Rolex Prince 971U

Prince → 971 → 971U

Christie’s, Antiquorum, Artcurial and Sotheby’s catalogue Prince watches as 971U in silver, platinum, steel and gold configurations. Sotheby’s photograph of one watch shows 971U stamped on its caseback. The suffix’s factory meaning remains unverified, and the catalogued watches carry different movement descriptions.

Core facts

detail	value
designation	971U, as recorded by auction catalogues
family	Prince; rectangular, curved case with flared sides
documented case descriptions	silver, platinum, steel, gold, and two-tone combinations; see individual records
movement descriptions	Prima, Extra Prima or Observatory; jewel counts also vary
date evidence	Glasgow import marks dated 1930 on several silver examples; later catalogues assign dates through circa 1939
dimensions	individual catalogues report 24 × 40 mm to 26 × 43 mm in the catalogues cited; measurements are not standardized and may include the lugs
bracelet	no consistent bracelet fitment established; cited examples are shown on straps

Where it sits in the line

Antiquorum, Christie’s, Artcurial and Sotheby’s use 971U for individual watches in the 971 Prince line. The label is well attested in catalogues, while its factory meaning remains unclear. The broader 971 page covers the base reference and other catalogue suffixes.

Production outline

The dated examples run from a Glasgow import mark of 1930 to Sotheby’s circa-1939 estimate. Artcurial dates a steel example to circa 1935. These are dates attached to individual watches, not a continuous production record.

Antiquorum’s 2006 catalogue gives refs. 971, 971A and 971U a 1929–1935 production span. No Rolex production record accompanies that range. Christie’s dates a platinum 971U to the 1920s, but the case number is indistinct and the catalogue reports no dated hallmark, so it offers little help in fixing the start date.

Movement notes

Catalogues give 971U several movement descriptions. Christie’s records silver examples with six-position Extra Prima movements. Antiquorum calls a 9K-gold example 18-jewel Observatory grade and a silver example Prima grade with 17 jewels. Christie’s 2019 catalogue lists a 14K white-gold watch with an Extra Prima 15-jewel movement; Sotheby’s gives a 15-jewel manual movement without a grade. The records show variation, but no consistent link between the suffix and a caliber or grade.

Antiquorum’s 2005 silver jump-hour example needs separate treatment: its catalogue says the case was built for an analog dial and the jump-hour movement replaced the original. A 2008 listing describes another silver jump-hour 971U with movement 75807, though it is unclear whether this was a separate watch. These two entries are evidence of catalogued jump-hour watches, not a confirmed factory branch.

Dial map

Photographed examples use the familiar two-register Prince layout, with hours and minutes above and small seconds below. Artcurial describes a cream dial with painted Arabic numerals and blued hands. Sotheby’s shows a silvered dial in the same layout; other catalogues mention silver-and-gilt and black dials. The available examples do not form a complete dial sequence.

Silvered two-register dial, Sotheby’s 2022 lot 619.

Case, bezel, crystal, and crown notes

The cases are rectangular, slightly curved and flared at the sides, in keeping with the wider Prince form. Catalogues describe silver, platinum, steel, gold, and two-metal cases. The dimensions depend on the points measured: Artcurial gives 24 × 40 mm, while Antiquorum reports examples around 25–26 × 42 mm.

Several silver cases carry Glasgow import marks dated 1930. The marks date an assay or import event on those cases, rather than the start or end of 971U production.

Crown-side profile of the two-metal case.
Opposite case flank, same watch.
Caseback and strap; “971U” is stamped below the case number.

Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes

Sotheby’s shows its example on a leather strap and lists a gold-plated Rolex buckle. The catalogue gives no provenance for the buckle. Antiquorum’s 2024 stainless-steel example is listed with a box and rating certificate. Collector Mike Wood’s first-person WatchProSite post describes a silver 971U with a dust cap and rating papers; it records one watch rather than a standard package.

Special branches

Catalogues use 971U for silver, platinum, steel, 9K and 14K gold, 18K two-tone gold, and steel with gold. One silver case carries a 1930 Glasgow mark; an 18K two-tone example has a mark dated 1930–31. “Prima,” “Extra Prima,” and “Observatory” appear in different combinations. Each entry is best read as a description of that specific watch; the records reveal no universal material or movement rule.

Historical market and auction record

date assigned by catalogue	example	record
1920s, uncertain	platinum case, numbered Observatory movement; case number indistinct	Christie’s, lot 328
1930 import mark	silver case 02933, black dial, Extra Prima, dust cover	Christie’s, lot 309
1930 import mark	silver case 05828, movement 75081, Extra Prima Observatory	Christie’s, lot 271
1930s	9K white- and yellow-gold, Extra Prima 15 jewels, 25 × 42 mm	Antiquorum, 1998 lot 4
1930s	silver case, Prima 17 jewels, 25 × 42 mm	Antiquorum, 2003 lot 54
1930 import mark	silver case 02506, movement 72704, Extra Prima	Christie’s, lot 154
circa 1935	14K white gold, Extra Prima 15 jewels, case 70,211; certificate dated 5 September 1930, with box	Christie’s, lot 28
circa 1935	stainless steel, cream dial, 24 × 40 mm	Artcurial, lot 3A
circa 1939	stainless steel and 9K yellow gold, manual 15-jewel movement, case 73,276	Sotheby’s, lot 619
not stated	stainless steel, case 74,768, with box and rating certificate	Antiquorum, lot 462

The dates and specifications in this table are the auction houses’ descriptions. Christie’s dates the 14K watch circa 1935 and separately dates its certificate to 1930. Glasgow marks date the case’s assay or import event; estimates such as “circa 1939” remain catalogue dates unless corroborated by other evidence.

Gallery

Silvered two-register dial, Sotheby’s 2022 lot 619.
Crown-side profile of the two-metal case.
Opposite case flank, same watch.
Caseback and strap; “971U” is stamped below the case number.