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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 3666}}
=== Reference:3666 ===
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex Submarine Hermetique 3666}}
 
{{#seo:
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex 3666 — Production, Dials & Serial Ranges | Rolexopedia
|title=Rolex Submarine Hermetique 3666 — Auction Examples & Case Design | Rolexopedia
|description=The 3666 is a pre-Oyster. Before Rolex settled on the three-piece screwed case that defined everything from late 1926 onward, Wilsdorf was already selling…
|description=Rolex reference 3666 in its pre-Oyster Submarine context: dated auction examples, the hinged double case, movement descriptions, and a separate 1940 chronograph reuse.
|keywords=Rolex, 3666, Submarine, specifications, reference guide
|image=Ref_3666_hero.webp
|image=Ref 3666 hero.jpg
|type=article
|image_alt=Rolex 3666 Submarine Hermetique first variant
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-04-17T21:45:17Z
|modified_time=2026-08-04T00:18:00Z
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<small>[[Reference:bubbleback|Oyster & Bubbleback]] › '''3666'''</small>
<small>[[Reference:bubbleback|Pre-Oyster and Bubbleback index]] › '''3666'''</small>


<div class="rp-lead">
<div class="rp-lead">
[[File:Ref_3666_hero.webp|thumb|center|640px|alt=Rolex 3666 Submarine Hermetique, first variant|Rolex 3666 Submarine Hermetique, first variant]]
[[File:Ref_3666_hero.webp|thumb|center|640px|alt=Silver Rolex Hermetique Submarine reference 3666, circa 1925, with white Arabic dial and subsidiary seconds|Silver Hermetique Submarine catalogued as reference 3666, circa 1925]]
</div>
</div>


The 3666 is a pre-Oyster Rolex Submarine in the original 1920s sense of that name, not in the later dive-watch sense. It is the clearest surviving example of the Finger double-case system Rolex sold before the Oyster replaced it.
Catalogue records use ref. 3666 for two watches: a 1920s silver Hermetique with a hinged inner case and a separate 1940 antimagnetic chronograph. This page covers the earlier watch; surviving listings date examples to 1924 and circa 1925.


<span id="core-facts"></span>
==Core facts==
== Core facts ==


{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
Line 32: Line 27:
| 3666
| 3666
|-
|-
| family
| catalogue names
| Submarine / Hermetic (pre-Oyster)
| “Submarine Hermetique” (Bold Timepieces); “Hermetique” or “Hermetic” (Bonhams and Watches of Knightsbridge)
|-
|-
| production
| dated examples
| ~1924 onward (patent architecture from 1921)
| 1924 (Cargills listing); circa 1925 (Bonhams); 1920s (Watches of Knightsbridge)
|-
|-
| case construction
| case
| double case — one-piece outer with screw-down bezel, separate inner movement case with no stem hole
| threaded outer shell with hinged inner watch
|-
|-
| case diameter
| documented material
| 32.35 mm overall (Boettcher measurement of a documented Hermetic)
| sterling silver in the cited 1920s ref. 3666 records
|-
|-
| movement diameter
| diameter
| 21 mm (9.3 ligne, nominal "9½")
| 32mm in the Cargills and Bonhams records; 33mm in the Watches of Knightsbridge catalogue
|-
|-
| case materials
| movement
| sterling silver (most common), 9ct pink gold, 18K gold
| manual, 15 jewels; Rolex Prima in the Cargills and Watches of Knightsbridge descriptions; caliber number not identified
|-
|-
| case markings
| documented dials
| "JF / Double Boitier Brevet 89276" — Jean Finger, Longeau, Berne
| enamel or silvered dials with Arabic numerals and subsidiary seconds; one catalogue describes an engine-turned dial with cathedral hands
|-
|-
| inner caseback
| production span
| signed W&amp;D (Wilsdorf &amp; Davis)
| dated examples fall in 1924 and circa 1925; full span undetermined
|-
| crown/winding
| pendant winder on inner case; outer case must be unscrewed to access
|-
| trademark
| "Rolex Submarine" — Swiss registration 31 March 1922
|-
| British patent
| GB 197208 "Improvements in and Relating to Watches," priority 26 May 1922, granted 10 May 1923 (Wilsdorf, no credit to Finger)
|}
|}


