Rolex 2356 Prince
Prince → 2356
The 2356 is a rectangular Rolex Prince documented in 9ct gold across two Bonhams lots, catalogued four and a half years apart. Both use Bonhams' structured "Reference: 2356" field, distinct from either watch's case number. Like sibling reference 2736 from the same era, the 2356 carries no Railway, Dauphin, Brancard, or Imperial-style nickname in the auction record — a plain Prince rather than one of the line's named Art Deco shapes.
Core facts
| detail | value |
|---|---|
| reference | 2356 |
| family | Prince (manual-wind, rectangular) |
| documented examples | circa 1936 and circa 1938 |
| case shape | rectangular |
| case size | 20mm x 30mm (both documented examples) |
| lugs | fixed wire |
| crown | plain pull-out, not screw-down |
| movement | 15-jewel manual wind; caliber not published in either catalogue |
| case material | 9ct gold (both documented examples; no other material documented) |
Where it sits in the line
Like ref. 2736, the 2356 is a plain, un-nicknamed rectangular Prince from the 1930s — no case-shape name attaches to it in the surfaced auction record. The two references differ in construction: 2736's documented cases carry an integrated stepped, faceted profile, where both documented 2356 cases use fixed wire lugs, a simpler and more common rectangular-watch attachment of the period. Both documented 2356 examples are 9ct gold; unlike 2736, no steel example has surfaced for this reference.
Production outline
Bonhams dates one example "circa 1938" (case 474**, the last two digits masked in the catalogue) and the other "circa 1936" (case 15182). The 1936 date has some independent support: Bonhams' own catalogue transcribes a caseback engraving on that watch reading "N.L.D. 11-6-36," a period-consistent detail rather than a manufacture date proven by the reference itself. Two data points two years apart do not establish a production window.
Movement notes
Both documented examples carry a 15-jewel manual-wind movement. Neither Bonhams catalogue names a caliber number, and no other source consulted supplies one. Both watches wind through a plain pull-out crown and run a small seconds register at 6.
Dial map
The two documented examples carry different dial layouts, though neither is confirmed by photography at a resolution this project can publish (see Case, bezel, crystal, and crown below). Case 474** (1938) has a silvered dial with applied gilt Arabic numerals, a black outer minute track with five-minute markers, and blued steel dagger hands. Case 15182 (1936) has a silvered dial with black baton hour markers and Arabic quarters at the quarter-hours, the same style of outer minute track, and blued steel spade hands.
With two documented examples and catalogue text as the only description of either dial, this is recorded as the reference's full known dial range rather than a settled variant table.
Case, bezel, crystal, and crown
Both documented cases are rectangular, 20mm x 30mm, with a polished finish, a snap-on back, and fixed wire lugs. Neither catalogue records crystal material. The crown on both is a plain pull-out type, consistent with the rest of the Prince line's non-waterproof construction.
Bonhams' own auction photography exists for both lots but at 650x650px and 616-724px native resolution — below this project's 1200px minimum source width for a publishable image. No image accompanies this article as a result; a higher-resolution source would need to surface before one could be added.
Bracelets, end links, and clasps
Case 474** is fitted with a brown leather strap and plated buckle, not claimed as original by the catalogue. Case 15182 was catalogued as a "watch head" — no strap, buckle, or bracelet at all.
Auction record
| Venue | Date | Lot | Case no. | Dial | Estimate | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonhams, "Watches and Wristwatches," London Knightsbridge | 2014-09-16 | 78 | 474** | Silvered, gilt Arabic numerals, dagger hands | GBP 600–800 | GBP 687.50 inc. premium |
| Bonhams, "Watches and Wristwatches," London Knightsbridge | 2015-02-24 | 79 | 15182 | Silvered, baton and Arabic markers, spade hands | GBP 500–700 | Not published; read as unsold |
One result is on record. The second lot's live listing shows an estimate with no "Sold for" line, consistent with an unsold or bought-in outcome rather than a withheld result.
Related references
- Prince 2736 — plain Prince from the same discovery pass, in steel and gold with a stepped case
- Prince 1527 "Railway" — stepped bi-color Prince with a documented case-shape nickname
- Prince 1490
- Prince 1491 Jump Hour
- Prince 1862
See also the Prince family index, movement reference, and serial numbers by year.