s-1235893131/ Robb Report, "Robb Report — A Collector's Guide to Rolex Bubbleback Watches 1931-1950s", Robb Report, current]
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-rolex-bubbleback-and-why-it-still-matters Hodinkee, "Everything You Need To Know About The Vintage Rolex Bubbleback", Hodinkee]
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-rolex-bubbleback-and-why-it-still-matters Anthony Traina, "The Rolex Bubbleback And Why It Still Matters", Hodinkee, 2024-10-07]
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* [https://calibercorner.com/rolex-caliber-620/ Caliber Corner, "Caliber Corner — Rolex Caliber 620", Caliber Corner, current]
* [https://calibercorner.com/rolex-caliber-620/ Caliber Corner, "Caliber Corner — Rolex Caliber 620", Caliber Corner, current]

Latest revision as of 19:20, 8 October 2026


Bubbleback → 3134

Steel 3134 with a pink California-style dial
Steel 3134 with a pink California-style dial

The 3134 is a tonneau Oyster Perpetual documented with both subsidiary and centre seconds. Auction descriptions give movement sizes of 9½ and 9¾ lignes. Most listed cases are steel; steel-and-gold examples also appear. Auctioneers date individual watches from about 1939 to 1957; those estimates do not establish the factory production span.

Core facts

detail value
reference 3134
family Bubbleback (collector term; Rolex called it Oyster Perpetual)
documented examples auction records include repeat offerings; catalogued dates run from about 1939 to 1957
case diameter 32 mm in most records; other catalogues give 30, 32.5, and 33 mm
case thickness 14 mm on Antiquorum’s 2013 example; not a reference-wide figure
case shape tonneau
case construction three-body / three-part in two catalogues
bezel inclined, smooth
crystal acrylic
crown screw-down
movement automatic; auction descriptions give 9½ and 9¾ lignes
escapement lever; described as straight-line in the 2013 catalogue
balance monometallic with a self-compensating Breguet balance spring in 1992; Superbalance in 2013
seconds subsidiary and centre sweep both documented
case materials stainless steel; steel and yellow gold; two steel-and-gold listings with alloy unspecified

Where it sits in the line

The 3134 belongs to the two-digit-suffixed Oyster Perpetual references 3130 through 3135. The group includes different seconds layouts and case metals. Antiquorum's 1992 and 2013 examples have subsidiary seconds. Exclusive Timepieces lot 227 and the Luxe Auctioneers example have centre seconds.

Auction records document steel, one steel-and-yellow-gold case, and two steel-and-gold listings whose alloy is unspecified.

Production outline

Auction catalogues date individual 3134 examples from about 1939 to 1957. The early end comes from Bruun Rasmussen's 2022 listing; Antiquorum and other catalogues place examples in the 1940s and 1950s. These estimates describe individual watches and leave the factory endpoints open.

Exclusive Timepieces dates case 168751 to 1957, while Anthony Traina's 2024 Hodinkee guide places the end of Bubbleback production in the mid-1950s. That 1957 date falls after Traina's family endpoint; the available records leave 3134's closing year unsettled.

Movement notes

The cited auction lots give two movement sizes. Antiquorum's 1992 lot 181 and Exclusive Timepieces lot 227 give 9¾ lignes. Antiquorum's 1995 Milan lot 161 gives 9½ lignes and describes an automatic, 17-jewel movement with a Superbalance and Breguet spring. Klöter describes the movement in lot 443 as an intact anchor movement, without naming a caliber or winding type. The 1992 lot describes a self-winding, 17-jewel movement with lever escapement, monometallic balance and a self-compensating Breguet spring. Dr. Crott's 2015 lot describes a rotor-wind movement with a "patented super balance." Its 2019 lot gives movement number 94767 but no caliber. Pestel-Debord calls its circa-1950 example automatic and chronometer-certified. Antiquorum's 2013 lot 143 reports rhodium plating, a straight-line lever escapement and a Superbalance; its entry gives no movement size or jewel count.

Use the movement marking to identify the caliber. The cited auction catalogues give movement sizes and construction details but no caliber number; seconds layout alone cannot distinguish Cal. 620 from 635 in a subsidiary-seconds watch or Cal. 630 from 645 in a centre-seconds watch. See Cal. 620, Cal. 630, Cal. 635, and Cal. 645.

Dial map

The auction record includes several dial layouts. These are catalogue descriptions; original dial fitment remains unverified.

Dial Catalogue example Seconds Notes
Black Antiquorum Geneva 1992, steel and yellow gold Subsidiary The catalogue describes the case as having hooded fluted lugs.
Silvered, printed Roman numerals Antiquorum Milan 1995 Centre Steel, 32 mm; 9½-ligne automatic.
Matte silver with applied luminous Arabic numerals Antiquorum Geneva 2013, case 104396 Subsidiary Outer minutes track.
Pink, luminous Arabic and squared numerals Exclusive Timepieces, case 168751 Centre Patinated dial; outer minutes track.
Silvered with Arabic numerals Galerie + Auktionshaus Peter Klöter, Auction 185, lot 443 Subsidiary Catalogue gives 30 mm and dates the watch to circa 1955; the listed alloy and case construction are not specified beyond steel/gold.
Silvered with applied indexes Dr. Crott 2015, case 529380 Centre Silver and gold case; luminous alpha hands.
Two-colour silvered, signed Beyer Dr. Crott 2019, case 126947 Centre, visible in catalogue photograph Dr. Crott calls it "Double Name"; the record gives movement no. 94767 and delivery to Beyer in Zurich with original box.
California-style, half Roman and half Arabic Sotheby's 2018; Luxe 2026 Centre The photographs appear to show one watch offered twice. Luxe notes toning and spotting; dial originality is unverified.
Cream with railway track, applied arrowhead indexes and numerals Pestel-Debord 2018 Not stated Gold lance hands; catalogue gives 33 mm.
Black with pale markers Bruun Rasmussen 2022 Not stated The catalogue says the dial and hands were relumed; operation was not guaranteed.

