Reference:3348: Difference between revisions

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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 3348 Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback "Lifesaver"}}

{{#seo:

|title=Rolex 3348 Bubbleback "Lifesaver" — Mappin & Webb Retailed, 1940 | ~~BezelBase~~

|title=Rolex 3348 Bubbleback "Lifesaver" — Mappin & Webb Retailed, 1940 | Rolexopedia

|description=The Rolex 3348 is a steel Oyster Perpetual ~~Bubbleback that~~ Sotheby's ~~catalogued~~ as a ~~"Lifesaver Bubbleback,"~~ circa 1940, retailed by ~~British jeweller~~ Mappin & Webb. ~~The only documented~~ example ~~failed to sell at its 2018 New York auction~~.

|description=The Rolex 3348 is a 29mm stainless-steel Oyster Perpetual documented by Sotheby's as a circa-1940 “Lifesaver Bubbleback,” retailed by Mappin & Webb. This guide separates the auction lot from a separate dealer-listed bi-metal example.

|keywords=Rolex, 3348, Bubbleback, Oyster Perpetual, vintage Rolex, Lifesaver, Mappin and Webb

|image=Ref 3348 hero.webp

|image_alt=Rolex 3348 Bubbleback, ~~Lifesaver~~, steel ~~case, silvered dial~~

|image_alt=Rolex 3348 Bubbleback, Serpico y Laino signed, pink gold and steel

|type=Article

|og_type=article

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}}

[[Reference:~~oyster-perpetual~~|~~Oyster Perpetual~~]] ~~->~~ '''3348'''

[[Reference:bubbleback|Bubbleback]] › '''3348'''

The 3348 is a stainless steel Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback~~, 29mm, that Sotheby's catalogued under the nickname "Lifesaver Bubbleback" when it came up for sale in~~ New York ~~in 2018~~. ~~The name~~ is ~~Sotheby's own~~, not ~~an official~~ Rolex ~~term or one otherwise documented in wider collector use — worth noting rather than repeating uncritically~~. ~~What is well documented is the retail history: the dial carries~~ a ~~second signature for~~ Mappin & Webb, the ~~British jeweller and silversmith~~, ~~placing this example through one of Rolex's established period~~ retail ~~partners~~.

</div>

The 3348 is a 29mm stainless-steel Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback. Sotheby’s called its 2018 New York lot a “Lifesaver Bubbleback”; the catalogue note says the large flat bezel resembled a nautical lifebelt. That is a catalogue nickname, not a Rolex reference name. The same lot has a Mappin & Webb signature on the dial, documenting its retail channel.

== Core facts ==

{| class="wikitable"

{| class="wikitable rp-facts"

|-

! detail

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== Where it sits in the line ==

The 3348 is ~~a plainer,~~ all-steel ~~counterpart to~~ the ~~pink~~-~~gold-and-steel~~ bi-metal ~~Bubblebacks like the [[Reference:3064|3064]] and [[Reference:3130|3130]] — no~~ bezel ~~or lug decoration in precious metal~~, ~~a flat rather than~~ domed or engine-turned ~~bezel, and~~ a ~~more modest 29mm case. It represents the lower cost~~ tier ~~Rolex sold alongside its gold and bi-metal Bubblebacks through~~ the ~~same period~~.

The 3348 is an all-steel 29mm example, while the separate dealer-listed watch discussed below is bi-metal. The auction lot has a flat bezel, screw-down crown and caseback; those features distinguish the documented lot from Bubblebacks with domed or engine-turned bezels. The available records do not establish a price tier for the reference.

== Production outline ==

The Sotheby’s example is dated circa 1940, case no. 154006, and retailed through Mappin & Webb. Sotheby’s offered it in New York on 24 May 2018 (sale N09879, lot 136) with a USD 5,000–7,000 estimate; the catalogue records no sale. Its condition report notes wear and oxidation, an associated expansion bracelet, and a movement that was running when catalogued but was not tested for accuracy or power reserve.

~~The Sotheby's example is dated circa 1940~~, ~~case no. 154006~~, ~~retailed through Mappin & Webb~~. It ~~went to auction at Sotheby's New York on 24 May 2018 (sale N09879~~, ~~lot 136) against~~ a ~~$5,000–7,000 estimate and did~~ not ~~sell — a genuine market data point worth recording alongside the successful results documented for other Bubbleback references~~, ~~not every catalogued example finds~~ a ~~buyer at its estimate~~.

