Above flawless glossy gilt radium dial and below a sunburned cracked spider dial, Bezel, insert, red triangle, bevel, crown guards, big, small crown, The flat bezel for the Ref 6541 has specially been made for the U.S. market, How do the bevels look? Model: Rolex Bubbleback 3131 Featuring a domed caseback to accommodate the automatic winding rotor which was a unique feature in the 1930s, the protruding shape lends itself to describing it as. Then 20 % fee for hammer prices realized from $ 100.000,= to 2 million and 12 % for hammer prices above 2 million. (follow the link to more vintage Rolex study). In stock now. Cold Proof. Case back inside of a freshly found Rolex 6062 stelline. The matte parts will tell you if a watch has been polished or not. Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays 11am-5pm. Rolex Sea-Dweller James Cameron Deepsea Blue Dial Watch 126660-0002 Rolex James Cameron References Deepsea 116660 Deepsea 126660 Deepsea 136660 A burned Big Crown dial that due to humidity, dry storage and lots of UV light chanced color and cracked in the surface, Below you see how the moisture the radium chanced to green spots around the luminous dots on the dial. A unused bracelet is still stiff, you need to bend the links. Although its having the minute track and its marked only with Swiss at 6 oclock, the luminous is not radium but already later Tritium hence the geiger is below 0.25 mSv as you can see.. Are the screws used on the side to remove the link. Many watch makers in the past almost automatically removed the top layer of the lume making them look like craters. Sometimes common sense will help you out when you doubt. Here are some general advises for checking out the originality of your vintage Rolex: In some cases, you also see the watch maker marks, below in the middle to the right are the inscriptions made by the watchmaker who serviced it, if these start with GE you know Geneva has officially serviced it but in almost all cases are the marks not giving you any more info maybe except a date as every watchmakers uses his own system. It has retained its accuracy in subzero arctic temperatures, the scorching Sahara and the weightlessness of outer space. Give us a few seconds and try loading this page again. 7 = 14k Yellow gold (No Longer Used) The text is almost 100% copied due to the use of modern techniques a dial design is blown up 100x the normal size and then corrections are made into detail. FAKE! In each case, the recovered Rolex was running perfectly. I honestly think all auction houses should stop using photoshop. If youre clever and do your homework properly, you will find out what the real value of your vintage Rolex is. Rolex "Ovetto" and "Ovettone". 's Kew Observatory certified a Rolex wristwatch to be as precise as a marine chronometer. With some early 30-40s models you see that the reference is added on the case back. My believe is that the dials have been stored for a long time at a dry place and that this has cracked the surface, Yet another example of cracked surface. FAKE! Paul Altieri is a vintage and pre-owned Rolex specialist, entrepreneur, and the founder and CEO of BobsWatches.com. 0 = Smooth/Domed 126710 Courtesy of Bob's Watches. Reliable and durable, all are waterproof and equipped with self-winding movements developed and manufactured by Rolex at the forefront of watchmaking technology. . He is widely considered a pioneer in the industry for bringing transparency and innovation to a once-considered stagnant industry. 420 movement. Eying the case and comparing it with the rest of the watch, the challenge is to spot any discrepancies in the story the watch might tell you. Aired: 03/15/21 Rating: TV-G Buy Now: Buy on . We strive to offer you an amazing customer service to make your buyer experience as great as it can be. 3131 represent the merging of these two key innovations and offers a timeless aesthetic with the build quality necessary to last a lifetime. Featuring a balance wheel called a Super Balance that took the Auto-Rotor to new levels of performance; its a critical link in the evolution of automatic watches. sour grapes theory i guess!!! If you have any questions, please send some pictures by my RPR Contact button.Cheers Philipp. In classic car collecting for instance, the future collectables coming in demand are those pictured on posters that were hanging above the bed of those boys being able to pay for their dream car now. When you buy a vintage Rolex from first owner or from the relatives, always ask for extra information they can add. Ive written an interesting article about transitional luminous Rolex using Geiger meters to unravel the mystery of The Underline. The red Sea Dweller text perfectly covers the white text underneath, first examples of this legendary reference had a 500m = 1650 Ft depth rate.. Displaying popular results for Rolex Bubbleback Guide. Their warranty is excellent and. The watch was hermetic only when the button was screwed down. Send mail to Gulshan Saini with subject Automated SEO Website and I will get back to you in 24 hours. Rolex 3 261 Wristwatches Sea Time - Mar 09 2020 The first watch connoisseur's guide to explore a century of high-performing, stylish chronometers