Rolex 1858 Bubbleback
Bubbleback → 1858
The Vintage Rolex Field Manual identifies ref. 1858 as the first Bubbleback and lists Cal. 520. Auction and dealer records date individual watches to 1933, around 1935, and the 1930s. They describe three- and four-part cases, diameters from 30.5 to 32 mm, and dials from black luminous to silvered sector.
Core facts
| detail | value |
|---|---|
| reference | 1858 |
| family | Bubbleback, an unofficial collector name |
| dated examples | 1933; circa 1935; 1930s |
| movement | Cal. 520 in the Field Manual; catalogues vary on ligne size and jewel count |
| Field Manual description | Perpetual, Chronometer for its listed 1858 suffix entries |
| case form | Tonneau; Aste Bolaffi describes concave lugs |
| reported diameter | 30.5–32 mm across individual listings |
| case construction | Antiquorum calls two examples three-body; Aste Bolaffi and WatchNet describe four parts |
| dial examples | Black luminous, black three-tone, black gilt, silvered Arabic, silvered baton, and luminous bow-tie |
Place in the line
Rolex says its patented Perpetual rotor was introduced in 1931. Antiquorum and Vintage & Prestige date individual ref. 1858 watches to 1933; other catalogues date examples to around 1935 or the 1930s. The Field Manual calls it the first Bubbleback, a collector category for early automatic Oyster watches.
The rounded caseback makes room for the early self-winding mechanism. “Bubbleback” is a collector's term for that shape; Rolex used Oyster Perpetual on the dial.
Movement
The Field Manual lists Cal. 520 for ref. 1858; Aste Bolaffi identifies movement 1143 as Hunter 8¾ (520), and Vintage & Prestige and WatchNet list Cal. 520 for their examples. Hodinkee's 2024 family guide instead assigns Cal. 620 to the first series beginning with ref. 1858. Phillips and Antiquorum's 2006 and 2013 lots list 8¾-line movements; Antiquorum's 2021 Hong Kong catalogue gives 9¾ line for case 48,449 without naming a caliber. The reference-specific attributions and Hodinkee's broader account conflict.
Jewel counts vary by lot: Antiquorum lists 19 for cases 014224 and 48191; Bolaffi lists 17 for movement 1143. Bolaffi also records patent 97101, a lever escapement, a screwed balance adjusted in six positions, and a blued Breguet hairspring on movement 1143. Those details belong to that catalogue entry.
Antiquorum's 2006 and 2013 catalogues and Aste Bolaffi's 2020 entry describe watchmaker instructions engraved on their 1858 movements; they use “Didactic” for this feature. In Bolaffi's movement photograph, English labels include “case screws” and “dial screw.” WatchNet's movement photograph also shows English lettering, including “CONNECTING CASE SCREWS.”
Dial examples
| source and watch | recorded dial |
|---|---|
| Antiquorum, Geneva 2006, case 014224 | Black dial, luminous indexes and skeleton hands; C. Bucherer retailer attribution |
| Antiquorum, Geneva 2013, case 48191 | Brushed silver, applied gilt baton indexes, outer minute track, subsidiary seconds; Bucherer signature |
| Aste Bolaffi, Turin 2020, movement 1143 | Silvered dial, painted Arabic numerals, minute/seconds track, sector subsidiary seconds |
| Phillips, Geneva 2020, case 52,736 | Luminous bow-tie dial; Beyer retailer signature |
| Antiquorum, Hong Kong 2021, case 48,449 | Black gilt dial with subsidiary seconds |
| WatchNet Japan, product A-6378 | Black three-tone dial; seller describes it as original and lists a 58,*** case number |
| Vintage & Prestige, stock W2107 | C. Bucherer-signed dial on the seller-described 9K yellow-gold watch |
Phillips's close-up shows the Beyer signature and bow-tie markers on case 52,736.
Case, bezel, and materials
Antiquorum describes its 2006 and 2013 examples as three-body cases. Aste Bolaffi calls its 2020 example four-body; WatchNet lists four parts for A-6378: bezel, middle, back, and movement holder.
Antiquorum describes a screw-down caseback and crown on case 014224. Vintage & Prestige says its W2107 watch has renewed plexiglass.
The listings report diameters of 30.5 mm (WatchNet), 31 mm (Antiquorum, 2013 and 2021), 31.5 mm (Phillips), and 32 mm (Antiquorum, 2006, and Aste Bolaffi). The sources do not describe a shared measuring method.