A separate specialist dealer listing describes a 29mm round 14k pink-gold-and-steel watch identified as ref. 3348, with a cream Arabic-numeral dial, matching bi-metal bracelet and Serpico y Laino signature. It is useful evidence that a bi-metal example exists, but a dealer listing does not establish production totals, original fitment or a complete reference variant map.

~~A second documented~~ 3348 ~~shows~~ Rolex ~~offering the reference in a different metal tier entirely: 14k pink gold and stainless steel bi~~-~~metal~~, ~~29mm round~~ case, on a matching pink gold and steel bracelet with deployant buckle. Its cream Arabic-numeral dial carries a Serpico y Laino retailer signature — the Caracas-based dealer whose signed dials appear across several other Rolex references of the period, ~~including the [[Reference:3130|3130~~]].

[[File:Ref 3348 hero 2.webp|thumb|right|220px|alt=Rolex 3348 "Lifesaver Bubbleback," case no. 154006, Sotheby's New York 2018|The Sotheby's-catalogued "Lifesaver Bubbleback," case no. 154006, retailed by Mappin & Webb (New York, 24 May 2018, sale N09879, lot 136)]]

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

29mm stainless steel case with a flat bezel ~~— plainer than the domed or engine-turned bezels documented on other Bubbleback references —~~ screw-down ~~case back~~ and crown. ~~Sotheby's lists an associated (non-original)~~ expansion bracelet ~~sold with~~ the ~~watch~~.

The Sotheby’s lot is a 29mm stainless-steel case with a flat bezel, screw-down caseback and crown. Sotheby’s calls the expansion bracelet “associated” and does not warrant the originality of component parts; it should therefore be treated as a lot accessory, not as proven original fitment.

File:Ref 3348 crown.webp|Case-flank view of the Serpico y Laino-signed example, showing the rose gold crown and bezel edge

File:Ref 3348 caseback.webp|Screw-down caseback of the Serpico y Laino-signed example, on its bi-metal bracelet

File:Ref 3348 clasp.webp|Folded clasp on the bi-metal bracelet, stamped "Swiss Made Steelinox"

</gallery>

== Related references ==

* [[Reference:3064|Bubbleback 3064]] — same generation, bi-metal construction

* [[Reference:3064|Bubbleback 3064]] (same generation, bi-metal construction)

* [[Reference:3353|Bubbleback 3353]] — same generation, steel, tonneau case

* [[Reference:3353|Bubbleback 3353]] (same generation, steel, tonneau case)

* [[Reference:3725|Bubbleback 3725]] — same generation, documented in multiple metal configurations

* [[Reference:3725|Bubbleback 3725]] (same generation, documented in multiple metal configurations)

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]].

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|}

~~Only one~~ 3348 ~~has a located~~ auction record, ~~and that lot~~ did not sell ~~— no~~ second case ~~number or dial variant has surfaced to compare it against~~.

One 3348 auction record was located: Sotheby’s lot 136, which did not sell. The separate specialist listing is dealer evidence for a second watch, not a second auction result or a complete census.

File:Ref 3348 hero.webp|Serpico y Laino-signed pink gold and steel example

File:Ref 3348 hero 2.webp|Sotheby's "Lifesaver Bubbleback," case no. 154006

File:Ref 3348 crown.webp|Case-flank view, rose gold crown and bezel edge

File:Ref 3348 caseback.webp|Screw-down caseback and bi-metal bracelet

File:Ref 3348 clasp.webp|Folded clasp stamped "Swiss Made Steelinox"

</gallery>

== Sources ==

* [https://www.collectorsquare.com/en/watches/rolex/oyster-perpetual-chronometer/ref-rolex-3348/lpi "Rolex Retailed By Mappin & Webb: A Rare Stainless Steel Automatic Wristwatch Ref 3348 Case 154006 'Lifesaver Bubbleback'", Sotheby's New York, sale N09879, lot 136, 2018, via CollectorSquare Luxprice Index]

* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2018/important-watches-n09879/lot.136.html "Rolex Retailed By Mappin & Webb: A Rare Stainless Steel Automatic Wristwatch Ref 3348 Case 154006 'Lifesaver Bubbleback'", Sotheby's New York, sale N09879, lot 136, 2018]

* [https://www.grayandsons.com/w527238-rolex-bubble-back-29mm-3348 "Used Rolex Bubble Back 3348 14k pink gold & stainless steel", Gray & Sons]

* [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:~~Oyster Perpetual~~]]

