132Σ︎
Rolex
Ref. 3525
“Barilotto”
A striking and important pink gold chronograph wristwatch with tachymeter scale
Full-Cataloguing
• Charmingly aged 18K pink gold chronograph with very rare pink dial
• Rare reference only produced between 1939 and 1945
• First waterproof case chronograph produced by Rolex
A milestone wristwatch within Rolex's storied legacy of chronographs, the reference 3525 was launched in 1939 and remained in production for less than 10 years. Produced in yellow gold, pink gold, stainless steel, or the combination of stainless steel and yellow gold, the reference 3525 was Rolex's first chronograph wristwatch to be housed in an Oyster case - equipped with a water-resistant screw down case back along with screw down crown.
Analysis of publicly known pieces shows that - with the exception of a few outliers - most of the production for the reference is grouped in three "batches", with respective serial numbers around 40'xxx-51'xxx for the first batch, then in the mid 100'000 for the second, and in the mid-300'000 the last. Thus, the present example is from the second batch.
Early examples such as the present watch feature defining characteristics, such as the case number engraved on the outside caseback. Another feature of early examples is the "Rolex Oyster" designation featuring a curved rather than straight design. The case are made by C.R. Spillman, which manufactured many of the mid-century’s waterproof cases. It furthermore presents a beautifully aged pink dial, having acquired an attractive layer of patina, and bears the charming inscription “FOR YOUR NEXT VACATION TAKE YOUR “TIME” – 1945 – WALNUT SPRINGS FARM”. There is a Walnut Springs Farm in Missouri that has been continuously operated since 1889.
Rolex
Swiss | 1905Founded in 1905 England by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis as Wilsdorf & Davis, it soon became known as the Rolex Watch Company in 1915, moving its headquarters to Geneva in 1919. Like no other company, the success of the wristwatch can be attributed to many of Rolex's innovations that made them one of the most respected and well-known of all luxury brands. These innovations include their famous "Oyster" case — the world's first water resistant and dustproof watch case, invented in 1926 — and their "Perpetual" — the first reliable self-winding movement for wristwatches launched in 1933. They would form the foundation for Rolex's Datejust and Day-Date, respectively introduced in 1945 and 1956, but also importantly for their sports watches, such as the Explorer, Submariner and GMT-Master launched in the mid-1950s.
One of its most famous models is the Cosmograph Daytona. Launched in 1963, these chronographs are without any doubt amongst the most iconic and coveted of all collectible wristwatches. Other key collectible models include their most complicated vintage watches, including references 8171 and 6062 with triple calendar and moon phase, "Jean Claude Killy" triple date chronograph models and the Submariner, including early "big-crown" models and military-issued variants.