A second, entirely different watch also carries reference 3666: a 1940 Valjoux-22 antimagnetic chronograph, addressed at the end of this article. Everything above this paragraph refers to the 1924 Hermetic.
==Where it sits in the line==


<span id="where-it-sits-in-the-line"></span>
Rolex dates the launch of its Submarine to 1922 and describes a watch hinged inside a second case whose bezel and crystal screw down to close the outer shell. A Swiss registration reproduced by RolexMagazine shows Hans Wilsdorf's “The Submarine” trademark dated 31 March 1922. Jean Finger received Swiss patent CH 89276 for a protective watch case in January 1921; Wilsdorf's British patent GB 197208 was filed in May 1922 and granted in May 1923. David Boettcher also documents similar Hermetic cases made by other firms, including Borgel.
== Where it sits in the line ==


The 3666 is Rolex selling Jean Finger's Hermetic double-case idea through its own network. Finger developed the architecture and made the surviving cases. Rolex commercialized it. That is the cleanest way to read the credit.
The names vary. Bold Timepieces calls the Cargills watch “Submarine Hermetique”; Bonhams and Watches of Knightsbridge call theirs “Hermetique” or “Hermetic.” Boettcher uses Submarine for watches sold without the Rolex name and “Rolex Hermetic” for signed examples. Bold Timepieces reports Rolex signatures on the Cargills case, dial and movement.


Production of the 3666 starts around 1924 inside the broader Hermetic line. That chapter ends as soon as the Oyster case arrives in late 1926 and makes the double-case architecture obsolete. What survives is the name: the 1922 Rolex Submarine trademark returns in 1953 on a completely different watch.
==Case construction==


<span id="the-double-case-architecture"></span>
The outer bezel unscrews to expose the inner watch, which pivots on a hinge so its crown can be reached for winding or setting. Rolex describes the closed outer case as watertight. Boettcher says the seal mainly protected against dust and moisture and was not highly pressure-resistant. The catalogues describe the case without assigning a depth rating.
== The double-case architecture ==


The 3666 is a watch inside a watch. The movement sits in a sealed inner case, and that inner case sits inside a larger protective shell closed by a screw-down bezel. To wind or set it, the owner has to open the outer case and remove the inner one. That is what makes the design both ingenious and inconvenient.
The Cargills listing describes a sterling-silver case measuring 32mm. Bonhams records another silver 3666 at 32mm; Watches of Knightsbridge gives 33mm for its example. For the Cargills watch, Bold Timepieces reports a replacement crystal, says the crown appears original, and lists 12mm wire lugs. The listing shows it on a new single-piece leather strap.


The inner caseback, where visible after disassembly, is typically signed W&amp;D, the mark of Wilsdorf &amp; Davis, the firm's legal name in Britain before the 1919 rebrand to Rolex. W&amp;D stamps appear on Rolex-era pieces into the mid-1920s as a legacy supplier convention. On the Hermetic, they confirm the inner case originated in the Wilsdorf retail chain rather than through a third-party assembly.
<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
File:Ref 3666 case-open.webp|The inner watch pivoted out of its outer shell.
File:Ref 3666 caseback.webp|The inner caseback carries Rolex, 0.925 and 3666 markings.
</gallery>


The Hermetic solved water resistance by removing the exposed stem from the problem entirely. That made it genuinely water-resistant for its day, but awkward to live with: every winding or setting operation meant partial disassembly. The Oyster solved exactly that usability problem a few years later.
==Movement notes==


<span id="dimensions"></span>
Bold Timepieces identifies the Cargills movement as a 15-jewel Rolex Prima and says it is marked for adjustment in six positions and temperature. Watches of Knightsbridge also catalogues a 15-jewel Rolex Prima movement. Boettcher describes Prima as a movement grade; the cited catalogues identify ref. 3666 movements by grade, with no caliber number given.
=== Dimensions ===


The measured dimensions tell the story clearly enough. The outer case is about 32 to 33mm, but the actual dial is much smaller because the watch has to carry a full sealed inner case inside the outer shell.
[[File:Ref 3666 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|alt=Manual movement in the opened Cargills Ceylon reference 3666|Rolex Prima movement with 15 jewels, as described in the Cargills listing.]]


