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Rolex 3133 Bubbleback

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Bubbleback › 3133

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback 3133 in stainless steel with a tropical orange dial on a black leather strap
Rolex Oyster Perpetual "Bubbleback" 3133, stainless steel, tropical dial, Antiquorum Hong Kong, September 2022.

The published 3133 record is made up mainly of stainless-steel and steel-and-pink-gold auction examples, with one steel-and-yellow-gold lot in the cited sample. The sources do not establish a complete material range or production total. Seconds layout is also inconsistent across the catalogues: most descriptions use centre or sweep seconds, while an “SAB”-signed lot is described with subsidiary seconds at six. One Antiquorum catalogue names caliber 630, but gives a ligne size that conflicts with the 9¾-ligne descriptions in other lots. These are catalogue observations, not a settled specification for every 3133.

Core facts

detail value
reference 3133
family Oyster Perpetual "Bubbleback"
production no confirmed factory range; documented examples run circa 1938 to circa 1947
case diameter 32mm on most lots; one lot near 33mm; one Christie's lot gives 22mm, likely a cataloguing error
case shape tonneau, Oyster-cased, screw-down crown and back
case materials stainless steel; steel and pink gold (most common); steel and yellow gold; 18K pink gold and steel
movement 9 3/4-ligne automatic on most lots, 17 or 19 jewels; one lot names Cal. 630 directly at 11 1/2 lignes
seconds centre/sweep on most lots; subsidiary at 6 on at least one ("SAB"-signed dial)
dial silvered (most common); tropical/orange-toned; black lacquer "California" dial; dial signed "SAB"
documented case numbers 323864; 300995; 49184; 54517; 323804; 488378; 375572; 298'571; 301'123

Where it sits in the line

“Bubbleback” is a collector term for early Oyster Perpetual references with a domed caseback. The 3133 is listed near the 3130, 3131 and 3132 in specialist reference tables. The cited auction lots are mostly steel or two-tone, while the Field Manual lists /0, /3, /7 and /8 configurations with different material and bezel descriptions. Those tables do not provide a complete production range or prove that every suffix was produced in the same period.

Production outline

No primary source in the cited set states a factory production window. Two Antiquorum Hong Kong listings use the same movement number (90338) and case number (49184) but give different circa dates, and one describes a black lacquer “California” dial that the other does not mention. The matching numbers suggest a re-consignment, but the catalogue record alone cannot prove the watch’s complete history. Use the dated lot descriptions as leads and avoid treating either circa date as a factory range.

Movement notes

Most catalogues describe a 9¾-ligne automatic movement and give either 17 or 19 jewels when they give a count. Antiquorum’s May 2022 “Certified Chronometer” lot names caliber 630 and describes an 11½-ligne movement timed in six positions. That size conflicts with the 9¾-ligne descriptions in other lots. The same catalogue split appears in the seconds layout: most lots say centre or sweep seconds, while the “SAB” lot says subsidiary seconds at six. The movement should be inspected rather than assigned from the reference number alone.

 
Steel and pink gold “Certified Chronometer” example, Antiquorum Hong Kong, May 2022.

Dial map

Silvered dials dominate the cited lots. Antiquorum also records a tropical orange-toned dial, a black lacquer “California” dial, an “SAB”-signed dial described with subsidiary seconds, and a watch catalogued as “Oyster Perpetual Ovetto.” “Ovetto” is a collector term used for Bubblebacks generally, not a Rolex model name.

The Geneva 2025 lot with case 488378 is marked “Reprinted” and its hands’ luminous material is described as reapplied. That is lot-specific evidence about dial and hand condition; it does not establish a general rule for 3133 dials. The California and SAB descriptions also remain tied to their individual catalogues, especially because the two listings for case 49184 disagree on date and dial wording.

  •  
    California dial example, Antiquorum Hong Kong, May 2025
  •  
    SAB-signed dial described with subsidiary seconds
  •  
    Lot catalogued as Oyster Perpetual Ovetto

Case, bezel, crystal, and crown

The cited lots use a tonneau-shaped Oyster case with a screw-down crown and caseback. Most give a diameter near 32mm; the “Ovetto” lot gives approximately 33mm. A 2003 Christie’s listing says 22mm, which conflicts with the other entries and should be treated as an unconfirmed catalogue measurement rather than a separate 3133 size.

