Rolex Prince 1880
Prince → 1880
Rolex Prince ref. 1880 is a rectangular, hand-wound wristwatch directly identified in Sotheby’s and Ineichen catalogues from the 1930s. Christie’s and Sworder also record “1880” on other watches, but those inscriptions remain leads. The confirmed ref. 1880 descriptions cover stainless steel and partly gilt steel, with several movement labels.
Core facts
| Detail | Documented record |
|---|---|
| Reference and family | Ref. 1880; Sotheby’s explicitly names it as a Prince |
| Date evidence | Directly identified examples date to the 1930s; production endpoints are unknown |
| Case shape | Rectangular; Ineichen describes its example as Art Deco |
| Recorded materials | Stainless steel and partly gilt steel on directly identified examples |
| Recorded dimensions | 30 × 20 mm and 34 × 20 mm in directly identified examples |
| Winding and movement labels | Manual wind; catalogues variously print “HW,” C.360, and Ultra Prima |
| Dial details | Silvered or rhodiumed; Arabic numerals and subsidiary seconds appear in several catalogues |
| Strap | Auction photographs show leather straps; no original strap or buckle specification is established |
Where it sits in the line
Sotheby’s identifies its 1935 example as “Prince, ref. 1880.” The Prince family page dates the line’s introduction to 1928, a date also given in Jake Ehrlich’s history for Rolex Magazine. The surviving record places ref. 1880 among the rectangular Princes; its relation to refs. 971, 1490 and 1862 is not specified in the cited period catalogues. [Sotheby’s, lot 166] [Rolex Magazine, “The Complete History of the Rolex Prince”]
Production outline
The directly identified ref. 1880 records date to the 1930s: Ineichen gives the decade, and Sotheby’s dates its watch to circa 1935. Christie’s separately lists a 1932 pink-gold watch with “no. 1880 8829” in the title and a Glasgow import mark dated 1932. The number’s role is unclear, so this remains an inscription lead. [Ineichen, Auction 164, lot 133] [Sotheby’s, lot 166] [Christie’s, 1932 example]
Sworder’s circa-1930 watch has “1880” and “012043” on the caseback. Sotheby’s and Ineichen provide the direct reference attributions; Sworder’s inscription is supporting evidence. A second Christie’s steel watch has “015759 1880” on the back, and its catalogue lists movement case no. 0989. The catalogues leave the roles of some numbers unclear. [Sworder, lot 339] [Christie’s, lot 5388761]
Movement notes
The catalogues attach different movement descriptions to individual watches. Sotheby’s lists “cal. HW,” manual winding and 15 jewels; the designation is reproduced as printed and gives no numeric caliber. Ineichen attributes C.360 to its ref. 1880 and describes a nickel-plated lever movement. The Movement page records a dispute over Cal. 360’s architecture; Ineichen’s lot is one attribution in that discussion. [Sotheby’s, lot 166] [Ineichen, Auction 164, lot 133]
The separate Christie’s steel watch, marked “015759 1880,” has 17 rubies, an Ultra Prima hairspring and six-position timing. Sworder records a 17-jewel manual-wind Ultra Prima movement on its watch marked 1880 and 012043. The records show several movement descriptions; they do not establish a sequence across ref. 1880. [Christie’s, lot 5388761] [Sworder, lot 339]
The Vintage Rolex Field Manual also lists ref. 1880 as rectangular and Ultra Prima. Its table gives one reference-level entry; it does not identify a photographed watch or settle the different auction movement descriptions. [The Vintage Rolex Field Manual, reference table]
Dial map
The separate Christie’s steel watch marked “015759 1880” has Arabic numerals and subsidiary seconds. Ineichen records a rhodiumed dial, blued hands and small seconds. [Christie’s, lot 5388761] [Ineichen, Auction 164, lot 133]
Sworder calls the dial on its 2024 example “probably aftermarket,” so its layout does not establish an original 1880 dial variant. [Sworder, lot 339]
Case, bezel, crystal and crown
The directly identified cases are rectangular. Separate Christie’s and Sworder watches have stepped sides or bezels. Sotheby’s records a stainless-steel snap-back case; Christie’s describes a snap-on back on its separate pink-gold watch, an inscription lead. Sotheby’s gives 30 × 20 mm and Ineichen 34 × 20 mm for directly identified ref. 1880 examples. [Sotheby’s, lot 166] [Christie’s, 1932 example] [Ineichen, Auction 164, lot 133]
Sotheby’s names stainless steel, and Ineichen describes partly gilt steel. Sworder describes stainless steel with yellow-metal stepped sides and lugs, without identifying that metal as gold. The catalogues give no consistent crystal or crown specification.
Bracelets, clasps and packaging
The auction examples are shown or described on leather straps. The records do not establish an original strap, buckle, bracelet or packaging configuration for ref. 1880.
Auction record
| Sale record | Watch date or marking | Catalogue details |
|---|---|---|
| Christie’s, lot 182960 (inscription lead) | Glasgow import mark 1932 | 9-carat pink-gold watch; title gives “no. 1880 8829, 1932”; catalogue does not establish 1880 as the reference |
| Christie’s, lot 5388761 | Sale date not verified | Steel case; back marked “015759 1880”; movement case no. 0989; Ultra Prima hairspring, 17 rubies and six-position timing |
| Sworder, lot 339 | Circa 1930 | Caseback marked “1880” and “012043”; steel with yellow-metal stepped sides and lugs; 17-jewel manual-wind Ultra Prima; dial described as probably aftermarket |
| Ineichen, Auction 164, lot 133 | 1930s | Ref. 1880; partly gilt steel, 34 × 20 mm; nickel-plated lever movement described as C.360 |
| Sotheby’s Geneva, lot 166 | Circa 1935 | Explicitly titled Prince ref. 1880; steel, case no. 032’871, 30 × 20 mm; “cal. HW,” manual winding, 15 jewels |
Gallery
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Rolex Prince 1880 example marked 1880 and 012043. Sworder calls the dial probably aftermarket. Photo: Sworder, lot 339 (2024). -
Angled view of the Sworder lot 339 watch and its stepped case sides. Photo: Sworder, 2024. -
Movement from Sworder lot 339, with Ultra Prima, 17 rubies and six-position timing inscriptions. Photo: Sworder, 2024.
Sources
- Sotheby's, "Sotheby's Geneva, 12 May 2019, lot 166 — Rolex Prince ref. 1880", Sotheby's, 2019-05-12
- Christie's, "Christie's — 9-carat pink-gold rectangular Rolex, import mark 1932", Christie's
- Christie's, "Christie's lot 5388761 — steel rectangular Rolex marked 015759 1880", Christie's
- Sworder, "Sworder, 12 November 2024, lot 339 — rectangular Rolex marked 1880 and 012043", Sworder, 2024-11-12
- Ineichen Auctioneers, "Ineichen Auction 164, lot 133 — Rolex ref. 1880", Ineichen Auctioneers, 2016
- The Vintage Rolex Field Manual — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
- Jake Ehrlich, "The Complete History of the Rolex Prince", Rolex Magazine, 2017-05