<span id="dial-and-hand-variants"></span>
==Dial examples==
== Dial and hand variants ==
[[File:Ref3666_connoisseur_18k_1924.webp|thumb|right|300px|alt=Rolex 3666 Submarine Hermetique 18K gold variant, 1924|Rolex 3666 Submarine Hermetique in 18K gold, 1924 — Finger patent CH 89276]]


The catalogues describe these three dial layouts:


Known 3666 dials fall into three practical groups. Most are white enamel or silvered Arabic-numeral watches with sub-seconds at 6. A smaller group keeps the same basic layout with sector styling. The rare outlier is the black radium military-style dial with cathedral hands. The variety is real, but the run is still narrow enough that these feel like branches of one short-lived model, not a sprawling family.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! example
! catalogue description
! source
|-
| Cargills Ceylon, listed as 1924
| sector enamel dial, black Arabic numerals and subsidiary seconds; retailer and Rolex signatures reported by the seller
| Bold Timepieces
|-
| Bonhams, circa 1925
| white dial, luminous Arabic numerals and subsidiary seconds
| Bonhams, sale 29150, lot 48
|-
| Watches of Knightsbridge, 1920s
| silver engine-turned dial, Arabic numerals, subsidiary seconds and cathedral hands
| Watches of Knightsbridge, catalogue lot 376
|}


There is no Rolex wordmark styling of the "Submarine" trademark on any known 3666 dial. The Submarine name appears in trademark filings and period marketing material, not on the dials of the watches themselves, which read simply "Rolex" above the sub-seconds register. This is consistent with 1920s Rolex practice. Model trademarks were retailer-facing and legal-facing, not dial-facing, and would remain so until the Submariner dive watch of 1953 put the name back on the dial.
[[File:Ref 3666 dial.webp|thumb|right|220px|alt=Enamel dial of the silver Rolex 3666 listed by Cargills Ceylon, with Arabic numerals and subsidiary seconds|Enamel dial with Cargills Ceylon and Rolex signatures.]]


<span id="the-cargills-ceylon-example"></span>
==Other records using 3666==
== The Cargills Ceylon example ==


[[File:Ref3666_cargills_ceylon.webp|thumb|right|300px|alt=1924 ref 3666 Submarine Hermetique in silver, retailed by Cargills Ltd. Ceylon.|1924 ref 3666 Submarine Hermetique in silver, retailed by Cargills Ltd. Ceylon.]]
Christie's 1910s listing is titled “No. 3666” and describes a silver Hermetique. Its wording leaves unclear whether 3666 is a reference or catalogue number.


The best-documented surviving 3666 is the 1924 sterling silver Cargills Ceylon watch. It is the practical anchor because it shows the architecture clearly and keeps the patent markings intact.
Phillips' 1940 catalogue identifies a separate watch as ref. 3666: a 36mm stainless-steel antimagnetic chronograph with a two-register dial and manual Valjoux 22 movement, 17 jewels. Phillips records case number 041'928 and a result of CHF 162,500 in 2016.


The Cargills retail signature places the watch in the early 1920s colonial supply chain that Rolex used for India, Ceylon, Singapore, and Hong Kong, a route that would matter again twenty years later when wartime contracts for the Bombay Presidency passed through the same network. The 1924 dating is the standard Cargills period; company records tie the Rolex distribution agreement to that decade.
==Auction record==


<span id="auction-and-dealer-record"></span>
{| class="wikitable"
== Auction and dealer record ==
|-
! sale or listing
! date / catalogue date
! identifying details
! result
|-
| Bold Timepieces
| listed as 1924
| Cargills Ceylon retailer signature; sterling silver; 32mm; 15-jewel manual Rolex Prima
| dealer listing; sale status not stated
|-
| Bonhams, sale 29150, lot 48
| 21 February 2024; circa 1925
| silver ref. 3666; manual 15-jewel movement; 32mm
| GBP 2,816 including premium
|-
| Watches of Knightsbridge, catalogue lot 376
| catalogue describes a 1920s watch
| sterling silver; 15-jewel manual Rolex Prima; engine-turned dial; 33mm
| estimate GBP 800–1,200
|-
| Phillips, Geneva Watch Auction: Four, lot 54
| 12 November 2016; 1940
| separate stainless-steel antimagnetic chronograph; Valjoux 22, 17 jewels; 36mm; case 041'928
| CHF 162,500
|}


