101
Rolex
Ref. 3233
A highly attractive and exquisitely preserved stainless steel chronograph wristwatch with rose dial, retailed by Verga
Full-Cataloguing
- Chronograph
- Houses a non-Oyster case with unusual case construction and concealed lugs
- Displays a beautifully preserved salmon-pink dial displaying retailer signature of Verga
Please see the Archivio Pucci Papaleo digital archive record here.
The Rolex reference 3233 was introduced in 1938 and remained in production until approximately 1941. This particular non-Oyster chronograph is distinguished by its exceptionally attractive salmon-pink dial and unusual case construction, with the lugs concealed within the case back.
The case is a fine study in Bauhaus and early modernist design, characterised by its restrained geometric form, minimal ornamentation and emphasis on clean, functional lines rather than decorative detailing. The concealed, fixed lugs, integrated directly into the case, reinforce this aesthetic and create an unusually clean and sophisticated silhouette.
The fixed nature of the lugs strongly suggests that the watch retains its original leather strap, accompanied by its original Rolex stainless-steel buckle, stamped “RWC Ltd.” The watch appears to be possibly unpolished, retaining its original case facets and finishes, with even the chronograph pushers remaining remarkably sharp to the touch. Remarkably, the original crystal is also still present.
The retailer signature “Verga” appears beneath a crown on the dial. The historic Milanese firm of Romolo Verga was a distinguished retailer of fine watches and jewellery, with roots dating back to the late 19th century. Very few Rolex watches are known bearing this particularly distinctive combination of the Verga name beneath a crown, making the signature an especially noteworthy feature of this exceptional example.
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.