Here we have a beautiful, classic little 1923 Rolex 9ct rose gold cased watch. It is signed with the case reference 1559. It has the 29.5mm case diameter, which despite pre-dating the Calatrava design, has elements of this to its styling. It has the broad, flat bezel with the polished finish. The lugs are neat and tapered with the downturn to the wrist. It has the hinged front and case back and the fixed bar lugs. The dial is the aged silver tone with the Art Deco influenced Breguet font to the numerals. It has the engine turned guilloche sunburst finish. The hands are of the skeletonised cathedral style with the purple thermally heated tone. Inside the case has hallmarking from London assay office dating to 1923 for 9ct gold. It has the ‘W&D’ makers mark. The movement is the 15-jewel manual wind ‘Prima’ calibre, which is timed to 6 positions, for all climates. It has been recently serviced and has a daily variation of under 10 seconds per day.

The watch is an exceptional design which has a timeless elegance. The rose gold tone is warm and bright with the polished finish. The broad, flat bezel surrounds the dial neatly, with the fine tapered lugs. It is a petite watch with a slim profile which is effortlessly comfortable. The dial is gorgeous with its aged silver tone and engine turned guilloche sunburst finish. The Art Deco stylised font dovetails nicely with the purple tone thermally blued hands. Add into the mix the chronometer grade Prima movement, and this is a special and uncommon piece.

We have to start with the dial. During the 1920s Rolex offered stunning Guilloche textured sunburst dials. This is the aged silver tone with darkened hues, which complement the warmth of the rose gold case. The guilloche sunburst segments for each hour marker. To the centre it has the deeper scoring with subtle buds in-between, which add a beautiful further texture. The dial is signed to the exterior with the railroad minute track. The hour markers are of the stylised Art Deco Breguet font. This is one of our favourite fonts, offering a further twist which accentuates the traditional Breguet numerals. Below 12 o’clock is the ‘Rolex’ signing and either side of 6 o’clock is the ‘Swiss Made’ text. Above this is the inset sub second dial which has the sectored railroad design.

The sub-second hand is original with the lollipop counterbalance and purple tone. The hour and minute hands are of Skeletonised Cathedral style which has the oxidised purple tone. This is a result of the heat applied when thermally blueing. Sometimes the hands develop a tone closer to purple/brown, which we absolutely love.

The case measures 29.5mm x 29.5mm in length. The width with crown is 31mm, with the total lug to lug length of 36mm. The case has a slim depth of 9mm which further contributes to the comfort on the wrist.

As previously mentioned, despite pre-dating the official Calatrava style, this case has significant parallels to the design. The case is neat and compact with its 29.5mm width and length. It also has a polished finish which dovetails with the broad, flat canvas of the bezel to catch the light. The lugs are of the tapered style with the neat downturn to the wrist. Between them are the fixed gold bars. To the right-hand side is the neat rose gold tone crown with the coin edge finish. The front of the case is hinged, with the symmetry of the hinged back. The case back has the domed shape and inside it is stamp with the reference 1559. It also has hallmarking from London assay office dating to 1923, for 9ct gold. It has the ‘W&D’ makers mark for Hans Wilsdorf.

The movement is the 15-jewel manual wind ‘Prima’ calibre, which is timed to 6 positions, for all climates. This makes it a chronometer grade calibre which is rather uncommon during this period. It has been recently serviced and has a daily variation of under 10 seconds per day, with an amplitude of 300 degrees and a beat error of 0.5 m/s.

It is watch only with no box or paperwork. It has a modern strap with a modern gold plated buckle.

The watch is modelled on a 7” wrist circumference
Full condition report below. Please see the images as these compliment and aid the description provided below.

Dial:
The dial is formed of silver and has developed the darkened tone from tarnishing with age. It is original and has the clear signing. The signing has lightened somewhat with age and exposure to light, which is common on this type and age of dial.

Glass:
The low domed acrylic crystal is a good fit to the watch and is free of major scratching.

Crown:
The crown is a well matched replacement which is in good condition and functions well.

Case:
The case is formed of 9ct gold and is in good condition with the polished finish. It is free of large denting or deep scratching. The wire lugs are good and original. It does have some visible scratches, as expected with age.

Caseback:
The case back closes tightly and has a good hinge. It is free of deep scratching or denting but has some light marks. Inside the hallmarking is partially rubbed, but still visible.

Strap:
The watch comes on a modern leather strap, with metal fold over tabs for the fixed lug design.

Movement:
The movement is the 15-jewel manual wind ‘Prima’ calibre, which is chronometer grade.

It has been recently serviced and has a daily variation of under 10 seconds per day, with an amplitude of 300 degrees and a beat error of 0.5 m/s.

Case dimensions
Case width: 29.5mm
Case width with crown: 31mm
Case length: 29.5mm
Case length lug to lug: 36mm
Case depth: 9mm
Lug width: 16mm