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Antiquorum’s 2008 catalogue and collector Marcus Siems’s 2024 essay “The Deceptive Oyster — Meet the Rolex ‘Empire’” pair the 3716’s subsidiary seconds with the center-seconds ref. 3548. A 2020 r/rolex collector post describes the 3716 as the 3548’s small-seconds counterpart and uses “Empire” for the straight-lug style. Antiquorum says period advertisements used “Impero”; its 2008 catalogue does not reproduce the advertisement.
Antiquorum’s 2008 catalogue and collector Marcus Siems’s 2024 essay “The Deceptive Oyster — Meet the Rolex ‘Empire’” pair the 3716’s subsidiary seconds with the center-seconds ref. 3548. A 2020 r/rolex collector post describes the 3716 as the 3548’s small-seconds counterpart and uses “Empire” for the straight-lug style. Antiquorum says period advertisements used “Impero”; its 2008 catalogue does not reproduce the advertisement.


The catalogues distinguish the 3716 from the 3548 by its subsidiary seconds rather than center seconds. They also show variation in metal, dial, and bracelet. Siems reports finding 18 publicly known 3716s; that count describes the examples in his survey.
Auction catalogues show variations in metal, dial, and bracelet. Siems reports finding 18 publicly known 3716s; that count describes the examples in his survey.


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


Siems proposes about 1938–44 for the Empire group. Auction catalogues date individual 3716s to circa 1940, circa 1942, circa 1943, and circa 1945–46. Antiquorum's 1989 catalogue dates a pink-gold example to the 1950s. The catalogue dates conflict, so the reference's production span remains uncertain.
Siems proposes about 1938–44 for the Empire group. Auction catalogues date individual 3716s to circa 1940, 1942, circa 1943, and circa 1945–46. Christie’s described case 54,524 as circa 1945 in 2007, then as manufactured in 1942 in 2010; Monaco Legend repeated the 1942 date for that case in 2020. Antiquorum's 1989 catalogue dates a pink-gold example to the 1950s. This mix of catalogue dates leaves the production span unconfirmed.


Heritage's 2017 lot describes an inscription on case 56420 reading “Recuerdo de San Julian Diciembre 1946.” The inscription dates the dedication to December 1946; it does not independently date manufacture. Accademia Fine Art prints the serial as “46.742.” The cited serial charts do not establish a year for that number.
Heritage's 2017 lot describes an inscription on case 56420 reading “Recuerdo de San Julian Diciembre 1946.” The inscription dates the dedication to December 1946; it does not independently date manufacture. Accademia Fine Art prints the serial as “46.742.” Available serial charts leave that number undated.


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


The auction descriptions identify automatic movements around 9¾ lignes. Antiquorum's 1995 record and Christie's description of case 54524 give 19 jewels. Monaco Legend describes case 208572 as a nickel-finished lever movement without a numeric caliber.
The auction descriptions identify automatic movements around 9¾ lignes. Antiquorum's 1995 record lists 19 jewels. Christie's 2007 catalogue gives 19 jewels for case 54,524; its 2010 entry for the same case lists 17. Monaco Legend describes case 208572 as a nickel-finished lever movement without a numeric caliber.


The caliber number is unsettled. The Vintage Rolex Field Manual and Antiquorum list 635; Siems and WatchNet Japan assign 620. Antiquorum also dates Cal. 635 to 1940–51, a catalogue statement rather than a factory record. No cited factory record or securely legible movement marking reconciles the two assignments.
The caliber number is unsettled. The Vintage Rolex Field Manual and Antiquorum list 635; Siems and WatchNet Japan assign 620. Antiquorum also dates Cal. 635 to 1940–51, a catalogue statement rather than a factory record. The sources currently available do not reconcile the two assignments; a factory record or a securely legible movement marking would be needed.


The 9¾-line dimension describes movement size. A circulated model-to-caliber chart on Rolex Forums also lists 9.75 for the reference; it gives no numeric caliber and its compiler is unidentified.
The 9¾-line dimension describes movement size. A circulated model-to-caliber chart on Rolex Forums also lists 9.75 for the reference; it gives no numeric caliber and its compiler is unidentified.
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|-
|-
| 2007, Christie's, case 54524
| 2007, Christie's, case 54524
| Circa 1945 pink-gold example; case 54524 reappears in Monaco Legend's 2020 catalogue
| Pink gold, 32 mm, 19-jewel movement; catalogue dates it circa 1945
| Sale result not recorded here
| Sale result not recorded here
|-
|-
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| Steel, black dial, cal. 635 as catalogued; Antiquorum notes the same watch appeared in the Mondani sale in 2006
| Steel, black dial, cal. 635 as catalogued; Antiquorum notes the same watch appeared in the Mondani sale in 2006
| CHF 15,600
| CHF 15,600
|-
| 2010, Christie's lot 49; 2020, Monaco Legend lot 125 (same case 54524)
| Pink gold, 32 mm; Christie's lists 17 jewels and dates the watch to 1942; Monaco Legend also dates this case to 1942
| Results not recorded here
|-
|-
| 2014, Heritage Auctions, lot 60182
| 2014, Heritage Auctions, lot 60182
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| EUR 15,625 including premium
| EUR 15,625 including premium
|}
|}
==Gallery==