The 3666 has no deep auction history at the major houses, which is typical for Rolex references of the pre-Oyster period. Too early, too small, and too operationally awkward to hold broad modern appeal. The watch's public-market trail runs through specialist dealers and smaller lots at the major houses.
==Related references==


The 3666 has a small but real market record. Bold Timepieces anchors the best-known Cargills Ceylon example, Bonhams has catalogued a c.1925 Hermetic Submarine, and the same case architecture is documented on the dealer side. That is enough to keep the reference grounded even if auction depth is thin.
* [[Reference:bubbleback|Pre-Oyster and Bubbleback index]]
* [[Reference:Movements|Movement reference]]
* [[Reference:Serial-numbers|Serial numbers by year]]


The market for the early Hermetic is a niche inside a niche. Examples in good condition with original enamel dials trade modestly compared to later Rolex sport references; the absence of any dive heritage, chronograph complication, or auction-house framing narrative keeps prices well below what the historical significance might suggest. A collector buying a 3666 is buying a documentary object, not a performance piece.
== Gallery ==


<span id="the-1940-reference-3666-chronograph"></span>
<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
== The 1940 reference 3666 chronograph ==
File:Ref_3666_hero.webp|Silver ref. 3666 Hermetique, circa 1925, Bonhams lot 48
[[File:Ref_3666_chronograph-variant.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Rolex 3666 chronograph variant, 1940|Rolex 3666 chronograph variant, 1940]]
File:Ref 3666 dial.webp|Cargills Ceylon enamel dial and Rolex signatures
File:Ref 3666 case-open.webp|Inner watch pivoted out of the hinged outer case
File:Ref 3666 caseback.webp|Rolex, 0.925 and 3666 markings on the inner caseback
File:Ref 3666 movement.webp|15-jewel Rolex Prima movement from the Cargills example
File:Ref_3666_chronograph-variant.webp|Separate 1940 antimagnetic chronograph catalogued as ref. 3666
</gallery>


== Sources ==


Rolex reused the reference number. In 1940, the firm fitted a Valjoux-22 antimagnetic chronograph movement into a completely different case and stamped it ref 3666. [https://www.phillips.com/auctions/watches Phillips] has sold that watch under catalog number CH080216 for CHF 162,500. It is a waterproof-cased chronograph with a tachymeter scale, pump pushers, and a round steel case in the 35–37 mm range, visually and mechanically unrelated to the 1924 Hermetic. The two watches share nothing but the four-digit reference.
* [https://www.rolex.com/en-gr/about-rolex/behind-the-crown/mastering-waterproofness Rolex, “Mastering waterproofness”] — Rolex's 1922 Submarine chronology and description of the hinged case.
 
* [https://www.rolexmagazine.com/2013/12/the-first-rolex-submariner-1922.html RolexMagazine, “The First Rolex Submariner 1922 Hermetically Sealed Pre-Oyster”] — reproduces the Swiss “The Submarine” registration dated 31 March 1922.
Rolex reused four-digit references regularly in this era, so a 3666 can mean two totally different watches. The movement settles it fast: a small Hunter movement means the 1920s Hermetic, a Valjoux chronograph means the later 1940 reference.
* [https://www.vintagewatchstraps.com/blogrolexhermetic.php David Boettcher, “Rolex Hermetic”] — Finger and Wilsdorf patent records, case construction and examples by other makers.
 
