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[[File:Ref 3599 hero.webp|thumb|center|640px|alt=Steel 3599, case 45032, three-tone silver Chronomètre dial — the fluted hoods and the wide flat bezel in one view|Steel 3599, case 45032, three-tone silver Chronomètre dial — the fluted hoods and the wide flat bezel in one view]]
[[File:Ref 3599 hero.webp|thumb|center|640px|alt=Steel 3599, case 45032, three-tone silver Chronomètre dial, the fluted hoods and the wide flat bezel in one view|Steel 3599, case 45032, three-tone silver Chronomètre dial, the fluted hoods and the wide flat bezel in one view]]
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The 3599 closes the usual gap between its lugs with fixed hood covers and pairs them with a wide,
The 3599 is an Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback, usually in steel, with fixed covers over the spaces between its lugs and a broad, flat bezel. Most auction catalogues describe fluted covers; a smooth example is also documented. “Rigid Hooded” is the collector and auction-house name used for the reference since at least 2001.
flat bezel. Most catalogued examples have fluted hoods, although smooth covers are also documented.
Auction houses have used the name "Rigid Hooded" since at least 2001. Here, rigid means that the
hoods do not articulate. Bonhams describes them as fitted covers, and surviving side views show
seams where they meet the case.
 
The reference is usually found in steel, with one steel-and-yellow-gold example also documented.
It is one of several hooded Bubblebacks: refs. 3065 and 3134 also appear with hooded cases. At
least 27 auction appearances across six houses are recorded between 2001 and 2025, although some
watches returned to auction and should not be counted as separate examples.


Auction records also show one steel case with yellow-gold covers, bezel and crown. Refs. 3065 and 3134 are other Bubblebacks catalogued with hooded cases. The record contains 27 auction appearances across six houses from 2001 to 2025. Cases 45032 and 206262 each appear twice, so count these as appearances rather than unique watches.


==Core facts==
==Core facts==
Line 36: Line 28:
|-
|-
| family
| family
| Bubbleback (collector name; never official Rolex usage)
| Bubbleback (collector term)
|-
|-
| collector name
| collector name
| "Rigid Hooded" Bubbleback
| "Rigid Hooded" Bubbleback
|-
|-
| production
| date evidence
| documented examples catalogued 1939–1946
| auction houses date examples 1939–1946
|-
|-
| case diameter
| case diameter
Line 57: Line 49:
|-
|-
| bezel
| bezel
| flat cylindrical, unusually wide, polished
| flat cylindrical and polished; Phillips describes it as wide
|-
|-
| caseback
| caseback
Line 78: Line 70:
|-
|-
| balance
| balance
| patented Super-Balance, monometallic
| auction descriptions include a monometallic patented Super-Balance
|-
|-
| hairspring
| hairspring
| self-compensating Breguet
| Breguet type, as described in auction catalogues
|-
|-
| seconds
| seconds
| mainly subsidiary at 6; centre-seconds watches auctioned, exact caliber and factory status unresolved
| mostly subsidiary at 6 in auction records; Christie's also catalogued centre-seconds examples, with caliber and factory fitment unconfirmed
|-
|-
| case materials
| case materials
Line 92: Line 84:
==Where it sits in the line==
==Where it sits in the line==


By the late 1930s, Rolex offered the same basic 32mm tonneau Bubbleback under many references,
The 3599 shares the tonneau-shaped Bubbleback case with several references from the late 1930s and 1940s. Its fixed covers fill the spaces between the lugs, and its broad, flat bezel gives the front a different outline from the more extended lug profile seen on the 3065. Phillips used the bezel and covered lug openings to identify a 3599 in its 2016 catalogue.
with changes to the bezel, metal and dial. Refs. 3131 and 3132 had introduced a simpler two-piece
case in 1936. The 3599 took a different visual route: its covers close the gap between the lugs
and extend the case toward the strap. It wears longer than the diameter suggests.


The 3065 usually has gold hoods and a gold bezel over a steel case, with an extended teardrop lug
Auction records show the 3134 with both hooded and conventional cases. The case details therefore need to be checked on each example.
profile. The 3599 is mainly steel and has a much wider, flat bezel. Phillips used those two details
to identify the reference in its 2016 catalogue. Ref. 3134 also appears with hoods, though auction
catalogues show conventional cases under that number too. The three references overlap in period.