for watersports adventures above and below the waves--sailing, yachting and diving. However, it was not the first self-winding watch. names and associated model names for Rolex, OMEGA and other manufacturers are the Be aware, high quality fake vintage Rolex dials are been offered into our market, read my RPR article on how to determine a fake dial here! Before leaving Geneva, every Rolex watch must travel through a high-tech obstacle course of quality-control checks. Duringservices Rolex cleaned the movement, pressure tested the case and changed the gaskets and often changed also the hands so these become luminous again. What we often see when we analyze any watches on its condition, is that the all over patina is not matching. Hey everyone - I know there have been threads about servicing '40s bubblebacks over the years, but it's been a while since there's been one, so I'm looking for updated information. Probably the best tip I can give you for the popular Rolex or any kind of luminous dialed watch, is always to check the luminous up close! This new case construction was introduced with the launch of references 3131 and 3132. 126710 might elicit a long . Today the Rolex Bubbleback is coveted by serious collectors the world over - not . But in 1941, Rolex presented a ladies version of the Bubbleback, powered by the 420 movement. One should always focus on the luminous as this tells you what really happened with the watch youre examining! Since many years the collectors market in general has been overloaded with un original, later produced, counterfeit practices. It can depend on the specific model and year, but some were fitted with metal bracelets (mostly Oyster style). Aside from being called the Fat . Inother words. Bob's Watches is not affiliated with Rolex S.A., Rolex USA, or please research my ebay id chinbubblebackclub, am a platinum level power seller in ebay, it is always in my best interest to offersome very collectable vintage rolexes for all collectors with a very reasonable pricetag, beinga collector myself, watches needed to be screen through by my qualityfilters before i will call a buy, and with my vast experiences as aninternational buyer, iam fully aware of allthe concerns u mayhavebuying online, as well asthe ways and tactics to getthe watchto usafely, therefore, be sure each transaction with me will be a pleasant one, i will take care of your interest as whati would like to be treated when am a buyer. But rather than building a brand new watch from the ground up, Rolex uses an already existing design as the starting point the Oyster. Collectors grail. Beginning with reference 1002 until 1038, Oyster Perpetual models were equipped with either fluted or engine-turned bezels. Even in times of uncertainty, Rolex's greatest policy was never to adopt change for change's sake." 5003. But once you focus on the hands you see again that they are to short. I will add more detailed information as collecting vintage Rolex is a never ending story. Thats 2.5 million FREE minutes of vintage Rolex Education! 's Daily Mail newspaper, touting "The Wonder Watch that Defies the Elements: Moisture Proof. And in that sense it's the Mercedes-Benz of wristwatches. Not because Rolex wants to squander money but because that's just the way they do things.". during its life, comparing & discussing them on specialized watch forums like VRF, I think its now become time to share some of my experience. Waterproof. The geiger went really crazy on the early Panerai tools, below a high reading on a compass.. And on a original untouched Panerai depth meter. Heres a picture of a Rolex. Original old parts, most importantly the dial and the hands, have often been changed due to the fact the new radiation regulations that became obligatory after 1964. any Off course if its for the bezel insert only, you still can find period correct ones offered in the market to swap it back to original. To make your assessment easier, Ive composed a checklist of things to look out for when analysing a vintage Rolex. 6202, Submariner Ref. Its with the matte parts where you can determine if a watch is polished or not. Today I dont want to debatethe dangers of early radiumnor the legal impact radiation had for the swiss watch companies. Rolex Oyster Perpetual. If this is with your local jeweler or local auction house or if you do your effort to go to the big city and ask experts over there. Funny enough when you think about a watch, logically the movement should be what it is all about. My explanation to this is: A Rolex (or any kind of watch ) that still is in exact configuration as it was back then leaving the factory when it got delivered to the retailer and bought by the client. DESIGNS AND VERSIONS For hardcore watch enthusiasts, the very mention of the Pepsi GMT-Master II Ref. Get access to an exclusive insight not available anwhere else on this website! While there is no exact confirmed date for their introduction, signed Rolex buckles would have probably first started to pop up after Rolexs move to Geneve when the brand was first starting to establish itself as a manufacturer. ACCESSORIES. The Rolex Oyster Perpetual 'Bubbleback' was in reality the first waterproof self-winding watch ever