* [https://www.vintagewatchstraps.com/blogrolexsubmarine.php David Boettcher, “Rolex Submarine?”] — trademark history and the distinction he draws between Submarine- and Rolex-branded Hermetics.
<span id="collecting-considerations"></span>
* [https://www.vintagewatchstraps.com/blogprima.php David Boettcher, “Rolex Prima, Extra and Ultra Prima”] — movement-grade terminology and surviving Prima examples.
== Collecting considerations ==
* [https://www.boldtimepieces.co.uk/product-page/1924-rolex-submarine-hermetique-silver-cased-watch-ref-3666-cargills-ltd-ceylon Bold Timepieces, “1924 Rolex Submarine Hermetique, ref. 3666, Cargills Ltd. Ceylon”] — one silver example, its markings, dial, movement and dimensions.
 
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/29150/lot/48/rolex-a-rare-and-unusual-silver-manual-wind-wristwatch-hermetique-ref-3666-circa-1925 Bonhams, sale 29150, lot 48] — circa-1925 ref. 3666. [https://www.collectorsquare.com/en/watches/rolex/antimagnetic/ref-rolex-3666/lpi Collector Square lot record] gives measurements and result.
Case markings are primary. A genuine 3666 Hermetic inner case carries the Finger patent text "JF / Double Boitier Brevet 89276" visibly on either the outer case flank or inside the outer bezel, and the inner caseback carries W&amp;D. Both should be present. Cases lacking the Finger patent text are either from a different Hermetic variant or from a Wilsdorf alternate-brand Hermetic (Aqua or pre-Oyster brand experiments) that shared the architecture but not the Rolex retail chain.
* [https://www.the-saleroom.com/de-de/auction-catalogues/watchesofknightsbridge/catalogue-id-srwatc10008/pdfexport Watches of Knightsbridge, catalogue lot 376] — 1920s silver ref. 3666, dial, case, movement and estimate.
 
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080216/54 Phillips, Geneva Watch Auction: Four, lot 54] — 1940 antimagnetic chronograph catalogued as ref. 3666.
Enamel condition is the next filter. White enamel dials on silver Hermetics are brittle and have been vulnerable to hairline cracks across nearly a century of survival. Original enamel with no cracks is exceptional and commands a meaningful premium. Small hairlines around the subsidiary seconds or near the dial feet are typical and not disqualifying. Full cracks across the dial face or significant chipping are. Refinished enamel dials exist but are difficult to execute convincingly, and a re-enameled Hermetic is usually detectable under strong light.
* [https://www.christies.com/lot/rolex-an-early-rare-silver-water-1010132/ Christie's, “Signed Rolex, model Hermetique, No. 3666, 1910s”] — an earlier catalogue use of “No. 3666.”
 
Operational condition matters because the architecture is the point of the watch. A 3666 that no longer disassembles cleanly, with the outer bezel seized onto the outer case body or the inner case corroded into the outer shell, is a real service problem. The bezel threads are fine and old; a cross-threaded repair attempt can destroy the waterproof seal that was the entire point of the architecture. A working disassembly, with the outer bezel turning smoothly onto the outer body and the inner case seating correctly, is evidence of competent prior servicing.
 
Movement integrity sits alongside that. The inner case has no opening back, so access to the movement runs through the pendant winder end only. A 3666 with a modified inner case, meaning any evidence of cutting, flat-backing, or case alteration for service access, has been compromised relative to original Finger construction. Original inner cases with intact W&amp;D stamps and original pendant-winder access are the benchmark.
 
Price anchoring is approximate, because the public market for the 3666 is thin. Surfaced examples in good enamel condition with clean case markings trade in a range that reflects documentary significance rather than broad collector demand: well below even mid-range Oyster references of the 1930s, and a very long way below the 1940 Valjoux chronograph that shares the reference number. The historical significance is real; the market valuation is not yet aligned with it.
 
<span id="what-the-3666-established"></span>
== What the 3666 established ==
 
Three things carry forward from the Hermetic era: waterproofing as a design priority, the Submarine name itself, and the lesson that the solution had to become more usable. The Oyster is Rolex's answer to that third point.
 
The second is the Submarine name itself. Registered on 31 March 1922 and held in reserve for thirty-one years before the dive watch picked it up again, the trademark survived corporate reorganization, the Oyster transition, and the Second World War. The 1953 Submariner did not arrive out of nowhere. Its name was sitting in the Rolex trademark portfolio from the previous decade.
 