Rolex filed Swiss patent CH221643 for the California-style dial design in May 1941; it was issued in June 1942. The patent dates the design; individual dials need separate provenance.

  • 3134 matte silver dial with luminous Arabic numerals
    Matte silver dial, applied luminous Arabic numerals and subsidiary seconds, case 104396
  • 3134 pink California dial
    California-style dial in pink, half Roman and half Arabic
  • 3134 California dial marked Chronometer with centre seconds
    The second California example, marked Chronometer and running centre sweep seconds, circa 1945

Case, bezel, crystal, and crown

Most auction descriptions give a 32 mm diameter. Klöter's 2019 catalogue gives 30 mm; Bruun Rasmussen gives 32.5 mm; Pestel-Debord's 2018 lot gives 33 mm. These are lot measurements, not a confirmed reference-wide dimension. Antiquorum's 2013 lot 143 is 14 mm thick; it is the only source reviewed with a thickness figure. The cases are tonneau-shaped, with an inclined smooth bezel, acrylic crystal and screw-down crown.

Antiquorum's 2013 lot 143 calls the case "three body," and Exclusive Timepieces describes case 168751 as "composed of three parts." Both catalogue descriptions identify a three-part case.

Antiquorum's 1992 catalogue describes its steel-and-yellow-gold example as having "hooded fluted lugs," while case 168751 has curved lugs. The hooded-lug distinction remains catalogue evidence because no photograph of the 1992 watch has been located. Pestel-Debord describes a domed screw-down back and an era crown; Dr. Crott's 2019 catalogue specifies a screw-down "Oyster Patent" crown on case 126947. Collectors use “Bubbleback” for this family; Rolex called the model Oyster Perpetual.

  • 3134 case profile showing the domed caseback
    Case profile: curved lugs, inclined bezel, screw-down crown and the domed back the family is named for
  • 3134 screw-down caseback
    Screw-down caseback with milled edge

Bracelets, end links, and clasps

Two catalogued examples carry riveted steel bracelets. Exclusive Timepieces lists one on case 168751, but its fitting date is unstated. Dr. Crott describes the bracelet on case 126947 as later. The Luxe example has an associated leather strap and a Rolex steel tang buckle; Pestel-Debord describes its leather strap as added. Treat these bracelet associations as object-specific; original fitment remains unproved.

Case-metal suffixes

Rolex used slash suffixes on Bubbleback references to distinguish case metals. Colin A. White's The Vintage Rolex Field Manual gives 1578/7 and 1578/8 as examples. Auction catalogues describe steel, steel-and-yellow-gold, and steel/gold 3134 cases. The two steel/gold descriptions do not specify the alloy or connect the material to a reference suffix, so the 3134 suffix map remains unconfirmed.

Auction record

Venue Date Lot Case no. Material Dial Estimate Result
Antiquorum Geneva #140 1992-10-17 181 Not stated Steel and yellow gold Black Not stated Unsold
Antiquorum Milan 1995-05-22 161 Not stated Steel Silvered, printed Roman numerals, centre seconds ITL 3,800–4,200 Result not located
Antiquorum Geneva #272 2013-05-12 143 104396 Steel Matte silver, applied luminous Arabics CHF 4,000–6,000 Unsold
Dr. Crott 91st auction 2015-05-16 41059 529380 Steel and gold Silvered, applied indexes, centre seconds EUR 2,700–3,500 Result not located
Pestel-Debord 2018-01-19 13 Not stated Steel Cream, railway track, applied numerals and arrowhead indexes Not stated Result not located
Sotheby's Watches Online 2018-10-05 Not stated Not stated Steel California-style, centre seconds USD 4,000–6,000 Result not located; photograph appears to match Luxe 2026
Exclusive Timepieces Not stated 227 168751 Steel Pink with patina EUR 6,000–12,000 EUR 13,650
Dr. Crott 101st auction 2019-11-16 329 126947 Steel Two-colour silvered, Beyer-signed EUR 4,000–6,000 EUR 7,300
Galerie + Auktionshaus Peter Klöter, Auction 185 2019-11-30 443 Not stated Steel/gold; alloy and case layout not detailed Silvered Arabic numerals, subsidiary seconds Not stated Result not located
Bruun Rasmussen 2022-11-30 2009 Not stated Steel Black; dial and hands relumed Not stated Result not located
Luxe Auctioneers 2026-01-15 118 Not stated Steel California Not stated USD 3,250 hammer; USD 4,063 total reported by EveryWatch

Case 168751 sold for EUR 13,650 against a EUR 6,000–12,000 estimate. Dr. Crott reports EUR 7,300 for case 126947 against a EUR 4,000–6,000 estimate. Luxe Auctioneers reported a USD 3,250 hammer for its California-dial example; EveryWatch reports USD 4,063 including fees.

Antiquorum's 1992 and 2013 lots were unsold; cases 168751 and 126947 sold for the prices above. Results remain missing for several listings, so the table is incomplete as a market sample.

Related references

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

Gallery

  • Steel Rolex 3134 with pink California-style dial
    Steel 3134 with California-style dial
  • 3134 matte silver dial with luminous Arabic numerals
    Matte silver dial and subsidiary seconds
  • 3134 pink California dial
    Pink California-style dial
  • 3134 California dial marked Chronometer with centre seconds
    California-style dial with centre seconds
  • 3134 case profile showing the domed caseback
    Case profile
  • 3134 screw-down caseback
    Caseback

Sources

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