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Rolex. A fine and early 18K gold hinged single button chronograph wristwatch with enamel dial

SIGNED ROLEX, CASE NO. 12'010, REF. 2021, CIRCA 1925

Details

Rolex. A fine and early 18K gold hinged single button chronograph wristwatch with enamel dial
Signed Rolex, case no. 12'010, ref. 2021, circa 1925
With nickel-finished lever movement, 17 jewels, bimetallic compensation balance, metal cuvette, the white enamel dial with baton numerals, outer red telemetre and inner red spiral tachymetre scales, two subsidiary dials indicating constant seconds and 30 minutes register, in large circular case with hinged back, oval chronograph button in the band, case, dial and movement signed
40 mm. diam.

Special notice

Prospective buyers are advised that we cannot arrange delivery of Corum, Rolex, Piaget or Franck Muller watches to the United States due to import restrictions. For further information please contact our specialists in charge of the sale.

Lot Essay

The present watch is an extremely fine example of Rolex's earliest chronographs ever made. It is featuring all technical and design elements which one would expect to find on a chronograph from the 1920s, such as a hinged case, the superb enamel dial and the single button mechanism.

It was not until the 1930s when Rolex introduced its celebrated Oyster design on chronographs, rendering the stop watch as resistant to outer influences such as humidity, dust and shock as the "time only" Oyster wristwatches. Consequently it is extremely rare to find an early hinged Rolex chronograph with enamel dial in such well preserved original condition.

For another example of a reference 2021 see I Cronografi Rolex - La Leggenda, Pucci Papaleo Editore, pp. 68 & 69.

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