The third is the lesson about daily use. The Hermetic is the counter-example that justified the Oyster. Wilsdorf commissioned the Perregaux-Perret screw-down crown, the Spillmann three-piece case, and the Aegler movement integration because the Finger double case, however waterproof, had made itself a daily annoyance. The Oyster is what a watchmaker builds after three years of selling Hermetics and learning what the customer actually wants. Without the 3666, there is no Oyster; with the 3666, the Oyster is inevitable.
 
 
== Related references ==
 
* [[Reference:1680|Submariner 1680]] — First Date Sub, 'Red Sub' (1969–1979)
* [[Reference:5508|Submariner 5508]] — 1957–1961
* [[Reference:5510|Submariner 5510]] — Big Crown, Cal 1530 (1957–1958)
* [[Reference:5512|Submariner 5512]] — First Crown-Guard (1959–1978)
* [[Reference:5513|Submariner 5513]] — Non-Date Classic (1962–1989)
* [[Reference:5514|Submariner 5514]]
 
See also the [[Reference:submariner|Submariner family index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].
 
== Sources ==
* [https://www.vintagewatchstraps.com/ VintageWatchStraps (Boettcher) — hermetic]
* [https://www.boldtimepieces.co.uk/ Bold Timepieces — 3666 cargills]
* [https://www.bonhams.com/ Bonhams — 29150 lot48 hermetic]
* [https://shop.connoisseuroftime.com/ Connoisseur of Time — of time hermetic]
* [https://mokumwatches.com/ Mokum Watches — hermetic submarine aqua]
* [https://www.phillips.com/auctions/watches Phillips — 3666 valjoux chronograph]
* [https://www.windvintage.com/blog/2022/9/7/the-oyster-story Wind Vintage — The Oyster Story (Part 1)] — Owen Lawton / Wind Vintage, Wind Vintage
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra


[[Category:Submarine]]
[[Category:Submarine]]

Latest revision as of 03:14, 14 October 2026

Reference:3666

Pre-Oyster and Bubbleback index › 3666

Silver Rolex Hermetique Submarine reference 3666, circa 1925, with white Arabic dial and subsidiary seconds
Silver Hermetique Submarine catalogued as reference 3666, circa 1925

Catalogue records use ref. 3666 for two watches: a 1920s silver Hermetique with a hinged inner case and a separate 1940 antimagnetic chronograph. This page covers the earlier watch; surviving listings date examples to 1924 and circa 1925.

Core facts

detail value
reference 3666
catalogue names “Submarine Hermetique” (Bold Timepieces); “Hermetique” or “Hermetic” (Bonhams and Watches of Knightsbridge)
dated examples 1924 (Cargills listing); circa 1925 (Bonhams); 1920s (Watches of Knightsbridge)
case threaded outer shell with hinged inner watch
documented material sterling silver in the cited 1920s ref. 3666 records
diameter 32mm in the Cargills and Bonhams records; 33mm in the Watches of Knightsbridge catalogue
movement manual, 15 jewels; Rolex Prima in the Cargills and Watches of Knightsbridge descriptions; caliber number not identified
documented dials enamel or silvered dials with Arabic numerals and subsidiary seconds; one catalogue describes an engine-turned dial with cathedral hands
production span dated examples fall in 1924 and circa 1925; full span undetermined

Where it sits in the line

Rolex dates the launch of its Submarine to 1922 and describes a watch hinged inside a second case whose bezel and crystal screw down to close the outer shell. A Swiss registration reproduced by RolexMagazine shows Hans Wilsdorf's “The Submarine” trademark dated 31 March 1922. Jean Finger received Swiss patent CH 89276 for a protective watch case in January 1921; Wilsdorf's British patent GB 197208 was filed in May 1922 and granted in May 1923. David Boettcher also documents similar Hermetic cases made by other firms, including Borgel.

The names vary. Bold Timepieces calls the Cargills watch “Submarine Hermetique”; Bonhams and Watches of Knightsbridge call theirs “Hermetique” or “Hermetic.” Boettcher uses Submarine for watches sold without the Rolex name and “Rolex Hermetic” for signed examples. Bold Timepieces reports Rolex signatures on the Cargills case, dial and movement.