<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
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== Sources ==
== Sources ==


* [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5309178 "Rolex ref. 3716, case 54,524, lot 49", Christie’s, 2010]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-176-49 "Rolex ref. 3716, Antiquorum Hong Kong 1989 lot 49", Antiquorum, 1989]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-176-49 "Rolex ref. 3716, Antiquorum Hong Kong 1989 lot 49", Antiquorum, 1989]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-120-84 "Rolex ref. 3716, Antiquorum Hong Kong 1995 lot 84", Antiquorum, 1995]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-120-84 "Rolex ref. 3716, Antiquorum Hong Kong 1995 lot 84", Antiquorum, 1995]

Latest revision as of 04:54, 20 October 2026


Bubbleback → 3716

Steel Rolex Oyster Perpetual reference 3716 with pink dial and subsidiary seconds
Steel ref. 3716, Monaco Legend Auctions, lot 102, 2022.

The Rolex Oyster Perpetual 3716 is a small-seconds watch in the straight-lug case style collectors call “Empire.” Auction catalogues show steel, yellow-gold, and pink-gold examples measuring 31–32 mm. Collector Marcus Siems proposes 1938–44 for the Empire group, while individual lot dates extend later in other catalogues. Published caliber attributions also differ.

Core facts

detail value
reference 3716
family Oyster Perpetual; grouped with Bubblebacks in collector references
production Unconfirmed; catalogued examples are dated circa 1940–46, with one Antiquorum catalogue dating an example to the 1950s
case examples Stainless steel, yellow gold, and pink/rose gold; catalogues give 31 or 32 mm
movement descriptions Automatic, 9¾ lignes; 19 jewels are reported on several examples
numeric caliber Disputed: 620 and 635 are both published; many catalogues give no caliber number
seconds Subsidiary seconds at 6
dial examples Silver, champagne, pink or salmon, and black; numeral and marker layouts vary by example
crystal Plexiglas is listed for one 1946 example
water resistance Antiquorum states 6 atm for its 2003 lot; this is an attributed example, not a verified reference-wide rating

Where it sits in the line

Antiquorum’s 2008 catalogue and collector Marcus Siems’s 2024 essay “The Deceptive Oyster — Meet the Rolex ‘Empire’” pair the 3716’s subsidiary seconds with the center-seconds ref. 3548. A 2020 r/rolex collector post describes the 3716 as the 3548’s small-seconds counterpart and uses “Empire” for the straight-lug style. Antiquorum says period advertisements used “Impero”; its 2008 catalogue does not reproduce the advertisement.

Auction catalogues show variations in metal, dial, and bracelet. Siems reports finding 18 publicly known 3716s; that count describes the examples in his survey.

Production outline

Siems proposes about 1938–44 for the Empire group. Auction catalogues date individual 3716s to circa 1940, 1942, circa 1943, and circa 1945–46. Christie’s described case 54,524 as circa 1945 in 2007, then as manufactured in 1942 in 2010; Monaco Legend repeated the 1942 date for that case in 2020. Antiquorum's 1989 catalogue dates a pink-gold example to the 1950s. This mix of catalogue dates leaves the production span unconfirmed.

Heritage's 2017 lot describes an inscription on case 56420 reading “Recuerdo de San Julian Diciembre 1946.” The inscription dates the dedication to December 1946; it does not independently date manufacture. Accademia Fine Art prints the serial as “46.742.” Available serial charts leave that number undated.

Movement notes

The auction descriptions identify automatic movements around 9¾ lignes. Antiquorum's 1995 record lists 19 jewels. Christie's 2007 catalogue gives 19 jewels for case 54,524; its 2010 entry for the same case lists 17. Monaco Legend describes case 208572 as a nickel-finished lever movement without a numeric caliber.