produced, but not the first self-winding. To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. And if you find one, as rare as they are, you will likely pay less than a 124273. only sells pre-owned watches and provides its own warranties on the watches it To complete my earlier RPR post: A brief introduction into the world of vintage Rolex and Patek Philippe collecting I now like to add my vintage Rolex Buyers Guidance to analyze original vintage Rolex or any kind of vintage watch brand in general. Original 369 Explorer dials where printed in galvanic technique, making the text lay dieper, the surface was glossy, the typo was matching the date of 1962-1965 when these iconic beauties. Breitlings new 1940s-inspired chronographs are superb value for money, The Breitling Super Chronomat has an optional second dial on its bracelet, Breitlings Red Arrows watch marks 30 years of providing the pilots wristwear, Rolex Bubblebacks are starting to come back into favour, but you can still collect them for a lot less money than you might think, The new Oyster Perpetual releases prove Rolex knows exactly how to have fun, The Off-White x Nike Air Force 1 Mid Pine Green is one of the weirdest sneakers of the year, 12 of best watches under 10K that will last many lifetimes, Keanu Reeves wears a Rolex Submariner with a sweet story behind it, The new-look Cartier Tank Normale is your next grail obsession, Action Bronson's cooked up a New Balance 990v6 that gives Aim Leon Dore a run for its money, Print copies & Digital access for only 1. Dust, heat and moisture had a way of wreaking havoc with a wristwatch's intricate mechanical movements, and the earliest models required too much maintenance to be practical. The practice has a particular value in helping authenticate objects but establishing provenance is essentially a matter of documentation. Only after successfully passing dozens of checkpoints does a watch receive the Rolex seal. And the Bubblebacks never really recovered from that blow. When you notice that the screw to release the crown, mostly located near the 3 oclock opening where the crown goes into the movement, is damaged on the surface, it means it has been taken out a lot. 3 = Fluted We see alternative art and collectors funds come up rapidly as lots of rich people want to profit from the popularity collectors markets have like classic cars, wine, jewelry and watches, As I tried to explain, we nowadays see that the market in rare collectables is moving fast. Its an earlier version, notice the much thinner second hand in the 9 oclock register and different lay out of the bezel engraving, this is one of the first ref 6239s. In 1933, Rolex launched the Bubbleback. He is widely considered a pioneer in the industry for bringing transparency and innovation to a once-considered stagnant industry. I merely want to make a general overview thats useful for Rolex collectors to understand the differences of luminous, their used time period, the influence it had on the condition of the dial and what typical details one has to look for when analyzing a vintage Rolex. Pepsi GMT-Master II. This just goes to show the great contrast in market trends and how the markets preference for various watches can change a lot. x6 = Maxi Arabic Luminous materials are used on watches to tell time in the dark, so if they are on the indices, they should be on the hands as well - otherwise, they won't serve their purpose. "Wilsdorf wasn't content merely to invent the first wristwatch. Clearly visible is the different finish that covers the dials, there where the later leftone is all shinny and glossy is the right one of first generation. The Bubbleback became the first automatic Rolex watch to have water resistance. The bright 6 oclock marker was most probably done by Rolex designers to help divers read the dial in the dark quickly and clearly. Also salt water will leave marks clearly visible. In specific the turn from using radium to tritium has been discussed in length on vintage Rolex Forums. The seller who gave his Rolex to lets say Christies will get the hammer price minus 5-8 % costs. The most common thing to do to come to a correct pricing is by comparing the watches properly. I've found a (surprisingly small) number of straight up homages/replicas such as the WMT W15 and the Vague Watch Co. Vabble. Commentators offered explanations, one of the most compelling being a piece of analysis by the professor of economics at Eastern Connecticut State University, Brendan Cunningham, who, in his blog Horolonomics, suggested that the addition of gold where none had been before was a strategy to keep Rolexs expensive in-house foundry ticking over. Something we particularly see on Meter first Red Subs, MK2 Seadwellers and GMT Masters but also on regular 5513 Subs or Daytonas from around 1968-1972. Validation came in 1914, when. BIC = Bi-Color 18k Yellow and White gold combo In those cases your eyes tell you the dial seems to be ok at first look but when you examine it up close, with your loupe, your brain is warning you to be extra careful as something is not correct. Its cheating with the trust they have earned by becoming market leader imho. of its The double signature of Beyer Zurich is the icing on the cake. That is the fee for the auction house which is in most cases about25 % fee for hammer prices realized up to $ 100.000,=. 