Rolex Oyster 3116
Oyster references → 3116
Ref. 3116 is a manual-wind Oyster case sold under several dial names, including Royal, Viceroy, Imperial, Elégante, and Speedking Precision. Auction records show tonneau cases in steel, gold, gilt, and two-tone finishes, with both centre and subsidiary seconds. Christie's dates a pink-gold Chronometre with a copper Roman-and-Arabic dial to circa 1934; other catalogues place examples in the 1940s. The records date individual examples from circa 1934 into the 1940s; the reference's production limits remain open.[1][2][3]
Core facts
| Detail | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Reference | 3116, identified in auction descriptions and on catalogued cases.[2][4] |
| Case | Tonneau or barrel-shaped, with screw-down back and crown in several descriptions.[2][3] |
| Materials | Stainless steel, 9ct and 14K gold, pink gold, gilt steel, and gold with steel appear in individual lots.[3][1][5] |
| Movement | Manual winding appears in multiple auction records; caliber assignments remain unresolved.[1][6] |
| Dials | Royal, Viceroy, Imperial, Imperial Chronometre, Speedking Precision, and other names appear on individual examples.[2][7] |
| Seconds | Both centre and subsidiary seconds are documented.[2][4] |
| Production | Auction catalogues date individual examples from circa 1934 into the 1940s. The records leave the production endpoints open.[1][6] |
Where it sits in the line
Auction catalogues use several names for ref. 3116. Antiquorum's 2006 catalogue says 3116 watches were marketed as Royal, Viceroy, Imperial, Imperial Chronometer, and Observatory Chronometer; its 2022 sale also records an Elégante.[2][6] Christie's records add Oyster Imperial Chronometre, Oyster Perpetual Chronometre, Oyster Speedking Precision, and Viceroy Chronometer examples.[8][7][9][1]
Production outline
Catalogue estimates date individual watches from circa 1934 into the 1940s. Christie's dates case 56735 to circa 1934 and case 123226 to circa 1935; Antiquorum dates case 148000 to 1940 and case 169836 to circa 1942. Christie's dates case 46799 to the 1940s.[1][4][2][6][9]
Christie's records a Glasgow import mark dated 1937 on 9ct-gold case 42169. The mark dates the import record for that case.[3]
Movement notes
Several auction descriptions identify manual-wind movements; caliber assignments remain unresolved. Christie's describes a 10½-line, 15-jewel movement with Superbalance in case 56735; Antiquorum gives a 10-line, 17-jewel Superbalance for case 169836. Other records describe an Ultra Prima chronometer movement on case 42169, a 17-jewel movement on gilt case 156620, and 18-jewel chronometer movements in its Speedking Precision and Imperial Chronometre examples.[1][6][2][3][5][8][7] Sotheby's lists a 17-jewel mechanical movement stamped ROW on its 2026 pink-gold example.[10] Adjustment descriptions also vary: Antiquorum gives two positions for cases 148000 and 169836, Christie's gives six for its Speedking and Imperial examples and seven for case 46799.[9]
Antiquorum dates case 148000 to 1940 and separately dates calibre 700 to 1944–1951. Its entry leaves the movement in case 148000 unidentified, so the calibre date remains separate from the watch's date.[2]
Dial map
The entries below record dial names and layouts on individual catalogued watches.
| Dial name or description | Documented example |
|---|---|
| Royal | Case 148000: two-tone champagne dial, dot and Roman markers, outer minute track, and subsidiary seconds.[2] |
| Viceroy | Case 123226: black two-time-scale dial with luminous Arabic numerals and center seconds.[4] |
| Viceroy Chronometer | Pink-gold case 46799: black dial with pink-gold Roman quarter markers, dot minute indexes, and subsidiary seconds.[9] |
| Viceroy | Gilt case 156620: pink-gilt dial with alternating batons and Arabic numerals, center seconds.[5] |
| Oyster Perpetual Chronometre | Pink-gold case 56735: copper-colored dial with Roman and Arabic numerals, outer minute track, and sweep seconds.[1] |
| Pink-gold Oyster | Sotheby's 2026 ref. 3116: pink dial, large quarter numerals, and a 17-jewel mechanical movement stamped ROW.[10] |
| Oyster Elégante | Case 169836: silver-colored dial with suspended luminous Arabic numerals, radial indexes, and center seconds.[6] |
| Viceroy | Gold-and-steel case: black dial with luminous triangular, Roman, baton, and Arabic numerals, plus subsidiary seconds.[11] |
| Imperial Chronometre | Christie's Johannesburg retailer-signed dial: silvered, with Arabic numerals and subsidiary seconds.[7] |
| Speedking Precision | Christie's describes a silvered luminous-Arabic dial with center seconds.[8] |
-
Antiquorum, 2006, case 148000: Royal dial with subsidiary seconds -
Sotheby's, 2026, ref. 3116: pink dial in a 14K pink-gold case
Case, bezel, crystal, and crown
The case is tonneau-shaped, with screw-down backs and crowns in the auction descriptions. Christie's gives gilt case 156620 as 30 mm in diameter and other watches in length-by-width measurements such as 39 x 29 mm.[5][9][8] The documented case-metal combinations vary:
| Case material or combination | Example |
|---|---|
| Stainless steel | Royal case 148000 and Viceroy case 123226.[2][4] |
| 9ct gold | Case 42169.[3] |
| 14K pink gold | Oyster Perpetual Chronometre case 56735 and Sotheby's 2026 lot 407.[1][10] |
| Gilt case with steel screwback | Viceroy case 156620.[5] |
| Gold case with steel screwback and gilt crown | Viceroy, circa 1940; Christie's gives a 38 mm case length.[11] |
Christie's describes cases 42169 and 46799 as three-piece cases; Antiquorum calls case 148000 three-body. Christie's notes a chamfered bezel on 42169 and a raised polished bezel on its gold-and-steel Viceroy. The lot describes a domed crystal and leaves its material unspecified.[3][9][2][11][1]
Bracelets, end links, and clasps
Christie's photographed case 123226 at two sales. The 2008 lot shows it on a steel bracelet with a Rolex box; the 2011 sale-room notice identifies its steel-and-pink-gold rice-grain Gay Frères bracelet as retailed by Serpico y Laino.[4][12] Both records use the same case number, so they document one watch with two photographed bracelet configurations. The bracelet's fitting date is unknown.
