Rolex 2736 Prince
Prince → 2736
The 2736 is a rectangular Rolex Prince documented in two case materials: stainless steel and 9K gold. Two Bonhams lots, five years apart, catalogue it under Bonhams' own structured "Reference: 2736" field, distinct from either watch's case number. Neither lot carries a Railway, Dauphin, Brancard, or Imperial-style nickname — the reference reads as a plain Prince, without a distinguishing case-shape name attached to it in the auction record.
Core facts
| detail | value |
|---|---|
| reference | 2736 |
| family | Prince (manual-wind, rectangular) |
| documented examples | circa 1930 (steel); Glasgow import mark for 1938 (9K gold) |
| case shape | rectangular, stepped/faceted profile |
| case size | 22mm x 31mm (steel); 22mm x 30mm (gold) |
| crown | plain pull-out, not screw-down |
| movement | 15-jewel manual wind; caliber not published in either catalogue |
| case materials | stainless steel (case 025541); 9K gold (case 46251) |
| dial | two treatments documented — see Dial map |
Where it sits in the line
Rolex's Prince line ran through the 1920s and 1930s as the company's rectangular Art Deco dress watch, built around the Aegler 10½-ligne movement family and sold under a scatter of case-shape names — Railway, Dauphin, Brancard, Imperial, and others — each tied to a specific stepped or faceted case profile. The 2736 does not carry one of those names in either documented sale. Both Bonhams catalogues describe it simply as "Prince," which places it among the reference's plainer, unnamed rectangular case variants rather than one of the line's celebrated Art Deco shapes.
The two documented 2736 examples share a case size close enough (22mm x 31mm and 22mm x 30mm) to read as the same case design in two metals, not two different models sharing a reference number by coincidence.
Production outline
Bonhams dates the steel example "circa 1930" by catalogue estimate. The gold example carries a Glasgow import hallmark for 1938 — an assay-office mark that dates when the watch entered the UK market, not necessarily when Rolex made it, so 1938 is a floor for that specific watch rather than a fixed manufacture year. Two data points eight years apart do not establish a production window; both are documented examples, not boundaries on a range.
Case numbers are known for both: 025541 (steel) and 46251 (gold). Two numbers do not support any reading of serial sequence for the reference.
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. On the wrist, both watches wind through a plain pull-out crown — the Prince line never adopted the Oyster's screw-down waterproofing system — and run a small seconds register at 6, standard for the Prince duo-dial architecture even where, as here, the register sits alone rather than beside a matching hours-and-minutes sub-dial.
Dial map
-
Steel example: plain "ROLEX" wordmark, no coronet, applied baton and dagger hour markers -
Gold example: "ROLEX" below a coronet, applied gilt Arabic numerals, "SWISS MADE" at the dial foot
The two documented examples show two distinct dial treatments. The steel watch carries a silvered dial with a plain "ROLEX" wordmark and no coronet, applied baton and dagger hour markers, and a plain subsidiary-seconds register at 6. The gold watch carries a silvered dial with "ROLEX" printed below a coronet, applied gilt Arabic numerals at every hour, a railroad-style track ringing the subsidiary-seconds register, and "SWISS MADE" printed at the foot of the dial.
With only two documented examples, whether this split tracks case material, sale era, retailer preference, or simple watch-to-watch variation within one reference is not established. Both are recorded here as the reference's full known dial range.
Case, bezel, crystal, and crown
Both documented cases are rectangular with a stepped, faceted profile characteristic of 1930s Prince construction. The steel example measures 22mm x 31mm; the gold example 22mm x 30mm — a 1mm difference in line with normal case-to-case tolerance rather than a documented size variant. Neither catalogue records crystal material. The crown on both is a plain pull-out type, not the screw-down Oyster system Rolex reserved for its waterproof sports and tool watches.
The steel case shows a snap or press-fit back carrying case number 025541 and a personal inscription; the gold case has a snap-on back carrying case number 46251 and a separate personal engraving. Neither engraving is transcribed here — both are private individual markings with no independent documentation tying them to a named collector or original owner.
Bracelets, end links, and clasps
Neither documented example is on a period-original strap. The steel watch carries an "associated" black leather strap with a steel buckle; the gold watch carries a brown leather strap with a gold-plated buckle. Bonhams does not claim either as original to the watch.
Auction record
| Venue | Date | Lot | Case no. | Material | Dial | Estimate | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonhams, "Watches and Wristwatches," London Knightsbridge | 2019-05-21 | 67 | 46251 | 9K gold | Silvered, gilt Arabic numerals, coronet | GBP 700–900 | GBP 892.50 inc. premium |
| Bonhams, "Weekly: Watches London" (online) | 2024-05-08 | 107 | 025541 | Steel | Silvered, baton/dagger markers, plain wordmark | GBP 800–1,200 | GBP 1,088 inc. premium |
Two results, five years apart and in different case materials, are on record. Both sold within or close to estimate. Two results are not enough to establish a price pattern for the reference by material or dial variant.
Related references
- Prince 1527 "Railway" — stepped bi-color Prince with a documented case-shape nickname
- Prince 1490
- Prince 1491 Jump Hour
- Prince 1862
- Prince 3361
- Prince 3937
See also the Prince family index, movement reference, and serial numbers by year.