Reference:1873: Difference between revisions
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Reference 1873 is a hand-wound Oyster Royal. Auction catalogues also call it Oyster Royal Chronometre or Oyster Royal Extra Precision. Eight catalogue entries describe manual-wind watches, mostly dated to the 1930s or around 1940. Cambi's 2022 | Reference 1873 is a hand-wound Oyster Royal. Auction catalogues also call it Oyster Royal Chronometre or Oyster Royal Extra Precision. Eight catalogue entries describe manual-wind watches, mostly dated to the 1930s or around 1940. The Cambi auction catalogue's 2022 entry gives one steel example a date of circa 1954 and describes central seconds; that entry differs from the other records and is treated separately below. | ||
Hodinkee distinguishes the early automatic “Bubbleback” from Rolex's parallel manual-wind “flatback” line. The [[Reference:bubbleback|family guide]] lists 1873 with the manual-wind Oyster references, in keeping with the auction descriptions. | Hodinkee distinguishes the early automatic “Bubbleback” from Rolex's parallel manual-wind “flatback” line. The [[Reference:bubbleback|family guide]] lists 1873 with the manual-wind Oyster references, in keeping with the auction descriptions. | ||
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| seconds | | seconds | ||
| subsidiary seconds at 6 in most descriptions; Cambi records central seconds on its circa-1954 entry | | subsidiary seconds at 6 in most descriptions; The Cambi catalogue records central seconds on its circa-1954 entry | ||
|- | |- | ||
| documented case numbers | | documented case numbers | ||
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Bonhams records a London import mark dated 1937 on the 9K-gold case 37,029. The mark records assay/import in 1937; the case and movement may have been made earlier. Read the hallmark date separately from the case number and movement. | Bonhams records a London import mark dated 1937 on the 9K-gold case 37,029. The mark records assay/import in 1937; the case and movement may have been made earlier. Read the hallmark date separately from the case number and movement. | ||
Cambi's 2022 | The Cambi auction catalogue's 2022 entry lists a steel Oyster Precision Royal, case 48,xxx, as circa 1954. It describes a 17-jewel manual movement and central seconds. This entry gives a later date and a different seconds layout from the other records, which cluster around 1930–1940 and mostly describe subsidiary seconds. Treat the Cambi date and configuration as claims for that lot. | ||
The case numbers published across these lots are 30,967, 37,029, 48,xxx, 48,634, 81,343, 100,459 and 100,498. These numbers offer individual comparison points; Rolex production limits and a serial-to-year mapping remain unestablished. | The case numbers published across these lots are 30,967, 37,029, 48,xxx, 48,634, 81,343, 100,459 and 100,498. These numbers offer individual comparison points; Rolex production limits and a serial-to-year mapping remain unestablished. | ||
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==Movement notes== | ==Movement notes== | ||
All eight catalogue entries describe hand-wound movements. The records give different grades and jewel counts: Sotheby's, Antiquorum's Hong Kong lot and Watches of Knightsbridge list 17-jewel Extra Prima movements; Christie's lists a 15-jewel Extra Prima; Antiquorum's Geneva lot calls its 18-jewel movement an Ultra Prima chronometer; Cambi gives 17 jewels without a grade; and Bonhams records an 18-jewel manual movement numbered 11,250 on the gold watch. The 2023 Bonhams entry describes a jewelled manual movement without a jewel count. | All eight catalogue entries describe hand-wound movements. The records give different grades and jewel counts: Sotheby's, Antiquorum's Hong Kong lot and Watches of Knightsbridge list 17-jewel Extra Prima movements; Christie's lists a 15-jewel Extra Prima; Antiquorum's Geneva lot calls its 18-jewel movement an Ultra Prima chronometer; The Cambi catalogue gives 17 jewels without a grade; and Bonhams records an 18-jewel manual movement numbered 11,250 on the gold watch. The 2023 Bonhams entry describes a jewelled manual movement without a jewel count. | ||
Prima, Extra Prima and Ultra Prima are movement grades, not caliber designations. David Boettcher's review of the surviving examples says Extra Prima commonly appears with 18 jewels while Prima commonly appears with 15; the 17-jewel catalogue descriptions and Christie's 15-jewel Extra Prima entry show why each grade and jewel count should stay tied to its own lot. Boettcher dates the first located Ultra Prima registration to 9 December 1930 and says surviving evidence leaves the distinction between Extra Prima and Ultra Prima unclear. | Prima, Extra Prima and Ultra Prima are movement grades, not caliber designations. David Boettcher's review of the surviving examples says Extra Prima commonly appears with 18 jewels while Prima commonly appears with 15; the 17-jewel catalogue descriptions and Christie's 15-jewel Extra Prima entry show why each grade and jewel count should stay tied to its own lot. Boettcher dates the first located Ultra Prima registration to 9 December 1930 and says surviving evidence leaves the distinction between Extra Prima and Ultra Prima unclear. | ||
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==Dial map== | ==Dial map== | ||
The records show several dial layouts. Sotheby's describes a black lacquer dial with luminous indexes and hands, signed for Beyer. Christie's records a black dial with raised baton markers, luminous hands and subsidiary seconds. Watches of Knightsbridge describes a sector dial. Bonhams' 2021 gold watch has a silvered dial with an applied gilt minute track and luminous Arabic numerals; its 2023 steel example has alternating baton and Arabic markers. Antiquorum's Hong Kong example has a patinated dial with original hands, while its Geneva example has a salmon dial with black round indexes. Cambi's circa-1954 | The records show several dial layouts. Sotheby's describes a black lacquer dial with luminous indexes and hands, signed for Beyer. Christie's records a black dial with raised baton markers, luminous hands and subsidiary seconds. Watches of Knightsbridge describes a sector dial. Bonhams' 2021 gold watch has a silvered dial with an applied gilt minute track and luminous Arabic numerals; its 2023 steel example has alternating baton and Arabic markers. Antiquorum's Hong Kong example has a patinated dial with original hands, while its Geneva example has a salmon dial with black round indexes. The Cambi catalogue's circa-1954 entry describes a silvered sector dial and central seconds. | ||
Antiquorum's Geneva title and note use “Scientifical” for the salmon dial's black round indexes. The photographed dial reads ROLEX OYSTER ROYAL over CHRONOMETRE; “Scientifical” is Antiquorum's catalogue term, not visible dial wording. Antiquorum also calls the dial original, which remains its assessment of that individual watch. | Antiquorum's Geneva title and note use “Scientifical” for the salmon dial's black round indexes. The photographed dial reads ROLEX OYSTER ROYAL over CHRONOMETRE; “Scientifical” is Antiquorum's catalogue term, not visible dial wording. Antiquorum also calls the dial original, which remains its assessment of that individual watch. | ||
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| GBP 2,167.50 including premium | | GBP 2,167.50 including premium | ||
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| Cambi, Milan, 30 November 2022, lot 129 | | Cambi auction catalogue, Milan, 30 November 2022, lot 129 | ||
| 48,xxx | | 48,xxx | ||
| circa 1954; steel; silvered sector dial; central seconds; 17 jewels, manual wind | | circa 1954; steel; silvered sector dial; central seconds; 17 jewels, manual wind | ||