Rolex Oyster Perpetual 3064 Bubbleback
Bubbleback → 3064
Reference 3064 is a tonneau-shaped Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback from around 1940. The documented watches use a stainless-steel case with an 18k pink-gold bezel and hooded lugs, a 32 mm case, and a small automatic chronometer movement. Christie's records three circa-1940 examples with different case numbers and dial details, including one retailed by Dobbies Ltd. of Nairobi.
Core facts
| detail | value |
|---|---|
| reference | 3064 |
| family | Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback |
| documented dates | circa 1940 in the reviewed auction catalogues |
| case | tonneau-shaped stainless steel with 18k pink-gold bezel and hooded lugs; 32 mm on the cited Christie's examples |
| movement | 9¾ automatic, 18 jewels; described as chronometer or chronometer-certified in the auction records |
| dial examples | pink or rose, and two-tone silvered; luminous Arabic and baton numerals with subsidiary seconds on the cited examples |
| crown | pink-gold Rolex Oyster screw-down crown on the cited Christie's lots |
| documented case numbers | 56'924, 269'204, and 282'453 |
Where it sits in the line
The 3064 belongs to the early automatic Oyster Perpetual family usually called the Bubbleback. Its tonneau case, hooded lugs, pink-gold bezel, and 9¾-line movement also appear in nearby references such as 3130 and 3133. The auction records reviewed here establish shared construction features; they do not establish a complete reference-by-reference production chart.
One 3064 dial carries the additional signature of Dobbies Ltd., Nairobi. That mark identifies the retailer associated with that watch. It does not, by itself, establish where the watch was first delivered or how many Rolex watches Dobbies retailed.
Production outline
Christie's dates the three reviewed 3064 examples to circa 1940. Their case numbers are 56'924, 269'204, and 282'453. The lots were sold in Geneva in 2014, New York in 2013, and Geneva in 2013, respectively. Auction dates are sale dates, not manufacture dates.
The reviewed evidence does not establish a 3064 production start or end, a total output, or a complete list of case and dial variants. The reference should therefore be dated from individual case records rather than from a precise range inferred from these three lots.
Movement notes
Christie's describes the 3064 examples with a 9¾-line automatic movement and 18 jewels. The records call the watches chronometer or chronometer-certified. The movement number appears in the 2013 Geneva catalogue for case 269'204, but a movement number and a case number are separate identifiers. The movement family guide provides broader context for early automatic Rolex calibers.
Dial map
The reviewed catalogues show three dial descriptions:
| case | dial description | record |
|---|---|---|
| 56'924 | Rose dial with luminous Arabic and baton numerals, luminous hands, outer minute divisions, and an engine-turned subsidiary dial | Christie's New York, lot 63, 2013 |
| 269'204 | Two-tone silvered matte dial with luminous Arabic numerals, luminous hands, and subsidiary seconds | Christie's Geneva, lot 341, 2013 |
| 282'453 | Pink dial with luminous Arabic and baton numerals, luminous hands, and subsidiary seconds; further signed by Dobbies Ltd., Nairobi | Christie's Geneva, lot 240, 2014 |
These are catalogue descriptions of three watches, not a complete factory dial inventory. Retailer signatures belong to the individual dial and do not establish a separate factory variant.
Case, bezel, crystal, and crown
The cited examples have a 32 mm tonneau-shaped stainless-steel case, screw back, 18k pink-gold bezel and hooded lugs, and a pink-gold Rolex Oyster screw-down crown. Christie’s describes the case as a water-resistant Bubbleback type. The auction entries reviewed here do not give a reference-wide crystal specification, so the page does not infer one.
Bracelet and packaging
The 2013 New York example was catalogued with a stainless-steel and rose-gold Rolex link bracelet and deployant clasp. The 2014 Dobbies example was catalogued with a box; the 2013 Geneva example had no packaging claim in the catalogue text reviewed here. Accessories and bracelet fitment belong to those individual lots and do not establish the original delivery configuration of every 3064.
Retailer-signed example
The Dobbies Ltd., Nairobi signature appears on the pink dial of case 282'453, catalogued by Christie's in 2014. It is useful provenance for that watch, but the catalogue does not establish a direct Rolex supply agreement, a delivery date, or a broader Nairobi distribution series from the signature alone.
Auction record
These are individual sale records in different currencies and years. They do not define a market range.
| sale date | house and lot | case and configuration | result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 May 2013 | Christie's Geneva, sale 1395, lot 341 | 269'204; two-tone silvered dial; circa 1940 | CHF 28,750 |
| 17 Dec 2013 | Christie's New York, sale 2753, lot 63 | 56'924; rose dial and rose-gold/stainless link bracelet; circa 1940 | USD 16,250 |
| 12 May 2014 | Christie's Geneva, sale 1401, lot 240 | 282'453; pink Dobbies Ltd., Nairobi dial and box; circa 1940 | CHF 10,000 |
Related references
- Bubbleback 3130, related 9¾-line bi-metal example
- Bubbleback 3133, related early automatic reference
- Bubbleback 3725, related Bubbleback reference with a wider documented case record
See also the Bubbleback family index, movement reference, and serial-number guide.
Gallery
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Stainless-steel and pink-gold 3064 Bubbleback, circa 1940 -
Pink Dobbies Ltd., Nairobi dial on case 282'453 -
Pink-gold hooded lug and Oyster crown on case 282'453
Sources
- Christie's, "Rolex ref. 3064, rose dial and bracelet — Christie's New York lot 63", Christie's, 2013-12-17
- Christie's, "Rolex ref. 3064, two-tone silvered dial — Christie's Geneva lot 341", Christie's, 2013-05-13
- Christie's, "Rolex ref. 3064, Dobbies Ltd. Nairobi dial — Christie's Geneva lot 240", Christie's, 2014-05-12