Bonhams described hooded Bubblebacks as a 1940s attempt to refresh the case and revive sales.
Bonhams attributes the hooded Bubbleback design to a 1940s effort to refresh the case and revive sales. Other auction houses date some 3599 cases to the late 1930s; the sales catalogue gives no production figures for its explanation.
The catalogue gives no production or sales figures, and its date conflicts with examples that
other houses place in the late 1930s. The explanation remains Bonhams' view rather than a settled
production history.


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


[[File:Ref 3599 retailer-verga.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=3599 in steel, case 206254, dated 1942|Case 206254, catalogued as 1942 — one of the case numbers behind the dating spread]]
Auction catalogues date examples with case numbers from 45015 to 275254 between 1939 and 1946. The house dates jump across the case-number range. Antiquorum dated case 45032 to 1945/6; Christie's later catalogued the same watch as 1939. Antiquorum dated case 275254 to 1943 and case 56116 to 1939. Christie's assigned circa 1941 to case 152894 and circa 1939 to case 152901, seven numbers later. Treat these as house dates for individual watches; no factory serial chart is available.


Documented 3599 case numbers run from 45015 to 275254, and auction houses date them between 1939
Pre-1948 Rolex dating can use assay marks or delivery papers. For steel cases, auction records and dated papers are the available anchors because the cases have no assay marks. Antiquorum dates Cal. 635 to 1940–1951 in its Mondani catalogue. That is a caliber date range, not a production span for the 3599.
and 1946. The dates do not follow the numbers. Antiquorum dated case 45032 to 1945/6, while
Christie's later dated the same watch to 1939. Antiquorum dated case 275254 to 1943 and case
56116 to 1939. Cases 152894 and 152901 sit seven numbers apart, yet Christie's dated the first
to circa 1941 and the second to circa 1939.


Catalogue dates for the 3599 are estimates, not a serial chart. Pre-1948 Rolex dating often relies
[[File:Ref 3599 retailer-verga.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=3599 in steel, case 206254|Verga-signed case 206254, catalogued as 1942]]
on assay marks or delivery papers, but steel cases have no assay marks. Without papers, a precise
production year for a 3599 is an inference.
 
Antiquorum's Mondani catalogue dates Cal. 635 to 1940–1951. Ranfft's movement database instead
lists a 1950 launch and different movement dimensions. Neither source is enough to date the
reference, so the production outline rests on catalogued watches rather than a caliber window.


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


Auction catalogues place the 3599 in Rolex's early Perpetual movement family, but their caliber
Auction catalogues place the 3599 in Rolex's early Perpetual movement family. Antiquorum's Mondani Collection watch has subsidiary seconds and is catalogued as Cal. 635. Antiquorum describes it as a 9¾-ligne, 19-jewel movement; Ranfft lists Cal. 635 as 11.5 lignes, 17 jewels, with a 1950 launch. Ranfft classifies it as an automatic calibre with subsidiary seconds. The technical figures and date differ between these sources, so each remains attached to its catalogue.
descriptions are not consistent. Antiquorum's Mondani Collection example has subsidiary seconds
and is catalogued as Cal. 635. Ranfft identifies 635 as the shock-protected subsidiary-seconds
member of the 600-series family. The same source identifies Cal. 630 and 645 as the corresponding
centre-seconds movements.


Christie's case 152894 visibly has centre seconds but is catalogued as Cal. 635. No public movement
Christie's case 152894 has centre seconds and is also catalogued as Cal. 635. Ranfft classifies 635 as a subsidiary-seconds calibre. Christie's public entry gives the caliber but shows no movement photograph, so the watch's movement identification remains unverified. Christie's case 152901, with subsidiary seconds, is listed with a 9¾-ligne movement and 17 jewels. Other auction descriptions give ligne sizes such as 9¾ and 10½ without naming a caliber.
photograph survives, so the exact caliber cannot be checked. The visible seconds layout is clear;
the caliber entry is probably wrong. Other catalogues use bare ligne sizes, including 9¾ and 10½,
without naming a caliber. They describe lever escapements, monometallic Super-Balance assemblies,
Breguet hairsprings and, on several examples, fausses côtes decoration.


Auction catalogues list both 17- and 19-jewel movements. Seventeen-jewel examples include cases
Auction descriptions record both 17- and 19-jewel movements. Seventeen-jewel examples include cases 52082, 97031 and 275254; nineteen-jewel descriptions include case 45032 and Christie's case 152894. Seventeen- and 19-jewel descriptions occur across overlapping date and case-number ranges. They describe lever escapements, monometallic Super-Balance assemblies, Breguet hairsprings and, on some examples, fausses côtes decoration.
52082, 97031 and 275254. Nineteen-jewel descriptions appear across the same range, including case
45032 and Christie's case 152894. The counts do not follow a clear date or case-number sequence.
Some 19-jewel watches have Chronomètre dials, but others do not.


