Rolex Prince 1768 (Railway)

Prince → 1768

Steel Rolex Prince ref. 1768, case 010353, with stepped rectangular case and split-register dial — Case 010353. Photo: Antiquorum, Hong Kong, lot 47 (2023).

Ref. 1768 is a rectangular Prince with stepped sides and separate time and seconds registers. Auction catalogues called it “Railway” in 1989 and date examples from circa 1927 to 1938. Antiquorum’s 1938 case may be the watch Uhren-Muser later dated circa 1930; those dates belong to individual catalogue entries.

Core facts

Detail	Documented information
Reference and family	Auction catalogues identify ref. 1768 as a Rolex Prince. Antiquorum used “Railway” in a 1989 auction title. Antiquorum, 1989 Christie's, lot 322
Date evidence	Rossini dates case 01028 to circa 1927. Antiquorum listed case 019784 as made in 1938; Uhren-Muser later catalogued a closely similar watch and box as case 019794, circa 1930. The dial and box photographs look alike. Since the case numbers differ, a repeat listing remains possible but unconfirmed. Aguttes Christie's Antiquorum, 2017 Uhren-Muser, 2023 Rossini, 2022
Case	Auction catalogues describe steel, 14K gold, and steel with rose- or pink-gold components. Aguttes uses “rolesium”; Antiquorum’s 2023 caseback is stamped “Rolesium Registered Inalterable.” The material labels belong to their individual lots. Christie's, group lot Pandolfini, 2014 Monaco Legend Cannes Auction, 2023 Antiquorum, 2023
Dimensions	Listings give lengths of 35–42 mm and widths of 20–21 mm; dimensions come from separate cases and may use different conventions. Aguttes Antiquorum, 2017 Kaplans
Movement	Auction catalogues describe manual winding and use several movement labels and jewel counts; the notes below keep each designation beside its sale lot.
Strap and accessories	Auction photographs show leather straps. Antiquorum's 2017 and Muser's 2023 lots pair fitted boxes with watches numbered 019784 and 019794; the box styles look alike. Their catalogues describe the sale sets, while original delivery remains unverified. Antiquorum, 2017 Uhren-Muser, 2023

Where it sits in the line

Ref. 1768 belongs to the rectangular Prince group, alongside references such as 1527. Its stepped case and split-register dial place it among the longer, vertically oriented Princes. Later catalogues also call the 1527 “Railway”; the name appears on both references as auction terminology.

Production outline

Rossini dates case 01028 to circa 1927; Aguttes and Kaplans place examples around 1930; Christie's dates its example to circa 1936; Antiquorum dates case 019784 to 1938. Similar dial and box photographs leave open whether Muser's circa-1930 case 019794 is the same watch Antiquorum dated to 1938. Treat these as catalogue dates for individual examples; the production endpoints remain unknown. Rossini, 2022 Aguttes Kaplans Christie's Antiquorum, 2017 Uhren-Muser, 2023 Pandolfini, 2014

Published case numbers include 01028, 010271, 010345, 010353, 12'672, 019784/019794, 9906, and 14069. Each comes from an individual sale catalogue; the listed dates do not form a documented serial chronology. Antiquorum dates case 019784 to 1938 and Muser dates case 019794 to circa 1930. Their similar dial and box photographs make a repeat listing plausible, although the case numbers differ. Rossini, 2022 Aguttes Kaplans Antiquorum, 2023 Antiquorum, 2017 Christie's Monaco Legend Pandolfini, 2014

Movement notes

The auction records use several movement labels and jewel counts. The descriptions below stay with their individual lots.

Sale record	Catalogue movement description
Antiquorum, 1989, case number not given	7-line Extra Prima, 17 jewels, lateral lever escapement; Superbalance adjusted to six positions. Lot 11
Christie's, lot 322, circa 1936	Nickel-finished Ultra Prima lever movement, 15 jewels, bimetallic compensation balance. Lot 322
Kaplans, case 010345, circa 1930	Catalogue assigns “Cal. 952”; its listing does not establish that label for other 1768s. [1]
Aguttes, case 010271, circa 1930	Extra Prima, 15 jewels, adjusted to six positions; movement number 75524. [2]
Antiquorum, case 019784, dated 1938	7½-line T.S. 300, Observatory Quality, 15 jewels, lateral lever escapement, monometallic balance adjusted to six positions. [3]
Uhren-Muser, case 019794, circa 1930	The photographed Extra Prima movement is marked “17 Rubies.” Its dial and box photographs resemble Antiquorum’s case 019784 listing; the match is uncertain. [4]

Antiquorum’s 2017 listing assigns 15 jewels to case 019784 and has no movement photograph. Muser’s 2023 photo of case 019794 shows 17 Rubies. The dial and box resemble Antiquorum’s images, making a repeat listing plausible; if it is the same watch, the catalogues differ on its case number and jewel count. The Movements guide also illustrates a T.S. 300 marked 18 Rubies. Each count belongs with the example that reports or shows it. Antiquorum, 2017 Uhren-Muser, 2023

Movement in case 010353. Photo: Antiquorum, 2023, lot 47.
Extra Prima movement in case 019794; marked “17 Rubies.” Photo: Uhren-Muser, 2023, lot 266.

