Rolex Oyster 3096
Oyster → 3096
The 3096 is a Rolex Oyster documented in four auction records for gold watches with cushion-shaped cases. Bonhams calls its example manual-wind. Three records give a 30 mm diameter; EveryWatch's transcription of Sotheby's lot 51 gives the same size for a fourth. Bonhams' photograph shows a central seconds hand; the other records describe or show subsidiary seconds.
Bonhams dates its example to circa 1930; Sotheby's catalogues lot 51 circa 1937. Gardiner Houlgate records Glasgow import marks dated 1937 on another watch. Those dates belong to the individual watches or their import records; the auction records give no production span or caliber number.
Core facts
| Detail | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Reference | 3096, marked on the exterior caseback in the Toovey's example. |
| Family | Oyster. |
| Production | Individual-watch dates: Bonhams, case 41164, circa 1930; Sotheby's lot 51, circa 1937, with case 41'108 transcribed by EveryWatch; Gardiner Houlgate, case 41066, with 1937 Glasgow import marks. The reference's production range is undetermined. |
| Case | 9ct gold, cushion form, about 30 mm. Gardiner Houlgate describes hooded lugs. |
| Winding | Bonhams identifies manual winding; the other catalogue descriptions focus on movement type or jewel count. |
| Movement | Toovey's describes a jewelled lever movement; Gardiner Houlgate records 18 jewels and six-position timing. EveryWatch's transcription of Sotheby's lot 51 gives a mechanical 18-jewel movement. The listings give no caliber number. |
| Seconds | Centre seconds visible on Bonhams case 41164; subsidiary seconds described or shown in the Gardiner Houlgate and Toovey's records, and transcribed for Sotheby's lot 51 by EveryWatch. |
| Dial | Silvered with Arabic numerals in the Bonhams, Gardiner Houlgate, and Toovey's records; EveryWatch's transcription of Sotheby's lot 51 also describes a silvered dial. Two examples carry the wording “Oyster Chronometer.” |
| Bracelet or strap | Auction records show leather straps, but do not tie them to original delivery. |
Where it sits in the line
Auction catalogues place the 3096 among Oyster watches. Bonhams describes its example as manual-wind. Gardiner Houlgate calls its example an “Oyster Chronometer”; Toovey's records that wording on the dial. The records describe individual watches; they do not document separate named branches.
Production outline
Bonhams dates the watch with case 41164 to circa 1930. Sotheby's lists a ref. 3096 as circa 1937; EveryWatch's transcription identifies that lot as case 41'108. Gardiner Houlgate records case 41066 with Glasgow import marks dated 1937. The mark dates the import record for case 41066; it does not date the reference's production. Bonhams' caseback photograph shows a dedication and the inscription “4.12.1940.” The date order and occasion remain unclear.
Movement notes
Bonhams describes its watch as manual-wind. Gardiner Houlgate specifies an 18-jewel movement timed in six positions. Toovey's describes a jewelled lever movement marked “Rolex Chronometer Timed 6 Positions,” without a jewel count. EveryWatch's transcription of Sotheby's lot 51 calls its movement mechanical and gives 18 jewels. The auction descriptions vary by example and give no reference-wide movement specification or caliber number.
Dial map
| Example | Recorded dial |
|---|---|
| Bonhams, case 41164 | Silvered dial with black Arabic numerals and “Rolex Oyster Chronometre.” The catalogue photograph shows a central seconds hand. |
| Gardiner Houlgate, case 41066 | Silvered Arabic dial, luminous hands, and subsidiary seconds; the movement is described as 18 jewels and timed to six positions. |
| Toovey's, example marked 4111 above ref. 3096 | Silvered Arabic dial with subsidiary seconds and “Rolex Oyster Chronometer.” |
| Sotheby's lot 51, case 41'108 per EveryWatch | Catalogued circa 1937; EveryWatch's transcription describes a silvered dial with subsidiary seconds. |
The photographs and catalogue descriptions record both central and subsidiary seconds. The timing of any change between the layouts is unknown.
Case, bezel, crystal, and crown notes
The auction descriptions agree on a cushion-shaped 9ct-gold case measuring about 30 mm. Gardiner Houlgate calls its example hooded-cushion cased. Toovey's describes a screw-down winding button marked “Oyster Patent”; Bonhams' profile photograph shows the crown and case side on the same watch.
Crystal material is unreported in the reviewed auction records.
Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes
Bonhams shows a black lizard strap and gilt buckle, both described as associated. Gardiner Houlgate records a leather strap. The auction descriptions do not tie either strap to original delivery or document a bracelet, end link, or reference-specific packaging.
Historical market and auction record
| Sale | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Toovey's, 13 July 2017, lot 1025 | Example marked 4111 above ref. 3096 | 9ct-gold cushion case, silvered Arabic dial with subsidiary seconds, and a jewelled lever movement marked “Rolex Chronometer Timed 6 Positions.” |
| Gardiner Houlgate, 23 May 2018, lot 59 | Serial 41066 | 9ct-gold hooded cushion case, silvered Arabic dial with subsidiary seconds, and 1937 Glasgow import marks. |
| Sotheby's, November 2020, lot 51 | Case 41'108 (EveryWatch transcription) | Yellow-gold stepped cushion case, catalogued circa 1937; EveryWatch transcribes a 30 mm case, silvered dial with subsidiary seconds, and 18-jewel movement. |
| Bonhams, 6 November 2024, lot 85 | Case 41164 | 9K-gold cushion case, silvered Arabic dial with central seconds visible in the catalogue photograph, and a caseback dedication dated 4.12.1940. |
Gallery
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Bonhams, 2024, lot 85, case 41164: dial and whole watch -
Bonhams, 2024, lot 85, case 41164: engraved caseback -
Bonhams, 2024, lot 85, case 41164: crown and case profile
Sources
- Bonhams, "Bonhams — Rolex Oyster ref. 3096, case 41164", Bonhams, 2024-11-06
- Gardiner Houlgate, "Gardiner Houlgate — Rolex Oyster Chronometer ref. 3096, serial 41066", Gardiner Houlgate, 2018-05-23
- Toovey's, "Toovey's — Rolex Oyster ref. 3096, case marking 4111/3096", Toovey's, 2017-07-13
- Sotheby's, "Sotheby's — Rolex ref. 3096, lot 51, circa 1937", Sotheby's, 2020-11
- EveryWatch, "EveryWatch transcription of Sotheby's — Rolex ref. 3096, lot 51", EveryWatch
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