The large majority of documented 3599s have subsidiary seconds at 6. Christie's has auctioned
Most examples in the reviewed auction record have subsidiary seconds at 6. Christie's also catalogued centre-seconds watches, including cases 152894, 218526 and 218528. The sale records document those watches as catalogued; the caliber and factory configuration of each centre-seconds example remain unconfirmed. Antiquorum's New York lot 207 describes its seconds inconsistently, calling the watch centre-seconds in the header and subsidiary-seconds in the dial description, so it is not counted for either layout.
several centre-seconds watches, including cases 152894, 218526 and 218528. Those watches document
the configuration as sold, but the catalogues do not establish its exact caliber or prove that
each watch left Rolex in that form. An Antiquorum lot is internally inconsistent, calling the
watch centre-seconds in its header and subsidiary-seconds in its dial description, so it carries
no weight on the question.


==Dial map==
==Dial map==
Auction records document several dial types, but the 27 appearances are too few to establish how common each was across production. Three-tone silver appears on the Mondani watch with luminous Dauphine numerals, on case 206262 with luminous Arabic numerals, and on a 2008 New York example with painted Arabic numerals. Other silver dials carry applied steel Arabic numerals and dart indexes, radium Arabic numerals with baton and triangular indexes, or plain applied steel batons.
Auction records also describe a black dial with applied gold batons, an off-white and copper two-colour dial with applied steel indexes, and a satined copper dial with skeletonised hands. Phillips catalogued a champagne-and-black dial with Arabic numerals on case 97031. Bonhams described gilt batons with luminous dots and Alpha hands; Antiquorum records an off-white dial with radium-coated steel indexes.
Robert Maron lists a criss-cross silver dial, and a 1stDibs listing shows a bow-tie dial with luminous Arabic numerals. Neither listing identifies the case or movement. “Bow tie,” also called “Papillon,” is used for Bubbleback dials elsewhere in the family; the available listings leave it unclear whether both descriptions refer to the same geometry.
Auction catalogues record blued-steel feuille hands, luminous batons, steel or yellow-gold Alpha hands, and yellow-gold lozenge hands. Christie's case 152894 has skeletonised hands.


<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
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File:Ref 3599 dial-gilt-batons.webp|alt=3599 silvered dial with gilt batons and Alpha hands|Silvered dial, applied gilt batons with luminescent dots, Alpha hands, circa 1945
File:Ref 3599 dial-gilt-batons.webp|alt=3599 silvered dial with gilt batons and Alpha hands|Silvered dial, applied gilt batons with luminescent dots, Alpha hands, circa 1945
File:Ref 3599 dial-two-tone-arabic.webp|alt=3599 two-tone silvery dial with Arabic numerals|Two-tone silvery dial, Arabic numerals and small seconds, case 152901, circa 1939
File:Ref 3599 dial-two-tone-arabic.webp|alt=3599 two-tone silvery dial with Arabic numerals|Two-tone silvery dial, Arabic numerals and small seconds, case 152901, circa 1939
File:Ref 3599 dial-criss-cross.webp|alt=3599 two-tone criss-cross silver dial|The two-tone criss-cross dial, circa 1944 — documented in the dealer market only, with no published case or movement number
File:Ref 3599 dial-criss-cross.webp|alt=3599 two-tone criss-cross silver dial|Criss-cross silver dial, dealer-listed
</gallery>
</gallery>


The documented dial range is unusually broad for a reference with so few known examples.
==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown==


Three-tone silver is the most frequently encountered configuration, appearing with luminous
The covers are fixed to the case. Bonhams describes a fitted hooded cover, and photographs of case 206254 show seams around the assembly. Most auction catalogues describe fluted covers; the Verga-signed case 206254 has smooth covers. Sotheby's noted that the raised hoods and visible gap on case 45015 might indicate modification. That observation applies to the photographed watch.
Dauphine numerals on the Mondani example, with luminous Arabic numerals on case 206262, and
with painted Arabic numerals on a 2008 New York lot. Matte silver is the other common ground,
carrying applied steel Arabic numerals with dart indexes on case 275254, radium Arabic with
baton and triangular indexes on a Hong Kong lot, and plain applied steel batons on a 2010
Geneva lot.


