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Reference:3134: Difference between revisions

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[[File:Ref 3134 hero.webp|thumb|center|640px|alt=Steel 3134 with pink California dial, circa 1941|Steel 3134 with pink California dial, circa 1941]]
[[File:Ref 3134 hero.webp|thumb|center|640px|alt=Steel 3134 with a pink California-style dial|Steel 3134 with a pink California-style dial]]
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The 3134 is a 32 mm tonneau Oyster Perpetual from the 1940s and 1950s, fitted with a 9¾-ligne Rolex automatic. Catalogued watches have either subsidiary or centre seconds. Most documented cases are stainless steel; one combines steel with yellow gold. Two documented examples have California dials, though neither source establishes that its dial is original to the watch.
The 3134 is a 32 mm tonneau Oyster Perpetual with a 9¾-ligne Rolex automatic. Auction catalogues document it with subsidiary and centre seconds. Three of the four auctioned examples cited here are steel; the fourth combines steel with yellow gold. The records date individual watches from the 1940s through 1957, but do not establish the reference’s production span.


==Core facts==
==Core facts==
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|-
|-
| documented examples
| documented examples
| 1940s to 1957 by auction-catalogue dating; one dealer dates an example to c.1941
| four auction catalogues date individual watches from the 1940s to 1957; not a production span
|-
|-
| case diameter
| case diameter
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|-
|-
| case thickness
| case thickness
| about 14 mm
| 14 mm on Antiquorum’s 2013 example; not a reference-wide figure
|-
|-
| case shape
| case shape
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==Where it sits in the line==
==Where it sits in the line==


The 3134 belongs to the two-digit-suffixed Oyster Perpetual references 3130 through 3135. The group includes different seconds layouts and case metals. Antiquorum's 1992 and 2013 examples have subsidiary seconds. Exclusive Timepieces lot 227 and the Luxe Auctioneers example have centre seconds; the cited dealer listing does not establish the seconds layout of its c.1941 California-dial watch.
The 3134 belongs to the two-digit-suffixed Oyster Perpetual references 3130 through 3135. The group includes different seconds layouts and case metals. Antiquorum's 1992 and 2013 examples have subsidiary seconds. Exclusive Timepieces lot 227 and the Luxe Auctioneers example have centre seconds.


The documented 3134 cases are predominantly steel. The four auction lots comprise three steel watches and one steel-and-yellow-gold watch; a separate dealer-listed example is also steel. No solid-gold 3134 appears in the cited records.
The documented 3134 cases are predominantly steel. The four auction lots comprise three steel watches and one steel-and-yellow-gold watch. No solid-gold 3134 appears in the cited records.


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


Auction catalogues date documented 3134 examples to the 1940s, c.1945, the 1950s and 1957. A dealer dates another example to c.1941. No source states a production start or end for the reference.
Auction catalogues date individual 3134 examples to the 1940s, circa 1945, the 1950s and 1957. No source states a production start or end for the reference.


These dates are catalogue estimates, not a production window. Exclusive Timepieces dates case 168751 to 1957, while Anthony Traina's 2024 Hodinkee Bubbleback guide places the end of production in the mid-1950s. The sources do not resolve that difference.
These dates are catalogue estimates, not a production window. Exclusive Timepieces dates case 168751 to 1957, while Anthony Traina's 2024 Hodinkee Bubbleback guide places the end of production in the mid-1950s. The sources do not resolve that difference.
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==Dial map==
==Dial map==
The four auctioned examples show four dial configurations.
The matte silver dial with applied luminous Arabic numerals and subsidiary seconds appears on Antiquorum's 2013 example, case 104396. Case 168751 has a pink dial with luminous Arabic and squared numerals, an outer minutes track and centre seconds. A black subsidiary-seconds dial appears on the 1992 steel-and-yellow-gold example.
Luxe Auctioneers catalogued one 3134 with a half-Roman, half-Arabic California-style dial, dated circa 1945. Its catalogue notes toning and spotting but does not establish that the dial is original. The lead image shows the same layout; its date is not established here. Anthony Traina notes that refinished California dials are common on Bubblebacks. Rolex filed Swiss patent CH221643 for the dial design in May 1941; the patent was issued in June 1942.


