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ANTIQUES 033
Despite
the rise of digital time telling on mobile phones, the wristwatch endures as a time teller and, for many, it remains a status symbol
T
ime is on our minds this month. The clocks change, winter is approaching and another year is drawing to a close. Politically 2019 has been a real rollercoaster
and, as I write, the end of October deadline for Brexit looms and there still seems to be no clear way forward. Time, as the saying goes, seems to be of the essence. One constant in the world of time,
however, is the wristwatch which, despite the rise of digital time telling on mobile phones, endures as a time teller and, for many, it remains a status symbol. It is impossible to talk about collecting vintage wristwatches without mentioning Rolex, and it’s just as impossible to talk about collecting Rolex watches without mentioning Hans Wilsdorf.
IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO TALK ABOUT COLLECTING VINTAGE WRISTWATCHES WITHOUT MENTIONING ROLEX
The history of Rolex is inextricably linked to the visionary spirit of its founder. In 1905, at the tender age of 24, Hans Wilsdorf founded a company in London specialising in the distribution of timepieces. He began to dream of a watch worn on the wrist, which at the time were not very precise but Hans foresaw that they could become both elegant and reliable. In order to convince the public of the reliability of the watches, he equipped them with small, very precise movements manufactured by a Swiss watchmaking company in Bienne. And, as they say, the rest is history…
The Rolex watch most people have heard of is the Oyster dating to the 1940’s. At the beginning of the Second World War, Rolex began to focus on what we would now call tool watches – simple designs that favoured reliability and legibility over aesthetics – with the aim of winning government business. Also, under the Geneva Convention, Prisoners of War could receive packages via the Red Cross and were allowed to buy personal items, including wristwatches. Wilsdorf made sure that Rolex was a participant in the scheme, responding in person to British POWs’ requests with letters insisting that no thought should be given to payment until after the war. It is quite rare that these types of watches come up for
auction but when they do they can achieve astounding prices. In 2015, a Rolex that belonged
to a fl ight lieutenant called Jack Williams was sold for almost £200,000 at auction because of Williams’ part in the “Great Escape” of 1944.
Dive time
After the war, Rolex continued to focus on functional watches including water- resistant models. Rolex director, René-Paul Jeanneret, created the genesis of the most iconic Rolex, the Submariner. An amateur diver, he saw a growing need for high-quality waterproof watches.
What began as the reference 6200 model – which boasted a self-winding movement, radium-lit hour markers and unidirectional bezel – quickly developed into the Submariner. Diving watches went mainstream in the 1960’s and Rolex was right at the forefront having already developed military contracts.
Wrist candy!
Many more modern Rolex watches are worth collecting too. These include the Daydate, Daytona and Milgauss models. Prices are high – some impossibly so. For instance, a Rolex Submariner reference 5513 from 1965 can vary in value from around £20,000 (with a newer service replacement dial) to more than £300,000 (with the rarest format original dial in good condition), and even without a dial it might be worth £12,000.
Information on collecting Rolex is not
available through the company’s records as the brand does not ever discuss the past. Consequently, much of the detailed information on particular watches can only be found from supporting evidence and by reading books on the subject by other collectors or by studying past auction catalogues. Because of the high values of many Rolex watches you really must do your homework before buying as there are many highly sophisticated fakes in circulation. Nevertheless, Rolex watches do pop up at auction and can be sourced by specialist dealers. They are a great investment and are things of beauty – which as we know, are a joy forever.
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