Antiquorum sold a black dial with applied yellow-gold baton indexes twice in 2002, describing it
Phillips describes the bezel as a flat cylinder of considerable width. Auction catalogues give case diameters of 32mm most often, with 31mm from Bonhams and Monaco Legend and 34mm from Phillips. The catalogues report the measurements without explaining the difference. Published thickness figures are 12mm and 14mm.
as a special dial.
A bi-coloured off-white and copper dial with applied steel indexes took USD 18,400 in New York
in 2005 against a USD 7,000–9,000 estimate. Christie's case 152894 pairs a satined copper dial
with skeletonised hands. Phillips sold a two-tone champagne and black dial with Arabic numerals
in 2016 and described it as exceptionally rare.


Bonhams catalogued a silvered dial with applied gilt batons and luminous dots. Antiquorum also
Auction catalogues describe both two-body and three-body cases. Antiquorum uses both descriptions across its lots; Christie's and Bonhams describe three-part cases. The published records use both terms; until photographs or a case description settle the construction, both are retained here.
sold an off-white dial with applied steel, radium-coated indexes.


Two further dials sit outside the auction record entirely, documented only in the dealer
The catalogues describe a domed acrylic crystal, screw-down caseback and screw-down Oyster crown. The domed back gives the wider Bubbleback family its collector name.
market: a two-tone criss-cross silver dial on a 1944-dated example, and a bow tie dial with
luminous Arabic numerals on one dated around 1940. Bow tie, sometimes called Papillon, is
familiar Bubbleback dial vocabulary from other references in the family. Neither listing gives
a case or movement number. They show that both descriptions have been used for ref. 3599, but
do not establish whether they describe the same geometric dial design.
 
Catalogued hands include blued steel feuille, luminous batons, Alpha hands in steel or yellow
gold, and yellow-gold lozenges. Christie's centre-seconds case 152894 has skeletonised hands.
 
==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown==


<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
File:Ref 3599 hooded-lugs-detail.webp|alt=3599 hooded lug and wide flat bezel detail|A smooth fitted hood cover against the flat cylindrical bezel, case 206254
File:Ref 3599 hooded-lugs-detail.webp|alt=3599 hooded lug and wide flat bezel detail|Smooth fitted hood cover against the flat cylindrical bezel, case 206254
File:Ref 3599 case-profile.webp|alt=3599 side profile showing the domed caseback|Side profile: the domed back that gives the family its name, case 56116
File:Ref 3599 case-profile.webp|alt=3599 side profile showing the domed caseback|Side profile of case 56116
File:Ref 3599 caseback.webp|alt=3599 screw-down caseback stamped 206254|Screw-down caseback stamped 206254, with the underside of the hoods either side
File:Ref 3599 caseback.webp|alt=3599 screw-down caseback stamped 206254|Caseback stamped 206254, with the underside of the hoods visible
</gallery>
</gallery>


The hoods are fixed covers rather than articulated end pieces. Bonhams describes a "fitted hooded
==Bracelets, end links, and clasps==
cover," and photographs of case 206254 show seams around the hood assembly. Most auction catalogues
describe fluting, while that Verga-signed example has smooth covers. The method used to attach the
covers is not documented. Sotheby's also warned that the raised hoods and visible gap on case 45015
might indicate modification, so a hooded case still has to be judged example by example.


The polished bezel is flat, cylindrical and unusually wide for a Bubbleback of the period. Its
Auction catalogues show 3599s on a stainless-steel Rolex buckle, an Oyster bracelet, a Bamboo bracelet on case 56116, and leather with a steel pin buckle. These are the configurations shown in sale catalogues; original delivery fitment is unconfirmed. A clasp code dates the bracelet, not the watch head.
width, combined with the hood covers, makes the case look larger than its stated diameter.
 
The measurement itself is contested. Antiquorum, Christie's and the market indices give 32mm.
Bonhams and Monaco Legend give 31mm. Phillips gives 34mm. The reason for the spread is not
documented. Thirty-two millimetres is the most frequent catalogue figure. Catalogued thickness
is either 12mm or 14mm.
 
Case construction is also disputed. Antiquorum
described two-body cases on the Mondani lot and on three others; Antiquorum also described
three-body cases on four lots, and Christie's and Bonhams both count three. The likeliest
explanation is a counting convention, but nothing published resolves it.
 
Crystal is acrylic and domed. The crown is a screw-down Oyster, and the caseback screws down
into the domed profile that gives the family its name.
 