<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
File:Ref 3134 dial-matte-silver.webp|alt=3134 matte silver dial with luminous Arabic numerals|Matte silver dial, applied luminous Arabic numerals and subsidiary seconds, case 104396
File:Ref 3134 dial-matte-silver.webp|alt=3134 matte silver dial with luminous Arabic numerals|Matte silver dial, applied luminous Arabic numerals and subsidiary seconds, case 104396
File:Ref 3134 dial-california.webp|alt=3134 pink California dial|California dial in pink, half Roman and half Arabic, circa 1941
File:Ref 3134 dial-california.webp|alt=3134 pink California dial|California-style dial in pink, half Roman and half Arabic
File:Ref 3134 dial-california-chronometer.webp|alt=3134 California dial marked Chronometer with centre seconds|The second California example, marked Chronometer and running centre sweep seconds, circa 1945
File:Ref 3134 dial-california-chronometer.webp|alt=3134 California dial marked Chronometer with centre seconds|The second California example, marked Chronometer and running centre sweep seconds, circa 1945
</gallery>
</gallery>


The five documented examples fall into four dial configurations.
==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown==


The matte silver dial with applied luminous Arabic numerals and subsidiary seconds appears on Antiquorum's 2013 example, case 104396. Case 168751 has a pink dial with luminous Arabic and squared numerals, an outer minutes track and centre seconds. A black subsidiary-seconds dial appears on the 1992 steel-and-yellow-gold example.
Documented cases measure 32 mm across. Antiquorum's 2013 lot 143 is 14 mm thick; no second source gives thickness. The tonneau case has an inclined smooth bezel, acrylic crystal and screw-down crown.


Two documented 3134s have half-Roman, half-Arabic California dials. Luxe Auctioneers dates one to c.1945, and a dealer dates the other to c.1941. Neither source establishes that the dial is original. Traina notes that refinished California dials are common on Bubblebacks. Rolex filed Swiss patent CH221643 for the layout in May 1941; it was issued in June 1942.
Antiquorum's 2013 lot 143 calls the case "three body," and Exclusive Timepieces describes case 168751 as "composed of three parts." Both catalogue descriptions identify a three-part case.


==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown==
Antiquorum's 1992 catalogue describes its steel-and-yellow-gold example as having "hooded fluted lugs," while case 168751 has curved lugs. No photograph of the 1992 watch has been located, so the hooded-lug description remains catalogue evidence rather than a visually confirmed sub-variant.
 
The side-profile photograph shows the domed caseback; the cited auction descriptions do not name that shape. The 1992 Antiquorum and Exclusive Timepieces catalogues describe automatic movements. Exclusive Timepieces and Luxe Auctioneers use “Bubbleback” in their lot titles.


<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
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File:Ref 3134 caseback.webp|alt=3134 screw-down caseback|Screw-down caseback with milled edge
File:Ref 3134 caseback.webp|alt=3134 screw-down caseback|Screw-down caseback with milled edge
</gallery>
</gallery>
Documented cases measure 32 mm across. Antiquorum's 2013 lot 143 is 14 mm thick; no second source gives thickness. The tonneau case has an inclined smooth bezel, acrylic crystal and screw-down crown.
Antiquorum's 2013 lot 143 calls the case "three body," and Exclusive Timepieces describes case 168751 as "composed of three parts." Both catalogue descriptions identify a three-part case.
Antiquorum's 1992 catalogue describes its steel-and-yellow-gold example as having "hooded fluted lugs," while case 168751 has curved lugs. No photograph of the 1992 watch has been located, so the hooded-lug description remains catalogue evidence rather than a visually confirmed sub-variant.
The side-profile photograph shows a domed caseback, although no auction description uses that term. Antiquorum's 1992 lot and Exclusive Timepieces lot 227 describe automatic movements. Exclusive Timepieces and Luxe Auctioneers catalogue the reference as a Bubbleback.


==Bracelets, end links, and clasps==
==Bracelets, end links, and clasps==


Only one documented example carries a bracelet: case 168751, fitted with a riveted steel Oyster. The bracelet is period-correct for a 1940s steel Bubbleback, but no documentation ties it to original delivery. The Luxe example has an associated leather strap and a Rolex steel tang buckle; the catalogue does not claim either as original delivery.
Only one documented example carries a bracelet: case 168751, fitted with a riveted steel Oyster. The catalogue does not establish when the bracelet was fitted. The Luxe example has an associated leather strap and a Rolex steel tang buckle; the catalogue does not claim either as original delivery.


