Vintage Men's ROLEX PRINCE ca.1929

presented in excellent condition/Recently fully serviced

-set in Solid 9kt Rose Gold Hinged-Back case- 

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All Images, Slide shows & Animations are of the actual Rolex Prince offered for sale

This is an authentic Rolex Prince Original in excellent condition, offering the discerning watch enthusiast a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire this collector's timepiece. After displaying this watch as a part of his prized collection for the last 25 years, our client reluctantly commissioned the sale.

The very early hinged-back production style, which predates the later snap-back case form, was publicly shown with the 1928 release of the Rolex Prince. Since the huge sub-seconds hand was ideal for taking a patient's pulse, it was lovingly referred to as the "doctor's watch." 

With specimens of this type rapidly appreciating in line with its growing scarcity, this model in particular is a proven investment performer.

circa 1929 Rolex Prince:

"The Watch For Men of Distinction"

-as advertised by Rolex at the time

Variations in the dial finish of the Rolex Prince contribute to the prestige and collectability of each individual timepiece, with the "standard" finish representing the base model. We are proud to say that the watch offered for sale has significant embellishments added, elevating it to a far higher desirability status.

These consist of the delicately etched top bar, lower u-shaped frame, and the complex quadrate patterns on the upper dial half. The resultant incident light reflections at different angles draw the observer in and emphasize the artwork's prestigious status. With the probable exception of the Guilloché dial, manufacturers of the era rarely produced such elaborate décor, which emphasises the one-of-a-kindness and collectibility of this specific timepiece.

The keen observer will admire the engineering precision on display when the tips of the minutes and seconds hands overlap at dead centre 6 position within a hair's breadth of each other!

Over its lifespan, this watch has acquired a delicate hue of Patina; a characteristic coveted by expert vintage watch collectors worldwide

A Prince playing with fire ^light

depending on the time of day, colour hues will display splendidly

 Additional and most Engaging History as well as stunning studio images of our Rolex Prince:

In 1928 Rolex created the Prince, which achieved great success and earned a place in horological history for its chronometric precision. The watch is characterised by its avant-garde rectangular shape and the outstanding performance of the movement

The Prince was an expression of luxury and distinction in a decade best known for economic hardship.  It was a relative throwback to the decade before when extravagant parties were the norm and a dress watch such as the Prince had a real place in society. Rolex even advertised the Prince as "the watch for men of distinction"

This watch even today is nothing if not handsome and distinguished and would certainly be a great formal wear piece

In the 1920s and 1930s, rectangular wristwatches probably were more popular than round ones. After evolving from pocket watches and the round trench watches of World War I, in the 1920s the watch companies liberated themselves from traditional round shapes. Rectangular, square, and tonneau-shaped cases all were extremely popular

The 1920s were an age of the flapper, of bobbed hair, of new music. Architecture broke from classical origins and begat Art-Deco designs, playing with lines and curves. It was an age of experiment and departure from tradition and the Rolex Prince played its part

The products of watch companies mirror the society in which they exist. In the 1920s, watch companies could focus on fashion, liberating themselves from tradition as well as the utilitarian requirements of World War I. The rectangular watch looked slim, almost chic, and the lines of the strap would accent the lines of the watch. It no longer was a pendant watch or pocket watch strapped to the wrist, but rather an object in its own right. 

It was within this social context that the Rolex Prince emerged. Hans Wilsdorf, a marketing genius, continuously experimented with new ideas to sell more watches. During the boom years of the 1920s, he popularized the Rolex Oyster watches with their water-resistant cases. When Mercedes Gleitz swam the English Channel with a wristwatch strapped to her wrist, Wilsdorf achieved a marketing coup. During the dark years of the Great Depression, he continued with new ideas to sell more wristwatches, including the Rolex Perpetual models the first popular self-winding watches with a rotor,  which were introduced in late 1933 or 1934. 

This hindsight may be a revisionist view of history. The third key model from Rolex during this same period was its Prince. A beautiful watch, but one that was neither water-resistant nor self-winding. And of course, it was rectangular, a shape that infrequently has survived and one that has not been used by Rolex for many years.. Although the Prince did have a high-quality movement, it really was a stylistic exercise. It was an elegant watch.  Clearly, a product of the 1920s, the fine design of the Prince in the 1930s allowed a Depression-era clientele to retain a symbol of luxury. Rolex advertising promoted the Prince as "the watch for men of distinction".

If the Rolex Prince primarily represented an object of fashion, it did so with aplomb. Introduced in 1928 shortly after the Oyster advertising campaign following Miss Gleitz's swim, the Prince sported a movement developed a few years before. This movement, by Hermann Aegler, was a shaped (rectangular) one, which had its winding barrel at one end and a large balance at the other end. This theoretically allowed a larger barrel, which in turn allowed a longer mainspring and therefore longer autonomy (reportedly 58 hours). At the same time, this layout theoretically allowed a larger balance in a small watch, increasing accuracy. The movement, which is depicted at left, shows the balance at the bottom and the barrel at the top. When used in the Rolex, the movement was regulated in six positions and often was sold as a Chronometer

As you can see in the looped video below, our Rolex Prince is in excellent working order and ticking away happily! No signs of Dementia here!!

Many models of the Prince were produced. The model on offer is one of two models originally produced, being the Prince Classic (ref. 1343)

The unusual movement layout of the Classic allowed the seconds sub-dial to be below the hours-minutes dial. As a result, the dial design split the dial into what amounted to two faces. This frequently was called a "Doctor's watch" or "Nurse's watch" because the relatively large subsidiary seconds dial was easily readable and useful for functions like pulse readings.

Gruen made an extraordinarily similar watch to the Prince, using the same Aegler movement. Rolex distribution in the late 1920s and '30s was focused on the English market (where Wilsdorf and Davis originally established their watch business) and Europe (where Wilsdorf and Davis relocated, and Aegler lived). Gruen was given the rights in the United States by Aegler. The Gruen models, frequently called Duo-Dials or Doctors' watches, have somewhat different cases and dials, and today sell for less than the Prince.

It is not known when the Prince finally died. Models continued until the mid-1940s, but at some point, the model lost its sense of grace as tastes changed and Rolex continued to experiment with new designs.

There is no doubt that the Rolex Prince was a product of its times. It was born in the 1920s, during a period of experimentation and a departure from the classic round watch. It reached its zenith in the 1930s when a world in the midst of a Depression wanted to retain something stylish and luxurious. Despite its fine and cleverly designed movement, the Prince really was an exercise in style. And a great exercise at that!

This is a great opportunity to acquire not only a stunning and Unique Vintage Rolex Prince, but also delve into the memoirs of a bygone Era that has affected man's future as none before

Magna Carta:

Date:                Circa 1929

Case:                 Solid 9kt Rose Gold, ref.# 28135 

                        36x20mm;  Very Good - Excellent

Dial:                Rectangular, Qudrate pattern design on upper half;

                        upper & lower reflective frames;  Very Good - Excellent

Movement:    Prima "Leaf" movement, 15 Jewels, manual;    -Excellent

Asking Price: (AUD) $ 9500.-   all reasonable offers considered

This watch can not be shipped and is available for local pick-up only

The watch can be viewed by appointment at our client's location in Elwood, Melbourne, Australia