Rolex Oyster Perpetual ref. 5052
Oyster Perpetual and Bubbleback → 5052
Ref. 5052 appears in auction records from the 1940s and 1950s as an Oyster Perpetual. The documented examples include pink-gold case 653977 and steel case 663654, both 32 mm and catalogued with automatic movements. The records do not establish a production span or a numbered caliber.
Core facts
| Detail | Documented record |
|---|---|
| Model | Oyster Perpetual; auction catalogues also use “Bubble-back” |
| Reference | 5052, visible on case 663654 and its inside caseback |
| Documented materials | Pink gold and stainless steel |
| Movement | Automatic/self-winding in Christie’s, Stockholms Auktionsverk and Sweetroad records; numbered caliber not established |
| Seconds | Subsidiary seconds on Christie’s case 653977 |
| Diameter | 32 mm in Christie’s case 653977 and Stockholms Auktionsverk case 663654 |
| Dating evidence | Christie’s dates case 653977 to the 1940s; Stockholms Auktionsverk dates case 663654 to the 1950s |
| Field Manual entry | Listed as Full Size; caliber, bezel and description are not given |
| Production span | Not established |
Where it sits in the line
The 5052 is an Oyster Perpetual from the domed-back automatic era that collectors group under “Bubbleback.” Christie’s catalogue uses both Oyster Perpetual and Bubble-back for case 653977. The round caseback profile and automatic rotor are visible on the steel example photographed by Stockholms Auktionsverk.
Production outline
Christie’s dates pink-gold case 653977 to the 1940s and records movement N8194. Stockholms Auktionsverk Malmö later catalogued a steel example, case serial 663654 and movement number 31883/F37.519, with a 1950s estimate. Its photographs show the 5052 stamp on the case flank and inside the caseback, and the matching serial on the opposite flank.
Christie’s and Stockholms Auktionsverk give dates in separate decades for two case-numbered watches. Sweetroad dates its separately photographed steel 5052 to 1948–50, a dealer estimate. These records leave the reference’s production endpoints unknown.
Movement notes
Christie’s calls case 653977 self-winding and identifies its movement as N8194. The rotor is visible in Stockholms Auktionsverk’s photographs of case 663654; Sweetroad also describes its stamped example as automatic. Rolex’s Oyster case table pairs ref. 5052 with a 9¾-ligne automatic movement. That is a size description, not a caliber number, and none of these records confirms a numbered caliber for the reference.
Anderson & Garland catalogued a 30 mm steel watch attributed to ref. 5052 as manual-wind Cal. 635, with subsidiary seconds, movement no. 319xx and a case serial beginning 663xxx. Stockholms Auktionsverk records automatic movement no. 31883/F37.519 in case 663654. The serial prefixes overlap, but the movement numbers and winding descriptions differ. Until the cases can be matched, Anderson & Garland’s manual-wind entry remains a disputed catalogue attribution, not a confirmed 5052 variant.
Dial map
Christie’s describes case 653977 with a silvered dial, luminous Arabic numerals, a large subsidiary-seconds display and luminous Mercedes hands. Stockholms Auktionsverk’s photographs show a dark dial with Arabic 12, 3 and 9 and baton-like markers. Sweetroad describes another 5052 with luminous wedges around the edge, Arabic 12, 3 and 9, and raised dots between them; it calls that dial original, but the listing does not establish the claim independently. These are individual layouts, with no documented sequence or confirmed factory variant family.
Case, bezel, crystal, and crown
Christie’s gives a 32 mm pink-gold case with a chamfered bezel and screwed back. The 32 mm steel case 663654 has 5052 stamped on the flank and inside the caseback. Stockholms Auktionsverk describes its crystal as plexiglass. The original Swedish listing says the movement was running when catalogued, but the auction house does not guarantee its function. Service history is unknown and wear is noted; the photographs show verdigris around the lugs. These details apply to this watch only.
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Crown and case profile, case 663654; Stockholms Auktionsverk Malmö -
5052 stamp on the case flank, case 663654; Stockholms Auktionsverk Malmö -
Serial 663654 on the opposite case flank; Stockholms Auktionsverk Malmö -
Inside caseback stamped 5052; Stockholms Auktionsverk Malmö -
Domed caseback, case 663654; Stockholms Auktionsverk Malmö
Bracelet, clasp, and packaging
Christie’s lists case 653977 on a leather strap with a steel buckle. Stockholms Auktionsverk photographs case 663654 on a leather strap. Sweetroad’s separate steel watch is shown on a rivet bracelet that the dealer identifies as Privé. Original delivery, bracelet fitment and end links remain unverified for ref. 5052.
Auction record
| Source | Case and movement | Catalogue record |
|---|---|---|
| Christie’s, lot 1472920 (1999) | 653977 / N8194 | Pink gold, 32 mm, self-winding; silvered dial with luminous Arabic numerals and subsidiary seconds; dated 1940s |
| Stockholms Auktionsverk Malmö via Auctionet, lot 2105792 (2022) | 663654 / 31883/F37.519 | Steel, 32 mm, automatic; catalogue estimate 1950s; photographs show reference and serial stamps and movement rotor; running when catalogued, but function not guaranteed; service history unknown |
| Sweetroad, item W-33646 | Caseback stamp shown; serial not transcribed | Steel, 32 mm, automatic, dealer-dated 1948–50; unusual dial and rivet bracelet described by the dealer |
| Anderson & Garland, lot 421 (2025) | Serial prefix 663xxx / movement 319xx | Catalogued as steel, 30 mm and manual-wind Cal. 635; dated alternatively to c.1948 or 1961. Its partial serial may overlap 663654, but movement and winding details conflict with the Stockholms Auktionsverk record. |
Gallery
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Case serial 663654, full watch; Stockholms Auktionsverk Malmö, lot 2105792 -
Dial of case serial 663654; Stockholms Auktionsverk Malmö -
Crown and case profile; Stockholms Auktionsverk Malmö
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5052 case-flank stamp; Stockholms Auktionsverk Malmö
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Case serial 663654; Stockholms Auktionsverk Malmö
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Domed caseback; Stockholms Auktionsverk Malmö
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Inside caseback stamped 5052; Stockholms Auktionsverk Malmö
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Automatic movement and rotor; Stockholms Auktionsverk Malmö -
Second view of the automatic movement; Stockholms Auktionsverk Malmö
Sources
- Christie’s, "Christie’s lot 1472920 — Rolex Oyster Perpetual Bubble-back ref. 5052, case 653977", Christie’s, 1999
- Stockholms Auktionsverk Malmö, "Stockholms Auktionsverk Malmö, Rolex Oyster Perpetual ref. 5052, lot 2105792", Stockholms Auktionsverk Malmö via Auctionet, 2022-04-03
- "Rolex Oyster case assembly table — ref. 5052", Rolex (scan hosted by Vintage Rolex Forum Museum)
- Colin A. White, "Colin A. White, The Vintage Rolex Field Manual — Oyster Perpetual reference table, 5052 row", Morning Tundra, 2020
- Sweetroad, "Sweetroad listing W-33646 — Rolex Oyster Perpetual ref. 5052", Sweetroad
- Anderson & Garland, "Anderson & Garland lot 421 — steel Oyster Perpetual attributed to ref. 5052", Anderson & Garland, 2025-04-02