==Bracelets, end links, and clasps==


[[File:Ref 3599 bamboo-bracelet.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=3599 on a steel Bamboo bracelet|Case 56116 on a steel Bamboo bracelet, Antiquorum Monaco 2021]]
[[File:Ref 3599 bamboo-bracelet.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=3599 on a steel Bamboo bracelet|Case 56116 on a steel Bamboo bracelet, Antiquorum Monaco 2021]]
Nothing on the 3599 is bracelet-specific. Documented examples have come on a stainless steel
Rolex buckle (most of them), a stainless steel Oyster bracelet, a stainless steel Bamboo
bracelet on the 1939 Monaco example, and leather with a steel pin buckle. As across the whole
Bubbleback line, a clasp code dates the bracelet and not the watch head, and none of these
fitments has been shown to be original delivery.


==Case materials==
==Case materials==


[[File:Ref 3599 two-tone-steel-gold.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=3599 in steel with yellow gold hoods and bezel|The only documented bicolor 3599: yellow gold hoods, bezel and crown over a steel body, gold lozenge hands]]
Most examples in the auction record are stainless steel. Antiquorum's Hong Kong sale in June 2001 catalogued one case with a steel body and yellow-gold hoods, bezel and crown. That watch has a matte silver dial, yellow-gold batons and gold lozenge hands. It is the only two-tone 3599 in the reviewed auction records.


Most documented 3599s are stainless steel. Antiquorum's Hong Kong sale in June 2001 included one
[[File:Ref 3599 two-tone-steel-gold.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=3599 in steel with yellow gold hoods and bezel|Steel case with yellow-gold hoods, bezel and crown, and gold lozenge hands]]
bicolor example with yellow-gold hoods, bezel and crown over a steel body. It has a matte silver
dial, yellow-gold batons and gold lozenge hands. No second two-tone example has been located, so
the lot does not establish a broader material range for the reference.


==Retailer-signed dials==
==Retailer-signed dials==


[[File:Ref 3599 retailer-forbes.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Forbes-signed 3599 in steel|The Forbes-retailed steel example, case 52082, 17 jewels]]
Auction catalogues document four retailer signatures: Mappin & Webb on a Sotheby's 2010 lot; Giudici Milano on Phillips case 218530 in 2015; Verga on Monaco Legend case 206254 in 2022; and Forbes on Antiquorum case 52082 in 2025.


Four retailer-signed 3599s are documented. Sotheby's sold a Mappin & Webb example in 2010;
[[File:Ref 3599 retailer-forbes.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Forbes-signed 3599 in steel|Forbes-retailed case 52082, 17 jewels]]
Phillips sold case 218530 signed Giudici Milano in 2015; Monaco Legend sold the Verga-signed case
206254 in 2022; and Antiquorum sold the Forbes-signed case 52082 in 2025.


==Published literature==
==Published literature==


Osvaldo Patrizzi's ''Rolex, Collecting Wristwatches'' (Guido Mondani Editore, Genova) illustrates
Antiquorum catalogue notes cite Osvaldo Patrizzi's ''Rolex, Collecting Wristwatches'' (Guido Mondani Editore, Genova): the 1998 edition, pages 135 and 278, and the 2001 edition, pages 158–159. The 2001 illustration is identified as the Mondani Collection watch. These page references come from auction catalogues; the book itself has not been checked here.
the 3599 in the 1998 edition at pages 135 and 278 and in the 2001 edition at pages 158–159. The
latter shows the Mondani Collection watch. Both page references come from Antiquorum catalogue
notes, which confirm the illustrations but do not quote Patrizzi's text.


==Auction record==
==Auction record==
Line 428: Line 338:
|}
|}


These are auction appearances, not a census of unique watches. Case 45032 appears twice, as does
The table records 27 auction appearances from 2001 through 2025. Cases 45032 and 206262 each appear twice. The results use different currencies and reflect different dates, dials and condition reports; read each result with its lot rather than as a price series.
case 206262. Results span different currencies, dates, dial types and condition reports, so the
table does not support a simple price trend or a dial-premium rule.


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


* [[Reference:3065|Bubbleback 3065]] — hooded Bubbleback commonly seen in two-tone, 1937–1950
* [[Reference:3065|Bubbleback 3065]], hooded Bubbleback commonly seen in two-tone, 1937–1950
* [[Reference:3134|Bubbleback 3134]] — hooded and conventional cases documented
* [[Reference:3134|Bubbleback 3134]], hooded and conventional cases documented
* [[Reference:3131|Bubbleback 3131]] — 1936–1948
* [[Reference:3131|Bubbleback 3131]], 1936–1948
* [[Reference:3372|Bubbleback 3372]] — peak-era production reference
* [[Reference:3372|Bubbleback 3372]]
* [[Reference:3458|Bubbleback 3458]] — first-generation four-piece case, 1934–1948
* [[Reference:3458|Bubbleback 3458]], first-generation four-piece case, 1934–1948
* [[Reference:2940|Bubbleback 2940]] — 1940–1949
* [[Reference:2940|Bubbleback 2940]], 1940–1949
* [[Reference:3595|Bubbleback 3595]] — 1941–1949
* [[Reference:3595|Bubbleback 3595]], 1941–1949