Bracelet and strap

The 2025 Geneva lot with case 300995 is fitted to a riveted Gay Frères bracelet stamped “SYL.” The stamp is on the bracelet, so it does not establish the watch head’s original retailer. A 2025 Bonhams listing describes another 3133 as retailed by Bucherer with a signed 14K-gold folding clasp. Bracelet date and fitment should be recorded separately from case provenance.

Auction record

Venue Date Lot Case No. Material / dial Result
Christie's 2003-06-05 233 not given Steel and pink gold, sweep centre seconds, brick-link bracelet Sold USD 3,346 (est. USD 2,800-3,200)
Antiquorum, Geneva 2014-11-08 824 not given Stainless steel Sold CHF 1,625 (est. CHF 1,000-2,000)
Antiquorum, Geneva 2016-05-15 116 not given Steel and yellow gold, centre seconds Sold CHF 813 (est. CHF 2,000-4,000)
Antiquorum, Hong Kong 2022-05-28 144 unnumbered Steel and pink gold, "Certified Chronometer," Cal. 630 named Sold HKD 40,000 (est. HKD 31,700-47,500)
Antiquorum, Hong Kong 2022-09-28 234 not given Stainless steel, tropical dial, sold without reserve Sold HKD 12,500 (est. HKD 16,400-32,800)
Sotheby's, Fine Watches 2022-12-14 384 298'571 18k pink gold and stainless steel, silvered dial Est. USD 3,000-5,000; result not disclosed
Sotheby's, Fine Watches 2022-12-14 385 301'123 Stainless steel and 14k pink gold, silvered dial Est. USD 3,000-6,000; result not disclosed
Antiquorum, Geneva 2019-11-10 460 54517 Steel and pink gold, riveted bracelet Sold CHF 5,250 (est. CHF 5,000-8,000)
Antiquorum, Geneva 2025-04-03 118 323804 Catalogued "Oyster Perpetual Ovetto," steel and pink gold Sold CHF 1,260 (est. CHF 1,000-2,000)
Antiquorum, Geneva 2025-05-10 160 488378 Steel; dial reprinted, hands relumed Sold CHF 1,625 (est. CHF 1,000-2,000)
Antiquorum, Geneva 2025-05-10 161 300995 Steel and pink gold, bracelet stamped "SYL" Sold CHF 11,875 (est. CHF 3,000-5,000)
Antiquorum, Hong Kong 2025-05-31 301 not given Steel and pink gold, "SAB"-signed dial, subsidiary seconds Sold HKD 37,500 (est. HKD 28,000-50,000)
Antiquorum, Hong Kong 2025-05-31 302 49184 Steel and pink gold, black lacquer "California" dial Sold HKD 47,500 (est. HKD 30,000-60,000)
Antiquorum, Hong Kong 2025-11-30 66 323864 18K pink gold and steel Sold HKD 55,000 (est. HKD 35,000-60,000)
Christie's, Watches Online New York Edit — 267 not given Stainless steel and pink gold Sold USD 8,255 (est. USD 4,000-6,000)
Antiquorum, Hong Kong 2026-05-31 46 49184 18K pink gold and steel, black gilt dial Sold HKD 50,000 (est. HKD 30,000-60,000)

The table records auction results and estimates from several houses and currencies. The reprinted-dial lot and the better-preserved examples show that condition can affect a result, but the sample is too heterogeneous to establish a reference-wide price range. The California and “SYL” bracelet lots remain individual auction records; their results do not prove a universal premium for those configurations.

Related references

  • 3130 (related reference; material and retailer evidence are lot-specific)
  • 3131 (related Bubbleback reference with subsidiary-seconds examples)
  • 3132 (related reference with centre-seconds examples)

See also the movement reference, bracelet & clasp guide, and serial numbers by year.

Gallery

  •  
    3133 stainless-steel example
  •  
    3133 catalogue example naming caliber 630
  •  
    3133 California dial example
  •  
    3133 SAB-signed dial example
  •  
    3133 Ovetto catalogue example

Sources

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