Rolex Oyster 1925
Pre-Perpetual Oyster → 1925
Rolex ref. 1925 appears in Christie’s, Antiquorum, Bonhams and Sterling Vault catalogues for early manual-wind Oysters. The dated examples run from circa 1925 into the 1930s, with cushion, faceted tonneau and octagonal cases in gold, silver and nickel. These lot dates leave the production endpoints undetermined.
Core facts
| Detail | Documented record |
|---|---|
| Reference | Christie’s, Antiquorum, Bonhams and Sterling Vault catalogues identify ref. 1925 |
| Model | Oyster; catalogues describe manual-wind watches |
| Date evidence | Individual lots dated circa 1925, 1928 and the 1930s; production span remains undated |
| Case forms | Cushion, faceted tonneau and octagonal, each recorded on separate lots |
| Materials | 9ct gold, including one pink-gold description; 18ct gold, sterling silver and nickel |
| Movements | Prima and Ultra Prima grades appear on particular lots; other catalogues give jewel counts or a lever description without a grade |
| Dimensions | 28 × 28 mm to 32 × 31 mm in the cited records; Christie’s also gives 31 mm wide |
Where it sits in the line
The catalogues place ref. 1925 among manual-wind Oysters. Rolex’s history dates the Oyster launch to 1926, while Christie’s dates one explicitly identified ref. 1925 to circa 1925. The estimates address different records; a factory start date remains undocumented. [Rolex, Oyster history] [Christie's, lot 5606959]
The catalogues record cushion, octagonal and faceted tonneau cases. They do not establish a sequence among these forms, so each is best treated as a configuration documented on an individual example.
Production outline
Six auction records identify ref. 1925. Christie’s dates examples circa 1925, 1928 and to the 1930s; Antiquorum dates one to the 1920s; Bonhams records a 1928 Dublin import mark; Sterling Vault dates its example circa 1930. Import marks date assay or entry through a market, while manufacture remains a separate question. [Christie's, circa-1925 example] [Christie's, case 25658] [Christie's, octagonal example] [Antiquorum, lot 196] [Bonhams, lot 204] [Sterling Vault, lot 57]
Movement notes
Movement descriptions vary by lot. Antiquorum names a 9 Prima with 15 jewels, lever escapement and adjustment to six positions and all climates. Christie’s gives a Prima movement timed to six positions for its 1928 gold watch. Its circa-1925 pink-gold example has a nickel-finished lever movement with 15 jewels and no grade named. Christie’s and Sterling Vault identify Ultra Prima movements in two other examples. Christie’s records 15 jewels and adjustment to six positions on its octagonal watch; Sterling Vault also records 15 jewels. The lot descriptions give no single caliber or grade sequence for ref. 1925. [Antiquorum, lot 196] [Christie's, lot 2077585] [Christie's, circa-1925 example] [Christie's, octagonal example] [Sterling Vault, lot 57]
Dial map
The surviving descriptions show several layouts, each tied to a particular watch. Christie’s 1925 pink-gold example has a guilloché dial with Roman numerals, subsidiary seconds and blued-steel fancy hands. Its 1928 gold watch has an engine-turned silvered dial with Arabic numerals and subsidiary seconds. Antiquorum records painted Roman numerals and cathedral-style blued hands; the 1930s nickel octagonal watch has a black dial with baton markers, Arabic numerals at the quarters and luminous hands. Bonhams describes a silver Arabic dial; Sterling Vault catalogues an enamel Arabic dial. Both records include subsidiary seconds. The order in which these dials appeared remains unknown. [Christie's, lot 5606959] [Christie's, lot 2077585] [Antiquorum, lot 196] [Christie's, octagonal example] [Bonhams, lot 204]
