Hi all,

Are there any Rolex experts around that can offer me some advice please, I know zip about these!

I have a Rolex Oyster that I want to dispose of but I can't find any info on this particular watch, I think it must be a very early type.

I'll put photo's up later, my camera is down at the moment.

The watch has a polished stainless steel case, diameter without the crown, is 30.30mm, 16mm between the strap lugs, and 39.50mm across them.

serial number on the screw down back is 311441.

Inside back reads:
Brevette
Rolex S.A.
Geneve Suisse
31 Victoires
Haute Precision
3980
There are a couple of service marks scratched also, but probably meaningless.

The movement has no Cal number at all, just Rolex on the train bridge, and 'Rolex, Swiss Made,15 Rubis' on the ratchet wheel.

The crown is a screw down type with raised text 'Oyster Patent'.

The dial is plain silvered, with hollowfilled Arabic numerals and a seconds outer chapter.
Text at the top reads 'Rolex Oyster' and lower down 'Shock - Resisting'

Hands are Blued steel hollowfilled types (lume infill is long gone), and a gilt sweep seconds.

I could do with some help pinning down a date for the watch and also a ball park figure for value if possible.

Most of the information I can find relates to the early oysterdates and perpetuals and whatever came later, and mine is neither of those.

If the bumph on the web is to be believed, the watch appears to date around 1945, but I'm not sure as the oysterdates etc appear to have been produced by then.

Any comments much appreciated.

Best regards

John

Your Oyster dates to about 1945, you are correct. The movement is a cal. 59 Fontemellon (FF33), which was used in all Rolexes manufactured for Canadian market, as well as some destined for the UK, and also Tudors of the late '40s. If the dial is original (would need to see good photos to judge), it might be worth in the $600-1200 range. The real value depends largely on originality and condition (as well as finding the right buyer!).

Adam, that's a great help for me, thank you.

The watch is original in all respects including the dial, crown and hands.
I have changed the crystal, which is itself a 40's period new/old stock item, and identical to the one it replaced.

I know some limited history of the watch, as it originally came to me with some inter war and WW2 service medals, so I'd say I'm it's second owner.

The case is in beautiful condition - no dings or chips anywhere, just the usual covering very fine scratches from being worn regularly.
I would guess this would mostly all polish out ok.
The rim around the top of the bezel is still well defined too, so no cuff wear to speak of.

The back is also totally unmarked and has no galling whatever from cack handed use of caseback removers.

The dial is pretty much aged as I would expect to see on a watch of its era, and it would refinish well if someone wanted to go that far.

I'll get some photo's on asap anyway.

Any idea what colour the lume should be? I'm assuming it would have been white?
Also, any idea where I can get a new caseback seal?

John

Not sure about the lume. I'd have to see the dial. I've seen green and white, but mostly green. Also can't help about the case back seal, as I don't do my own work on my watches...

Better to keep the dial original, if at all possible, esp. for Rolex.

Thanks Adam,
I think the lume on the numerals is white under the crud, but I'm not going to mess with it.

I was wondering mainly about infilling the hands again, but I'd guess anyone taking this on would have it done same time as a service.

Anyway, some photo's now, not brilliant even with a lightbox in broad daylight, couldn't get rid of reflections.
The stainless band is still in the cleaner at the moment, bit of a wierd type I've never seen before!

Curiously, the camera macro picked out a whole load of repair ref's and engravings I'd not noticed, one of which is to the right hand side of the crown!

John.

Case back.

John

Inside caseback

John

15J Movement.

John

Dial with crystal removed.

John

Case sides 1.

John

Case side 2.

John

Great watch John
The authoritive work on Rolexes is by James Dowling. I think you will find it in there.

Kind Regards

Clive

Thanks Clive, must admit it looks a bit better now it's got its strap refitted.

It's got a Stainless steel 'Bonclip' type strap, but looks a bit odd because the links are quite a bit narrower than the lugs.
It's also more of a 'Mid sized' watch, and doesn't suit me at all, but at least now I can say I've owned a Rolex ...........

An auction house I've started using is wanting to place it for me, so I'll let them loose on it with a safe reserve and see how it does.

I'm working on some better images though, and will swap them once I manage to crack the glitch in my camera.

John

Some new images, also with it's 'Bonclip' strap fitted!
Keeping better time too, now I've been using it for a while.

John.

A read that the Banclip bracelet's were used on a lot of British millitary WWW issue watches.With the medals comming with the watch my guess was the last owner was in the military.Nice watch post some after shot's if you have it serviced and the hands redone.Here is some thing I saw on those watch bracelets at the German military forum.
http://germanwatch.proboards.c...=display&thread=3164

Thanks Mike, great link BTW ......... another excuse not to get any work done!

Not sure I'll be cleaning it or redoing the hands to be honest.
It's way too small for my wrists anyway, so may as well find a home in a Rolex fanatic's collection, or with someone that wants one to wear.

Thanks again,

John

It looks just like my Dad's 15j 1943 Lipton Oyster...one of the Canadian Rolex's mentioned above.

I have a photo of my Dad's officialy Navy graduation photo from Great Lakes basic training base during WW2 in 1944, and he is wearing the watch in the photo. My Grand Pa picked it up in England when he was with the Army Corp of Engineers (Transportation branch, since he was a railroader), and they were allowed to purchase 2 Swiss watches at the time.

It orginally came with a leather band, or at least that's what is on it in his photo

Regards! Mark

There certainly appear to be a number of variations on this model, quite surprised me when I tried to pin it down originally.

The watch was accompanied by a 1939/45 Defence Medal, and a pair of Long service medals and bars (1937) for the Special Constabulary, so the Bonclip strap fits the picture nicely!

If only some of these watches could talk, what a tale they'd tell!

Best regards

John.