-
Christie's, 2008, case 123226: steel bracelet and Rolex box -
Christie's, 2011, same case 123226: steel-and-pink-gold Gay Frères bracelet
Special branches
Christie's records “Chas. Greig & Son, Johannesburg” on an Imperial Chronometre dial, identifying that example's retailer.[7]
Historical market and auction record
| Sale | Lot or case | Catalogue description |
|---|---|---|
| Christie's | Case 56735 | 14K pink-gold Oyster Perpetual Chronometre, copper Roman-and-Arabic dial.[1] |
| Antiquorum, Geneva, 14 May 2006 | Lot 7, case 148000 | Stainless-steel Royal, two-tone champagne dial, subsidiary seconds.[2] |
| Christie's | Case 42169 | 9ct gold Oyster, silvered subsidiary-seconds dial; Glasgow import mark 1937.[3] |
| Christie's | Case 46799 | Pink-gold Viceroy Chronometer, black dial, subsidiary seconds.[9] |
| Christie's | Case 156620 | Gilt Viceroy, pink-gilt dial, center seconds.[5] |
| Christie's | Lot 223, case 123226 | Black-dial Viceroy, center seconds; Rolex box.[4] |
| Christie's | Lot 116, same case 123226 | Repeat sale; steel-and-pink-gold Gay Frères bracelet noted.[12] |
| Christie's | Speedking Precision | Steel case, silvered luminous-Arabic dial, centre seconds.[8] |
| Christie's | Imperial Chronometre | Steel case, signed for Chas. Greig & Son.[7] |
| Antiquorum, Geneva, 3 January 2022 | Lot 325, case 169836 | Stainless-steel Elégante, silver dial, suspended luminous numerals.[6] |
| Christie's | Oyster Viceroy | Gold case, steel screwback, black mixed-numeral dial.[11] |
| Sotheby's, Fine Watches, 17 June 2026 | Lot 407 | 14K pink-gold ref. 3116, pink dial, 17-jewel mechanical movement.[10] |
Antiquorum records CHF 7,080 for the 2006 Royal and CHF 2,750 for the 2022 Elégante.
Christie's lots 223 and 116 are repeat appearances of case 123226. They count as one watch in the example record.
Gallery
-
Christie's, 2008, case 123226: black two-time-scale dial and center seconds
-
Antiquorum, 2006, case 148000: Royal dial with subsidiary seconds
-
Christie's, 2011, same case 123226: Gay Frères bracelet noted as Serpico y Laino retail
-
Antiquorum, 2022, case 169836: 17-jewel manual movement marked Superbalance -
Antiquorum, 2022, case 169836: numbered screwback -
Sotheby's, 2026, lot 407: 14K pink-gold ref. 3116 with pink dial
Sources
- Antiquorum, "Antiquorum Geneva, The Mondani Collection, Lot 7 — Rolex ref. 3116 Royal, case 148000", Antiquorum, 2006-05-14
- Christie's, "Christie's — ref. 3116, case 123226, New York 2008, sale no. 1992, lot 223", Christie's
- Christie's, "Christie's — ref. 3116, case 123226, Important Watches sale 2453, lot 116", Christie's, 2011-06-15
- Christie's, "Christie's — Rolex Oyster ref. 3116, 9ct gold, case 42169", Christie's
- Christie's, "Christie's — Rolex Oyster Viceroy Chronometer ref. 3116, pink-gold case 46799", Christie's
- Christie's, "Christie's — Rolex Oyster Viceroy ref. 3116, gilt case 156620", Christie's
- Christie's, "Christie's — Rolex Oyster Speedking Precision ref. 3116, circa 1940", Christie's
- Christie's, "Christie's — Rolex Oyster Imperial Chronometre ref. 3116, circa 1940", Christie's
- Christie's, "Christie's — Rolex Oyster Perpetual Chronometre ref. 3116, case 56735, circa 1934", Christie's
- Antiquorum, "Antiquorum, Geneva, 3 January 2022, lot 325 — Rolex Oyster Elégante ref. 3116, case 169836", Antiquorum, 2022-01-03
- Christie's, "Christie's — gold-and-steel Rolex Oyster Viceroy ref. 3116, circa 1940", Christie's
- Sotheby's, "Sotheby's, Fine Watches, 17 June 2026, lot 407 — Rolex ref. 3116, pink-gold cushion-shaped watch", Sotheby's, 2026-06-17
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 Christie's, ref. 3116, case 56735.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 Antiquorum, The Mondani Collection, Geneva, 14 May 2006, lot 7.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Christie's, ref. 3116, case 42169.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Christie's, New York, 2008, sale no. 1992, lot 223.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Christie's, Oyster Viceroy ref. 3116, case 156620.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 Antiquorum, Geneva, 3 January 2022, lot 325.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 Christie's, Oyster Imperial Chronometre ref. 3116.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Christie's, Oyster Speedking Precision ref. 3116.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 Christie's, Oyster Viceroy Chronometer ref. 3116, case 46799.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Sotheby's, Fine Watches, 17 June 2026, lot 407.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Christie's, gold-and-steel Oyster Viceroy ref. 3116.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Christie's, Important Watches, sale 2453, lot 116.