==Case-metal suffixes==
==Case-metal suffixes==
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| Steel and yellow gold
| Steel and yellow gold
| Black
| Black
| EUR 15,000–18,000 (secondary conversion)
| —
| Unsold
| Unsold
|-
|-
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Case 168751 sold for EUR 13,650 against a EUR 6,000–12,000 estimate. Luxe Auctioneers reported a USD 3,250 hammer for its California-dial example; EveryWatch reports USD 4,063 including fees. The Luxe catalogue notes dial toning and minor spotting and describes the leather strap as associated.
Case 168751 sold for EUR 13,650 against a EUR 6,000–12,000 estimate. Luxe Auctioneers reported a USD 3,250 hammer for its California-dial example; EveryWatch reports USD 4,063 including fees. The Luxe catalogue notes dial toning and minor spotting and describes the leather strap as associated.


Both indexed Antiquorum lots were unsold. Four published results across thirty-four years do not establish a market level for the reference.
Both indexed Antiquorum lots were unsold. These four lots, spread across thirty-four years, are too few to establish a market level for the reference.


== Related references ==
== Related references ==
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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 mode="packed" heights="180">
File:Ref 3134 hero.webp|alt=Steel Rolex 3134 with pink California-style dial|Steel 3134 with California-style dial
File:Ref 3134 dial-matte-silver.webp|alt=3134 matte silver dial with luminous Arabic numerals|Matte silver dial and subsidiary seconds
File:Ref 3134 dial-california.webp|alt=3134 pink California dial|Pink California-style dial
File:Ref 3134 dial-california-chronometer.webp|alt=3134 California dial marked Chronometer with centre seconds|California-style dial with centre seconds
File:Ref 3134 case-profile.webp|alt=3134 case profile showing the domed caseback|Case profile
File:Ref 3134 caseback.webp|alt=3134 screw-down caseback|Caseback
</gallery>


== Sources ==
== Sources ==


* [https://www.collectorsquare.com/en/watches/rolex/oyster-perpetual/ref-rolex-3134/lpi Antiquorum, "Antiquorum Geneva #140 Lot 181 — Rolex ref 3134 steel and yellow gold, black dial, 1940s", Antiquorum, 1992-10-17]
* [https://www.collectorsquare.com/en/watches/rolex/oyster-perpetual/ref-rolex-3134/lpi Collectors Square index, reproducing the description of Antiquorum Geneva 1992 lot 181 and indexing two 3134 results]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-3134-lot-272-143 Antiquorum, "Antiquorum Geneva #272 Lot 143 — Rolex ref 3134 steel, matte silver dial, case 104396", Antiquorum, 2013-05-12]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-3134-lot-272-143 Antiquorum, "Antiquorum Geneva #272 Lot 143 — Rolex ref 3134 steel, matte silver dial, case 104396", Antiquorum, 2013-05-12]
* [https://everywatch.com/rolex/oyster-perpetual/watch-9107818 EveryWatch, "Exclusive Timepieces Lot 227 — Rolex ref 3134 Bubbleback steel, pink dial, case 168751", EveryWatch]
* [https://everywatch.com/rolex/oyster-perpetual/watch-9107818 EveryWatch, "Exclusive Timepieces Lot 227 — Rolex ref 3134 Bubbleback steel, pink dial, case 168751", EveryWatch]
* [https://www.lot-art.com/auction-lots/ROLEX-REF-3134-STEEL-BUBBLE-BACK-WITH-CALIFORNIA-DIAL-CIRCA-1945/118-rolex_3134_steel_3134-15.1.26-luxe Luxe Auctioneers, "Luxe Auctioneers — Rolex ref 3134 steel Bubble Back with California dial, circa 1945", Luxe Auctioneers, 2026-01-15]
* [https://www.lot-art.com/auction-lots/ROLEX-REF-3134-STEEL-BUBBLE-BACK-WITH-CALIFORNIA-DIAL-CIRCA-1945/118-rolex_3134_steel_3134-15.1.26-luxe Luxe Auctioneers, "Luxe Auctioneers — Rolex ref 3134 steel Bubble Back with California dial, circa 1945", Luxe Auctioneers, 2026-01-15]
* [https://www.collectorsquare.com/en/watches/rolex/oyster-perpetual/ref-rolex-3134/lpi Collectors Square, "Collectors Square price index — Rolex Oyster Perpetual ref 3134", Collectors Square]
* [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://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://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-rolex-bubbleback-and-why-it-still-matters Anthony Traina, "The Rolex Bubbleback And Why It Still Matters", Hodinkee, 2024-10-07]
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-rolex-bubbleback-and-why-it-still-matters Anthony Traina, "The Rolex Bubbleback And Why It Still Matters", Hodinkee, 2024-10-07]
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