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 3599 hero.webp|alt=Steel 3599, case 45032, three-tone silver dial|Case 45032, three-tone silver dial
File:Ref 3599 dial-champagne-black.webp|alt=3599 champagne and black dial|Champagne and black dial, case 97031
File:Ref 3599 dial-copper-bicolour.webp|alt=3599 off-white and copper dial|Off-white and copper dial
File:Ref 3599 dial-matte-silver-darts.webp|alt=3599 matte silver dial with dart indexes|Matte silver dial with dart indexes, case 275254
File:Ref 3599 dial-gilt-batons.webp|alt=3599 silver dial with gilt batons|Silvered dial with gilt batons
File:Ref 3599 dial-two-tone-arabic.webp|alt=3599 two-tone silver dial with Arabic numerals|Two-tone silver dial, case 152901
File:Ref 3599 dial-criss-cross.webp|alt=3599 criss-cross silver dial|Criss-cross silver dial, dealer-listed
File:Ref 3599 hooded-lugs-detail.webp|alt=3599 hooded lug and bezel detail|Hood and bezel detail, case 206254
File:Ref 3599 case-profile.webp|alt=3599 side profile and caseback|Side profile, case 56116
File:Ref 3599 caseback.webp|alt=3599 caseback stamped 206254|Caseback detail
File:Ref 3599 bamboo-bracelet.webp|alt=3599 on a steel Bamboo bracelet|Bamboo bracelet, case 56116
File:Ref 3599 two-tone-steel-gold.webp|alt=3599 in steel with yellow-gold hoods and bezel|Steel case with yellow-gold components
File:Ref 3599 retailer-forbes.webp|alt=Forbes-signed 3599|Forbes-signed dial, case 52082
File:Ref 3599 retailer-verga.webp|alt=Verga-signed 3599|Verga-signed dial, case 206254
</gallery>