[[Category:Bubbleback]]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 3348 Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback "Lifesaver"}}
 {{#seo:
-|title=Rolex 3348 Bubbleback "Lifesaver" — Mappin & Webb Retailed, 1940 &#124; BezelBase
+|title=Rolex 3348 Bubbleback "Lifesaver" — Mappin & Webb Retailed, 1940 &#124; Rolexopedia
-|description=The Rolex 3348 is a steel Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback that Sotheby's catalogued as a "Lifesaver Bubbleback," circa 1940, retailed by British jeweller Mappin & Webb. The only documented example failed to sell at its 2018 New York auction.
+|description=The Rolex 3348 is a 29mm stainless-steel Oyster Perpetual documented by Sotheby's as a circa-1940 “Lifesaver Bubbleback,” retailed by Mappin & Webb. This guide separates the auction lot from a separate dealer-listed bi-metal example.
 |keywords=Rolex, 3348, Bubbleback, Oyster Perpetual, vintage Rolex, Lifesaver, Mappin and Webb
 |image=Ref 3348 hero.webp
-|image_alt=Rolex 3348 Bubbleback, Lifesaver, steel case, silvered dial
+|image_alt=Rolex 3348 Bubbleback, Serpico y Laino signed, pink gold and steel
 |type=Article
 |og_type=article
@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 }}
-<small>[[Reference:oyster-perpetual|Oyster Perpetual]] -&gt; '''3348'''</small>
+<small>[[Reference:bubbleback|Bubbleback]] › '''3348'''</small>
-The 3348 is a stainless steel Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback, 29mm, that Sotheby's catalogued under the nickname "Lifesaver Bubbleback" when it came up for sale in New York in 2018. The name is Sotheby's own, not an official Rolex term or one otherwise documented in wider collector use — worth noting rather than repeating uncritically. What is well documented is the retail history: the dial carries a second signature for Mappin & Webb, the British jeweller and silversmith, placing this example through one of Rolex's established period retail partners.
+<div class="rp-lead">
+[[File:Ref 3348 hero.webp|thumb|center|640px|alt=Rolex 3348 Bubbleback, Serpico y Laino signed, pink gold and steel|Rolex 3348 Bubbleback, Serpico y Laino-signed pink gold and steel example]]
+</div>
+The 3348 is a 29mm stainless-steel Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback. Sotheby’s called its 2018 New York lot a “Lifesaver Bubbleback”; the catalogue note says the large flat bezel resembled a nautical lifebelt. That is a catalogue nickname, not a Rolex reference name. The same lot has a Mappin & Webb signature on the dial, documenting its retail channel.
 <span id="core-facts"></span>
-[[File:Ref 3348 hero.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex 3348 Bubbleback, Lifesaver, steel case, silvered dial|Rolex 3348 Bubbleback, retailed by Mappin & Webb, case no. 154006]]
 == Core facts ==
-{| class="wikitable"
+{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
 |-
 ! detail
@@ Line 54: / Line 56: @@
 == Where it sits in the line ==
-The 3348 is a plainer, all-steel counterpart to the pink-gold-and-steel bi-metal Bubblebacks like the [[Reference:3064|3064]] and [[Reference:3130|3130]] — no bezel or lug decoration in precious metal, a flat rather than domed or engine-turned bezel, and a more modest 29mm case. It represents the lower cost tier Rolex sold alongside its gold and bi-metal Bubblebacks through the same period.
+The 3348 is an all-steel 29mm example, while the separate dealer-listed watch discussed below is bi-metal. The auction lot has a flat bezel, screw-down crown and caseback; those features distinguish the documented lot from Bubblebacks with domed or engine-turned bezels. The available records do not establish a price tier for the reference.
 <span id="production-outline"></span>
 == Production outline ==
+The Sotheby’s example is dated circa 1940, case no. 154006, and retailed through Mappin & Webb. Sotheby’s offered it in New York on 24 May 2018 (sale N09879, lot 136) with a USD 5,000–7,000 estimate; the catalogue records no sale. Its condition report notes wear and oxidation, an associated expansion bracelet, and a movement that was running when catalogued but was not tested for accuracy or power reserve.
-The Sotheby's example is dated circa 1940, case no. 154006, retailed through Mappin & Webb. It went to auction at Sotheby's New York on 24 May 2018 (sale N09879, lot 136) against a $5,000&ndash;7,000 estimate and did not sell — a genuine market data point worth recording alongside the successful results documented for other Bubbleback references, not every catalogued example finds a buyer at its estimate.