The caliber number is unsettled. The Vintage Rolex Field Manual and Antiquorum list 635; Siems and WatchNet Japan assign 620. Antiquorum also dates Cal. 635 to 1940–51, a catalogue statement rather than a factory record. The sources currently available do not reconcile the two assignments; a factory record or a securely legible movement marking would be needed.

The 9¾-line dimension describes movement size. A circulated model-to-caliber chart on Rolex Forums also lists 9.75 for the reference; it gives no numeric caliber and its compiler is unidentified.

Dial map

Catalogue records show silver and champagne dials as well as pink, salmon, and black examples. Markers vary: Antiquorum describes Roman numerals with painted indexes on a champagne dial; Monaco Legend's steel example has Roman numerals and dots with an outer minute track; Heritage records rose Arabic numerals with radial batons on case 56420. Momentum Dubai lists a steel example with a sand-tone dial and dates it to 1942, but gives no case number for comparison.

Close view of the pink dial and small-seconds display on steel reference 3716
Pink dial and subsidiary seconds, case 208572, Monaco Legend Auctions 2022.

Case, bezel, crystal, and crown

Catalogues describe a round case with a smooth bezel, straight or “lapidated” sloped lugs, screw-down back, and screw-down crown. Antiquorum gives 32 mm for its 2003 gold example; Monaco Legend gives 32 mm for case 208572. Its 1989 Hong Kong catalogue lists 31 mm. The records do not establish whether the difference reflects measurement or a case variant.

Antiquorum describes its 2003 example as water-resistant to 6 atm. Monaco Legend's 2022 photographs cover the case profile and exterior back of case 208572; the inner caseback is not shown.

  • Side view of the steel Rolex 3716 case and straight sloped lugs
    Case profile, case 208572, Monaco Legend Auctions 2022
  • Exterior of the steel caseback on Rolex 3716 case 208572
    Exterior caseback, case 208572, Monaco Legend Auctions 2022

Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging

Antiquorum's 2008 catalogue records a Bamboo bracelet with steel case 156649. Monaco Legend describes steel case 208572 with a steel rice bracelet and calls that bracelet original. That attribution applies to this lot. Available records show no standard 3716 bracelet or end-link fitment. The close-up below shows the clasp detail; the catalogue image does not show a legible end-link stamp.

Close-up of the clasp on the steel rice bracelet catalogued with Rolex 3716 case 208572
Clasp detail from the bracelet Monaco Legend catalogued with case 208572, 2022.

Auction record

date / sale example and catalogue description result
1989, Antiquorum Hong Kong, lot 49 Pink-gold case, 31 mm, silver matte dial with baton markers and subsidiary seconds; catalogue dates it to the 1950s HKD 63,365
1995, Antiquorum Hong Kong, lot 84 Pink-gold example with small seconds and a 19-jewel automatic movement Estimate HKD 60,000–65,000
2003, Antiquorum Geneva, lot 307 18K gold, 32 mm, silver matte dial, subsidiary seconds; Antiquorum states 6 atm CHF 17,250
2007, Christie's, case 54524 Pink gold, 32 mm, 19-jewel movement; catalogue dates it circa 1945 Sale result not recorded here
2008, Antiquorum Geneva, lot 284, case 156649 Steel, black dial, cal. 635 as catalogued; Antiquorum notes the same watch appeared in the Mondani sale in 2006 CHF 15,600
2010, Christie's lot 49; 2020, Monaco Legend lot 125 (same case 54524) Pink gold, 32 mm; Christie's lists 17 jewels and dates the watch to 1942; Monaco Legend also dates this case to 1942 Results not recorded here
2014, Heritage Auctions, lot 60182 Yellow-gold example, catalogue dated circa 1943 Result not recorded
2017, Heritage Auctions, lot 54143, case 56420 Rose gold, Mappin-signed dial, inscription dated December 1946 USD 5,500
2019, Accademia Fine Art, lot 25 Pink gold, serial 46.742 as printed, movement number 95195 Estimate EUR 16,000–18,000
2022, Monaco Legend Auctions, lot 102, case 208572 Steel with pink dial and rice bracelet EUR 15,625 including premium
  • Steel Rolex 3716 with pink dial, full watch view
    Case 208572, Monaco Legend Auctions 2022
  • Pink dial with Roman and dot markers and subsidiary seconds
    Dial, case 208572
  • Straight sloped lugs and case profile
    Case profile, case 208572
  • Exterior back of case 208572
    Exterior caseback
  • Close-up of the clasp interior on the steel rice bracelet catalogued with Rolex 3716 case 208572
    Clasp detail from the bracelet Monaco Legend catalogued with case 208572

Sources

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