Dial map

The auction examples use a split-register layout, with differences in dial color and printing. Antiquorum's 1989 lot has a two-tone silver dial with Arabic numerals and subsidiary seconds. Christie's describes a two-tone silvered dial with Arabic and baton numerals. Monaco Legend lists a pink two-tone dial in a steel and pink-gold case. Cannes Auction's circa-1937 photograph shows alternating baton and Arabic markers on the upper register. These catalogue images document dial variants; their dates do not order them. Antiquorum, 1989 Christie's Monaco Legend Cannes Auction, 2023

Cannes Auction’s circa 1937 example, lot 135 (2023).

Case, bezel, crystal, and crown notes

The auction catalogues describe rectangular cases with stepped sides. Christie's notes a curved snap-on back and triple-stepped sides; Antiquorum's 2017 lot shows straight lugs, while Kaplans describes fixed bar lugs on case 010345. The details vary among the listed examples. Christie's Antiquorum, 2017 Kaplans

Kaplans lists a plastic crystal on case 010345. Cannes Auction describes Plexiglas and an unmarked steel crown on its circa 1937 lot. These are lot-specific details. Kaplans

The 2023 Antiquorum caseback is stamped “Rolesium Registered Inalterable.” Photo: Antiquorum, lot 47.

Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes

Auction photographs show leather straps, and the catalogues give no bracelet fitment. Antiquorum’s 2017 and Muser’s 2023 listings show fitted boxes with watches numbered 019784 and 019794. The boxes look alike; whether either was delivered with its watch remains uncertain. Antiquorum, 2017

Case 019784 with its fitted box and papers in Antiquorum's 2017 listing. The catalogue describes the papers as a Rolex timing certificate.

Special branches

The sale examples span steel, 14K gold, and mixed-metal cases. Christie's describes 14K gold for case 9906; Pandolfini says steel and rose gold for case 12'672; Monaco Legend says steel and pink gold for case 14069. Aguttes uses “rolesium” for case 010271, while Antiquorum's case 010353 is stamped “Rolesium Registered Inalterable.” The material descriptions vary by lot. Christie's, group lot Pandolfini, 2014 Monaco Legend Aguttes Rossini, 2022 Antiquorum, 2023

Historical market and auction record

Sale	Case and catalogue details
Antiquorum Geneva, 15 October 1989, lot 11	1930s; steel; 20 x 35 mm; 7-line Extra Prima, 17 jewels; sold CHF 8,050.
Christie's, Live Auction 1128, lot 322	Circa 1936; steel; 42 mm long; 15-jewel Ultra Prima.
Monaco Legend, 7 December 2019, lot 119	Case 14069; steel and pink gold; 21 x 42 mm; pink two-tone dial; passed.
Kaplans, Watches 59, 1 September 2018	Case 010345; approximately 1930; two-colour case; fixed bar lugs; catalogue assigns Cal. 952.
Aguttes, lot 12	Case 010271; circa 1930; “rolesium”; 15-jewel Extra Prima; sold €3,990.
Antiquorum Geneva, 14 May 2017, lot 118	Case 019784; catalogued as made in 1938; 7½-line T.S. 300, 15 jewels; sold CHF 5,000.
Antiquorum Hong Kong, 13 June 2023, lot 47	Case 010353; circa 1930s; steel; 20 x 42 mm; 7½-line manual movement.
Rossini, 16 November 2022, lot 346	Case 01028; circa 1927; “Rolésium”; 20 x 42 mm; Extra Prima movement no. 74822.
Pandolfini, 25 November 2014, lot 406	Case 12'672; 1930s; steel and rose gold; 36 x 20 mm; manual movement.
Besch Cannes Auction, 31 December 2023, lot 135	Circa 1937; steel; 21 x 42 mm; Plexiglas; unmarked crown; SAR-stamped inner case; serviced 30 October 2023. The listing provides no legible case number.

Each row describes an individual sale example. Muser’s case 019794 may repeat Antiquorum’s case 019784; the similar watch-and-box photographs support the possibility, while the one-digit difference leaves the match uncertain.

Gallery

Case 010353, steel Prince with split-register dial. Photo: Antiquorum, 2023, lot 47.
Movement in case 010353. Photo: Antiquorum, 2023, lot 47.
Extra Prima movement in case 019794, marked “17 Rubies.” Photo: Uhren-Muser, 2023, lot 266.
Caseback marked “Rolesium Registered Inalterable,” case 010353. Photo: Antiquorum, 2023, lot 47.
Case listed as 019784 with its box and papers. Photo: Antiquorum, 2017, lot 118.