+A separate specialist dealer listing describes a 29mm round 14k pink-gold-and-steel watch identified as ref. 3348, with a cream Arabic-numeral dial, matching bi-metal bracelet and Serpico y Laino signature. It is useful evidence that a bi-metal example exists, but a dealer listing does not establish production totals, original fitment or a complete reference variant map.
-A second documented 3348 shows Rolex offering the reference in a different metal tier entirely: 14k pink gold and stainless steel bi-metal, 29mm round case, on a matching pink gold and steel bracelet with deployant buckle. Its cream Arabic-numeral dial carries a Serpico y Laino retailer signature — the Caracas-based dealer whose signed dials appear across several other Rolex references of the period, including the [[Reference:3130|3130]].
+[[File:Ref 3348 hero 2.webp|thumb|right|220px|alt=Rolex 3348 "Lifesaver Bubbleback," case no. 154006, Sotheby's New York 2018|The Sotheby's-catalogued "Lifesaver Bubbleback," case no. 154006, retailed by Mappin & Webb (New York, 24 May 2018, sale N09879, lot 136)]]
 <span id="movement-notes"></span>
@@ Line 76: / Line 79: @@
 == Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==
-mm stainless steel case with a flat bezel — plainer than the domed or engine-turned bezels documented on other Bubbleback references — screw-down case back and crown. Sotheby's lists an associated (non-original) expansion bracelet sold with the watch.
+The Sotheby’s lot is a 29mm stainless-steel case with a flat bezel, screw-down caseback and crown. Sotheby’s calls the expansion bracelet “associated” and does not warrant the originality of component parts; it should therefore be treated as a lot accessory, not as proven original fitment.
+<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
+File:Ref 3348 crown.webp|Case-flank view of the Serpico y Laino-signed example, showing the rose gold crown and bezel edge
+File:Ref 3348 caseback.webp|Screw-down caseback of the Serpico y Laino-signed example, on its bi-metal bracelet
+File:Ref 3348 clasp.webp|Folded clasp on the bi-metal bracelet, stamped "Swiss Made Steelinox"
+</gallery>
 == Related references ==
-* [[Reference:3064|Bubbleback 3064]] — same generation, bi-metal construction
+* [[Reference:3064|Bubbleback 3064]] (same generation, bi-metal construction)
-* [[Reference:3353|Bubbleback 3353]] — same generation, steel, tonneau case
+* [[Reference:3353|Bubbleback 3353]] (same generation, steel, tonneau case)
-* [[Reference:3725|Bubbleback 3725]] — same generation, documented in multiple metal configurations
+* [[Reference:3725|Bubbleback 3725]] (same generation, documented in multiple metal configurations)
 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]].
@@ Line 96: / Line 105: @@
 |}
-Only one 3348 has a located auction record, and that lot did not sell — no second case number or dial variant has surfaced to compare it against.
+One 3348 auction record was located: Sotheby’s lot 136, which did not sell. The separate specialist listing is dealer evidence for a second watch, not a second auction result or a complete census.
+<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
+File:Ref 3348 hero.webp|Serpico y Laino-signed pink gold and steel example
+File:Ref 3348 hero 2.webp|Sotheby's "Lifesaver Bubbleback," case no. 154006
+File:Ref 3348 crown.webp|Case-flank view, rose gold crown and bezel edge
+File:Ref 3348 caseback.webp|Screw-down caseback and bi-metal bracelet
+File:Ref 3348 clasp.webp|Folded clasp stamped "Swiss Made Steelinox"
+</gallery>
 == Sources ==
 * [https://www.collectorsquare.com/en/watches/rolex/oyster-perpetual-chronometer/ref-rolex-3348/lpi "Rolex Retailed By Mappin & Webb: A Rare Stainless Steel Automatic Wristwatch Ref 3348 Case 154006 'Lifesaver Bubbleback'", Sotheby's New York, sale N09879, lot 136, 2018, via CollectorSquare Luxprice Index]
+* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2018/important-watches-n09879/lot.136.html "Rolex Retailed By Mappin & Webb: A Rare Stainless Steel Automatic Wristwatch Ref 3348 Case 154006 'Lifesaver Bubbleback'", Sotheby's New York, sale N09879, lot 136, 2018]
 * [https://www.grayandsons.com/w527238-rolex-bubble-back-29mm-3348 "Used Rolex Bubble Back 3348 14k pink gold & stainless steel", Gray & Sons]
 * [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:Oyster Perpetual]]
+[[Category:Bubbleback]]