Case construction

The outer bezel unscrews to expose the inner watch, which pivots on a hinge so its crown can be reached for winding or setting. Rolex describes the closed outer case as watertight. Boettcher says the seal mainly protected against dust and moisture and was not highly pressure-resistant. The catalogues describe the case without assigning a depth rating.

The Cargills listing describes a sterling-silver case measuring 32mm. Bonhams records another silver 3666 at 32mm; Watches of Knightsbridge gives 33mm for its example. For the Cargills watch, Bold Timepieces reports a replacement crystal, says the crown appears original, and lists 12mm wire lugs. The listing shows it on a new single-piece leather strap.

  • The inner watch pivoted out of its outer shell.
    The inner watch pivoted out of its outer shell.
  • The inner caseback carries Rolex, 0.925 and 3666 markings.
    The inner caseback carries Rolex, 0.925 and 3666 markings.

Movement notes

Bold Timepieces identifies the Cargills movement as a 15-jewel Rolex Prima and says it is marked for adjustment in six positions and temperature. Watches of Knightsbridge also catalogues a 15-jewel Rolex Prima movement. Boettcher describes Prima as a movement grade; the cited catalogues identify ref. 3666 movements by grade, with no caliber number given.

Manual movement in the opened Cargills Ceylon reference 3666
Rolex Prima movement with 15 jewels, as described in the Cargills listing.

Dial examples

The catalogues describe these three dial layouts:

example catalogue description source
Cargills Ceylon, listed as 1924 sector enamel dial, black Arabic numerals and subsidiary seconds; retailer and Rolex signatures reported by the seller Bold Timepieces
Bonhams, circa 1925 white dial, luminous Arabic numerals and subsidiary seconds Bonhams, sale 29150, lot 48
Watches of Knightsbridge, 1920s silver engine-turned dial, Arabic numerals, subsidiary seconds and cathedral hands Watches of Knightsbridge, catalogue lot 376
Enamel dial of the silver Rolex 3666 listed by Cargills Ceylon, with Arabic numerals and subsidiary seconds
Enamel dial with Cargills Ceylon and Rolex signatures.

Other records using 3666

Christie's 1910s listing is titled “No. 3666” and describes a silver Hermetique. Its wording leaves unclear whether 3666 is a reference or catalogue number.

Phillips' 1940 catalogue identifies a separate watch as ref. 3666: a 36mm stainless-steel antimagnetic chronograph with a two-register dial and manual Valjoux 22 movement, 17 jewels. Phillips records case number 041'928 and a result of CHF 162,500 in 2016.

Auction record

sale or listing date / catalogue date identifying details result
Bold Timepieces listed as 1924 Cargills Ceylon retailer signature; sterling silver; 32mm; 15-jewel manual Rolex Prima dealer listing; sale status not stated
Bonhams, sale 29150, lot 48 21 February 2024; circa 1925 silver ref. 3666; manual 15-jewel movement; 32mm GBP 2,816 including premium
Watches of Knightsbridge, catalogue lot 376 catalogue describes a 1920s watch sterling silver; 15-jewel manual Rolex Prima; engine-turned dial; 33mm estimate GBP 800–1,200
Phillips, Geneva Watch Auction: Four, lot 54 12 November 2016; 1940 separate stainless-steel antimagnetic chronograph; Valjoux 22, 17 jewels; 36mm; case 041'928 CHF 162,500

Related references

Gallery

  • Silver ref. 3666 Hermetique, circa 1925, Bonhams lot 48
    Silver ref. 3666 Hermetique, circa 1925, Bonhams lot 48
  • Cargills Ceylon enamel dial and Rolex signatures
    Cargills Ceylon enamel dial and Rolex signatures
  • Inner watch pivoted out of the hinged outer case
    Inner watch pivoted out of the hinged outer case
  • Rolex, 0.925 and 3666 markings on the inner caseback
    Rolex, 0.925 and 3666 markings on the inner caseback
  • 15-jewel Rolex Prima movement from the Cargills example
    15-jewel Rolex Prima movement from the Cargills example
  • Separate 1940 antimagnetic chronograph catalogued as ref. 3666
    Separate 1940 antimagnetic chronograph catalogued as ref. 3666

Sources

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