935
Rolex
Ref. 971
Prince Brancard
A rare and elegant two-tone pink gold and stainless steel rectangular wristwatch with two-tone dial and small seconds
Full-Cataloguing
- Attractive two-tone dial and case
- Matching number stamped inside case with serial
- Dial in well-preserved condition, aged beautifully
Originally released in 1928, the Rolex Prince, widely known as the “Doctor’s Watch’, was an incredibly accurate wristwatch owing to the chronometer movement. The subsidiary seconds register below the hours and minutes section, also referred to as a duo-dial, is an iconic and defining feature of the Prince, enabling doctors to time pulses and respiration with ease, hence its moniker. Rolex capitalized on this concept during the period, marketing the watch to professionals in the medical industry. It was also “the only wrist watch in the world known to horological science as ‘Observatory Grade’” as claimed by the brand.
Prince watches generally feature two main case styles: the sharp, angled and rectangular model, known as the Classic; the soft curved model with flared sides, such as the present watch, known as the Brancard. The watch absolutely captures the zeitgeist of the 1920s, with its elegant, stepped case and deco-style dial composition.
Inside of the curved case, it is stamped with “339”, corresponding to the serial number. Encased within is a lovely two-tone salmon dial aged beautifully. The movement is the standard 7½''' Rolex cal. 300 which was chronometer certified, engineered by Aegler, now known as Manufacture des Montres Rolex S.A.. The hairspring is of Elinvar, and is not prone to temperature fluctuations, resulting in a more stable and accurate running.
Offered in excellent overall condition with a well-preserved dial, this is a wonderful Prince Brancard for collectors who appreciate early professional Rolexes.
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.