== Sources ==
== Sources ==


* [https://www.1stdibs.com/jewelry/watches/wrist-watches/rolex-stainless-steel-hooded-bubbleback-wristwatch-rare-dial-ref-3599/id-j_195918/ "Rolex Stainless Steel Hooded Bubbleback Wristwatch with Rare Dial Ref 3599", 1stDibs]
* [https://www.1stdibs.com/jewelry/watches/wrist-watches/rolex-stainless-steel-hooded-bubbleback-wristwatch-rare-dial-ref-3599/id-j_195918/ "Rolex Stainless Steel Hooded Bubbleback Wristwatch with Rare Dial Ref 3599", 1stDibs]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-3599-hooded-bubbleback-lot-377-153 Antiquorum, "Antiquorum Geneva Lot 153 — Rolex Ref. 3599 "Hooded Bubbleback", retailed by Forbes, stainless steel", Antiquorum, 2025-05-10]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-3599-hooded-bubbleback-lot-377-153 Antiquorum, "Antiquorum Geneva Lot 153, Rolex Ref. 3599 "Hooded Bubbleback", retailed by Forbes, stainless steel", Antiquorum, 2025-05-10]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-15-332 Antiquorum, "Antiquorum Hong Kong Lot 332 — Rolex Oyster Perpetual Chronometre "Rigid Hooded" Ref. 3599, steel and yellow gold", Antiquorum, 2001-06-08]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-15-332 Antiquorum, "Antiquorum Hong Kong Lot 332, Rolex Oyster Perpetual Chronometre "Rigid Hooded" Ref. 3599, steel and yellow gold", Antiquorum, 2001-06-08]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-3599-so-called-bubble-back-lot-341-136 Antiquorum, "Antiquorum Monaco Lot 136 — Rolex Ref. 3599, self-winding, hooded lugs, "Oyster Perpetual" so called "Bubble Back", stainless steel", Antiquorum, 2021-07-21]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-3599-so-called-bubble-back-lot-341-136 Antiquorum, "Antiquorum Monaco Lot 136, Rolex Ref. 3599, self-winding, hooded lugs, "Oyster Perpetual" so called "Bubble Back", stainless steel", Antiquorum, 2021-07-21]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-108-254 Antiquorum, "Antiquorum, The Mondani Collection of Rolex Wristwatches, Geneva, Lot 254 — Ref. 3599 Stainless Steel So-Called "Rigid Hooded Bubble-Back"", Antiquorum, 2006-05-14]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-108-254 Antiquorum, "Antiquorum, The Mondani Collection of Rolex Wristwatches, Geneva, Lot 254, Ref. 3599 Stainless Steel So-Called "Rigid Hooded Bubble-Back"", Antiquorum, 2006-05-14]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-81-207 Antiquorum, "Antiquorum New York Lot 207 — Rolex "Rigid Hooded" Oyster Perpetual Chronometer Ref. 3599", Antiquorum, 2005-06-15]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-81-207 Antiquorum, "Antiquorum New York Lot 207, Rolex "Rigid Hooded" Oyster Perpetual Chronometer Ref. 3599", Antiquorum, 2005-06-15]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-261-378 Antiquorum, "Antiquorum New York Lot 378 — Rolex Ref. 3599 Bubble-Back Hooded Lugs, Steel", Antiquorum, 2012-04-25]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-261-378 Antiquorum, "Antiquorum New York Lot 378, Rolex Ref. 3599 Bubble-Back Hooded Lugs, Steel", Antiquorum, 2012-04-25]
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/16094/lot/167/ Bonhams, "Bonhams, Fine Watches and Wristwatches, New York, Lot 167 — Rolex Oyster Perpetual so called "hooded bubbleback" Ref. 3599, made circa 1945", Bonhams, 2008-06-19]
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/16094/lot/167/ Bonhams, "Bonhams, Fine Watches and Wristwatches, New York, Lot 167, Rolex Oyster Perpetual so called "hooded bubbleback" Ref. 3599, made circa 1945", Bonhams, 2008-06-19]
* [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5158178 Christie's, "Christie's Lot 5158178 — Rolex Ref. 3599 Hooded Bubbleback, stainless steel automatic wristwatch with hooded lugs, case 152894, circa 1941", Christie's]
* [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5158178 Christie's, "Christie's Lot 5158178, Rolex Ref. 3599 Hooded Bubbleback, stainless steel automatic wristwatch with hooded lugs, case 152894, circa 1941", Christie's]
* [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5091688 Christie's, "Christie's Lot 5091688 — Rolex "Oyster Perpetual" Bubble Back Ref. 3599, stainless steel self-winding tonneau-shaped wristwatch with small seconds and hooded lugs, case 152901, circa 1939", Christie's]
* [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5091688 Christie's, "Christie's Lot 5091688, Rolex "Oyster Perpetual" Bubble Back Ref. 3599, stainless steel self-winding tonneau-shaped wristwatch with small seconds and hooded lugs, case 152901, circa 1939", Christie's]
* [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5309408 Christie's, "Christie's Geneva Lot 279 — Rolex ref. 3599, case 186279, with box", Christie's, 2010-05-10]
* [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5309408 Christie's, "Christie's Geneva Lot 279, Rolex ref. 3599, case 186279, with box", Christie's, 2010-05-10]
* [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5158179 Christie's, "Christie's Hong Kong Lot 3232 — Rolex ref. 3599, case 218526, sweep centre seconds", Christie's, 2008-12-03]
* [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5158179 Christie's, "Christie's Hong Kong Lot 3232, Rolex ref. 3599, case 218526, sweep centre seconds", Christie's, 2008-12-03]