Case, bezel, crystal and crown
The catalogues describe cushion cases in pink or yellow gold, a faceted tonneau-shaped sterling-silver case, and a nickel octagonal case. Reported measurements vary: Antiquorum gives 28 × 28 mm; Christie’s gives 28 mm and 31 mm wide on separate cushion watches; Bonhams gives 32 × 31 mm for the silver tonneau example. Those are catalogue measurements of individual watches, not a standard case size. [Antiquorum, lot 196] [Christie's, lot 2077585] [Christie's, lot 5606959] [Bonhams, lot 204]
The 1928 cushion watch has a milled bezel, screw-down crown and milled-edge screw back. Antiquorum describes a reeded bezel and dedicated screwed back; Bonhams records a screw-down back and bezel on its silver watch. Christie’s calls the octagonal case’s bezel milled and its crown screw-down. Crystal materials and a reference-wide crown design remain undocumented in these catalogues. Christie’s prints “no. 20302/260554” for its circa-1925 example; Bonhams labels 260554 a case number. The British Museum transcribes 260554/1925 beneath “Great Britain Patents” on another early Oyster, which it does not identify as ref. 1925. The catalogues do not resolve the roles of Christie’s slash-separated numbers, so I retain each catalogue’s wording. The hero and oblique view show the circa-1930 gold example. Credit: Sterling Vault, lot 57. [British Museum, object 1986,0509.4]
Bracelets, clasps and packaging
The cited watches are shown on leather straps. Christie’s records an 18ct Rolex buckle with one 9ct gold watch; its original pairing is unverified. Sterling Vault describes the strap and buckle on its circa-1930 example as aftermarket. The lot photos show that buckle, but establish no bracelet or reference-specific packaging.
Auction record
| Catalogue | Date assigned to example | Record |
|---|---|---|
| Christie’s, lot 5606959 | Circa 1925 | 9k pink-gold cushion case, 31 mm wide; 15-jewel nickel-finished lever movement; Roman guilloché dial; catalogue number “20302/260554” |
| Antiquorum, lot 196 | 1920s | 9ct-gold cushion case, 28 × 28 mm; 9 Prima, 15 jewels |
| Christie’s, lot 2077585 | 1928 | 18ct-gold cushion case, 28 mm; case 25658; Glasgow import marks for 1928; Prima movement |
| Bonhams, lot 204 | 1928 Dublin import mark | Sterling-silver faceted tonneau case, 32 × 31 mm; catalogue labels 260554 a case number; 15-jewel Prima |
| Christie’s, lot 1892058 | 1930s | Nickel octagonal case, 32 mm; 15-jewel Ultra Prima adjusted to six positions |
| Sterling Vault, lot 57 | Circa 1930 | 9ct-gold cushion case, 32 mm; Ultra Prima, 15 jewels; three photographs of one watch |
Gallery
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Front view of a 9ct-gold ref. 1925, catalogued circa 1930. Photo: Sterling Vault, lot 57 -
Three-quarter view of the same watch. Photo: Sterling Vault, lot 57 -
Aftermarket strap and buckle photographed with the same watch. Photo: Sterling Vault, lot 57
Sources
- Christie's, "Christie's lot 5606959 — Rolex Oyster ref. 1925, circa 1925", Christie's
- Christie's, "Christie's lot 2077585 — Oyster ref. 1925, case 25658, 1928", Christie's
- Christie's, "Christie's lot 1892058 — nickel-cased octagonal Oyster ref. 1925", Christie's
- Antiquorum, "Antiquorum Hong Kong 1994, lot 196 — Rolex Oyster ref. 1925", Antiquorum, 1994-06-17
- Bonhams, "Bonhams sale 17940, lot 204 — sterling-silver Oyster ref. 1925", Bonhams
- Sterling Vault, "Sterling Vault past-sale lot 57 — Rolex Oyster Ultra Prima ref. 1925", Sterling Vault
- British Museum, "British Museum object 1986,0509.4 — early Rolex Oyster with patent-marked caseback", British Museum
- Rolex, "Rolex history 1926–1945 — Oyster introduction and early history", Rolex