The Vintage Rolex Field Manual lists a smooth, polished bezel and these material suffixes for ref. 1858:
| suffix as printed | case material in the Field Manual |
|---|---|
| /0 | stainless steel |
| /1 | yellow-gold filled |
| /3 | stainless steel and rose gold |
| /7 | rose gold |
| /7 | yellow gold |
| /7 | rose gold |
| /8 | rose gold |
The Field Manual prints /7 three times, including two rose-gold entries, without giving a further distinction between them. Auction catalogues call individual examples Rolesium or Steelium. Vintage & Prestige dates its 9K yellow-gold watch, stock W2107, to 1933 and describes fixed bars and a C. Bucherer-signed dial.
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Dealer-listed 9K yellow-gold ref. 1858, stock W2107; Vintage & Prestige -
Caseback and fixed-bar profile of the same stock W2107 watch
Bracelet and strap records
| source and watch | listed strap or bracelet |
|---|---|
| Phillips, case 52,736 | The catalogue lists a leather strap and stainless-steel Rolex buckle; its image shows a stainless-steel bracelet, so the photographed fitment is unclear |
| Antiquorum, Hong Kong, case 48,449 | Stainless-steel bracelet, about 200 mm long |
| Vintage & Prestige, stock W2107 | Fixed bars and tang buckle |
| WatchNet, product A-6378 | Straight and bamboo bracelets listed; dealer marks the belt as non-original |
The published lot descriptions give no bracelet reference or end-link code for confirmed original ref. 1858 fitment.
Case and serial numbers
The catalogues record case 014224 for Antiquorum's 1933 watch, case 48191 for its circa-1935 watch, case 48,449 for the 1930s Hong Kong lot, and case 52,736 for Phillips's circa-1935 watch. WatchNet masks its case number as 58,***. Aste Bolaffi gives movement number 1143 but no case number. Antiquorum notes that case 014224 bears no reference number. These entries identify individual watches; they do not establish a serial-year sequence.
Auction record
| venue | date | lot | case or movement number | recorded details | result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antiquorum, Geneva, Mondani Collection | 14 May 2006 | 229 | case 014224 | Rolesium; black luminous dial; engraved instructions; C. Bucherer; 32 mm | CHF 33,040 |
| Antiquorum, Geneva | 12 May 2013 | 233 | case 48191 | Rolesium; brushed silver dial; engraved instructions; Bucherer; 31 mm | CHF 1,875 |
| Aste Bolaffi, Turin | 30 Sep 2020 | 34 | movement 1143 | Steelium; silvered sector dial; 17 jewels; 32 mm | EUR 3,000, plus 25% buyer's premium |
| Phillips, Geneva Watch Auction XII | 7 Nov 2020 | 20 | case 52,736; movement 4424 | Stainless steel; luminous bow-tie dial; Beyer; 31.5 mm | CHF 15,120 |
| Antiquorum, Hong Kong | 5 Dec 2021 | 47 | case 48,449 | Stainless steel; black gilt dial; 31 mm; 9¾-line caliber listing | HKD 46,250 |
Related references
Gallery
-
Black gilt ref. 1858, case 48,449; Antiquorum, Hong Kong, lot 47 -
Beyer-signed bow-tie ref. 1858, case 52,736; Phillips, Geneva Watch Auction XII, lot 20 -
Beyer-signed bow-tie dial detail, case 52,736; Phillips -
Dealer-listed 9K yellow-gold example, stock W2107; Vintage & Prestige
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Caseback and fixed bars on stock W2107; Vintage & Prestige
Sources
- The Vintage Rolex Field Manual — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
- Anthony Traina, "The Rolex Bubbleback And Why It Still Matters", Hodinkee, 2024-10-07
- "Rolex Perpetual rotor history", Rolex
- Antiquorum, "Antiquorum Geneva Mondani Collection Lot 229 — Rolex ref 1858 Didactic Bucherer-signed 1933", Antiquorum, 2006-05-14
- Antiquorum, "Antiquorum Geneva Lot 233 — Rolex ref 1858 Didactic Bucherer-signed c.1935", Antiquorum, 2013-05-12
- Aste Bolaffi, "Aste Bolaffi Torino Lot 34 — Rolex Ovetto ref 1858 Didactic Steelium 1930s", Aste Bolaffi, 2020-09-30
- Phillips, "Phillips Geneva Watch Auction XII Lot 20 — Rolex ref 1858 SS bow-tie dial c.1935", Phillips, 2020-11-07
- Antiquorum, "Antiquorum Hong Kong Lot 47 — Rolex ref 1858 SS black gilt dial 1930s", Antiquorum, 2021-12-05
- "Vintage & Prestige, Rolex Oyster Perpetual ref. 1858, stock W2107", Vintage & Prestige, sold
- WatchNet Japan, "WatchNet Japan — Rolex ref 1858 SS black dial 58,xxx serial '1st Model'", watchnet.co.jp, sold