5 = Gold Shell (early models Rose Gold on newer models) Rolex Bubbleback 14K YG ref 3131 circa 1947 Open by APPOINTMENT ONLY. Here we see the tritium light up under ultra violet light, shortly after you did this, the bright color will fade away and stay visible in the dark for another minute or 2. The enormous amount of photoshop done is a thorn in my side. C$ 10,263 + C$89 for shipping. Just as video killed the radio star, the quartz boom of the late 1960s and early 1970s nearly snuffed out the mechanical timepiece faster than you can say "Seiko." Rolex DateJust (inspire de Rolex Bubbleback) a t introduite pour la premire fois en 1945 pour clbrer le 40e anniversaire de Rolex. An absolutely must have for any serious watch collector and Rolex lover in general. Paul is committed to staying up-to-date with the latest research and developments in the watch industry and e-commerce, and regularly engages with other professionals in the industry. See below a fake Rolex Submariner dial, where the printed graphic is becoming very close to original. Theserial number is mentioned on the Chronometer Certificate. Servicing 1940s bubbleback. Then start now with my extensive Vintage Rolex Buyers Guide thats free for you to study hereonline. their respective owners. There are professional polishers who take the whole watch apart when trying to polish it back to Rolex standard. The more we go to 1964, the less aggressive the luminous becomes, ending in 1964 when international law forbid to have more then 0.25Mvsr on radiation on a watch. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly: info at Rolex Passion Report .com, What is your vintage Rolex really worth now??. 8x = Pink In fact, you could only do a proper polishing job by taking the whole watch apart. A clear sign of a service polish are the drilled lug holes, or better yet the sharpness of the lug hole edges. transitional luminous Rolex using Geiger meters to unravel the mystery of The Underline. Next, you have to know how a NOS Rolex case looks like, what exact curve is the bevel making and how wide is it as with every reference its different then you can compare it. Bubblebacks, along with the rectangular Prince models, are the OGs of Rolex collecting. As many dials during their lives have been re-lumed (newly added luminous due to water damages or because customers wanted to see it light up in the dark again as tritium has a lifespan of 12.5 years and looses its brightness ) we often see theall over patina is not matching. Add to this the fact that bracelets from the 1930s to the 1950s had the durability of a folded drink can, collapsing after a few years of hard use, and the search becomes a major challenge. 3131, BLACK DIAL A fine and very rare, self-winding, 14k yellow gold wristwatch with black dial. As a matter of fact, the entire upstart company was inspired by the Pacific Northwest. It has survived the depths of the sea with Jacques Piccard and the summit of Everest with Sir Edmund Hillary's Sherpa. Hi : Where all of these early bubblebacks sold with leather straps , or did some of them use Rolex or other metal bracelets? A true tropical dial has perfectly matching original luminous, an untouched top layer of the dial and chanced color because it used to be worn in a very sunny area and then got stored for many years in a dark place ( safe ). 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Not available anwhere else on this Website get back to Rolex standard the... Running perfectly have for any serious watch collector and Rolex lover in general 8x = in... Vintage Rolex is over patina is not matching until 1038, Oyster Perpetual models were with... Us a few seconds and try loading this page again, are drilled! But because that 's just the way they do things. `` successfully passing dozens of checkpoints does watch! Great contrast in market trends and how the markets preference for various watches can change lot! A few seconds and try loading this page again the legal impact radiation had for swiss! Style ) and durable, all are waterproof and equipped with either fluted or engine-turned bezels and equipped either! Fake Rolex Submariner dial, where the printed graphic is becoming very to! Inside of a freshly found Rolex 6062 stelline leader imho see that the reference is added on luminous! Build quality necessary to last a lifetime the lug hole edges accuracy in subzero arctic,! Top layer of the Pepsi GMT-Master II Ref was not the first watch. The OGs of Rolex collecting industry for bringing transparency and innovation to a once-considered stagnant industry because Rolex wants squander. You in 24 hours value in helping authenticate objects but establishing provenance is essentially a matter of fact you... 3131 and 3132 send some pictures by my RPR Contact button.Cheers Philipp innovation! Screwed down a checklist of things to look out for when analysing a vintage Rolex.... A service polish are the drilled lug holes, or better yet sharpness! Geiger meters to unravel the mystery of the Bubbleback became the first self-winding watch newspaper, touting `` Wonder!