* [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5091687 Christie's, "Christie's Hong Kong Lot 2724 — Rolex ref. 3599, case 218528, sweep seconds and hooded lugs", Christie's, 2008-05-29]
* [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5091687 Christie's, "Christie's Hong Kong Lot 2724, Rolex ref. 3599, case 218528, sweep seconds and hooded lugs", Christie's, 2008-05-29]
* [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5158177 Christie's, "Christie's Hong Kong Lot 3230 — Rolex Super Precision ref. 3599, case 266189", Christie's, 2008-12-03]
* [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5158177 Christie's, "Christie's Hong Kong Lot 3230, Rolex Super Precision ref. 3599, case 266189", Christie's, 2008-12-03]
* [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5257795 Christie's, "Christie's Geneva Lot 346 — Rolex ref. 3599, case 45032, Mondani provenance", Christie's, 2009-11-16]
* [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5257795 Christie's, "Christie's Geneva Lot 346, Rolex ref. 3599, case 45032, Mondani provenance", Christie's, 2009-11-16]
* [https://www.collectorsquare.com/en/watches/rolex/oyster-perpetual-bubbleback/ref-rolex-3599/lpi "Rolex Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback ref. 3599 — LuxPrice-Index", Collectors Square]
* [https://www.collectorsquare.com/en/watches/rolex/oyster-perpetual/ref-rolex-3134/lpi Antiquorum Geneva, ref. 3134, lot 181 (1992), indexed by CollectorSquare]
* [https://www.everestbands.com/blogs/bezel-barrel/the-rolex-bubbleback-history-facts Everest Bands, "Everest Bands — The Rolex Bubbleback: History and Facts", Everest Bands, current]
* [https://www.collectorsquare.com/en/watches/rolex/oyster-perpetual-bubbleback/ref-rolex-3599/lpi "Rolex Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback ref. 3599, LuxPrice-Index", Collectors Square]
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-rolex-bubbleback-and-why-it-still-matters "Buying, Selling, & Collecting: The Rolex Bubbleback And Why It Still Matters", Hodinkee]
* [https://www.monacolegendauctions.com/auction/exclusive-timepieces-28/lot-35 Monaco Legend Auctions, "Monaco Legend Auctions, Exclusive Timepieces, Lot 35, Rolex, Fine and Historic, Bubbleback, Ref. 3599", Monaco Legend Auctions]
* [https://www.monacolegendauctions.com/auction/exclusive-timepieces-28/lot-35 Monaco Legend Auctions, "Monaco Legend Auctions, Exclusive Timepieces, Lot 35 — Rolex, Fine and Historic, Bubbleback, Ref. 3599", Monaco Legend Auctions]
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080216/76 Phillips, "Phillips, The Geneva Watch Auction FOUR, Lot 76, Rolex Ref. 3599 Bubbleback, stainless steel with two-tone dial and hooded lugs", Phillips, 2016-11-11]
* ''Rolex, Collecting Wristwatches'' — Osvaldo Patrizzi, Guido Mondani Editore, Genova, 1998
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080515/279 Phillips, "Phillips Geneva Watch Auction TWO Lot 279, Rolex ref. 3599, retailed by Giudici Milano", Phillips, 2015-11-08]
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080216/76 Phillips, "Phillips, The Geneva Watch Auction FOUR, Lot 76 — Rolex Ref. 3599 Bubbleback, stainless steel with two-tone dial and hooded lugs", Phillips, 2016-11-11]
* [https://ranfft.org/caliber/9387-Rolex-635 Ranfft DB, "Rolex caliber 635"]
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080515/279 Phillips, "Phillips Geneva Watch Auction TWO Lot 279 — Rolex ref. 3599, retailed by Giudici Milano", Phillips, 2015-11-08]
* [https://ranfft.org/caliber/9387-Rolex-635 Ranfft DB contributors, "Rolex caliber 635", Ranfft DB]
* [https://www.reddit.com/r/rolex/comments/ayckkj/cool_rolex_of_the_day_502_3599_oyster_perpetual/ "r/rolex "Cool Rolex of the Day" entries for ref 3599 (#502 and #2766)", Reddit]
* [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://robertmaron.com/rolex-bubble-back-3599-two-tone-criss-cross-dial-hooded-steel.html "Rolex Bubble Back 3599 two-tone criss-cross dial, hooded, steel", Robert Maron]
* [https://robertmaron.com/rolex-bubble-back-3599-two-tone-criss-cross-dial-hooded-steel.html "Rolex Bubble Back 3599 two-tone criss-cross dial, hooded, steel", Robert Maron]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2017/important-watches-n09696/lot.129.html Sotheby's, "Sotheby's New York Lot 129 — Rolex ref. 3599, case 45015", Sotheby's, 2017-06-07]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2017/important-watches-n09696/lot.129.html Sotheby's, "Sotheby's New York Lot 129, Rolex ref. 3599, case 45015", Sotheby's, 2017-06-07]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2010/important-watches-and-clocks-n08671/lot.119.html Sotheby's, "Sotheby's New York Lot 119 — Rolex ref. 3599, retailed by Mappin & Webb", Sotheby's, 2010-10-27]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2010/important-watches-and-clocks-n08671/lot.119.html Sotheby's, "Sotheby's New York Lot 119, Rolex ref. 3599, retailed by Mappin & Webb", Sotheby's, 2010-10-27]
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* [https://www.windvintage.com/blog/how-rolex-became-rolex-the-automatic-perpetual-movement-part-2 Charlie Dunne / Wind Vintage, "Wind Vintage — How Rolex Became Rolex: The Automatic Perpetual Movement Part 2", Wind Vintage, 2023-11-03]


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