Reference 3525 was launched in 1939. An important breakthrough model for the firm, the reference featured one of Rolex’s most important technological advancements. It was Rolex's very first chronograph wristwatch to be housed in an Oyster case, and equipped with a water resistant screw down caseback along with screw down crown.
Displaying a crisp and sharp case, this reference 3525 is fitted with a black lacquer dial and luminous hands and numerals. The model is affectionately called "Barilotto" as the case is similar to that of a barrel. Legible and deep, the case number and reference number are particularly sharp on the outside caseback and would have disappeared with continuous polishing over the years. It is interesting to note that there are three stars stamped just above the case number which can also be found on other reference 3525s, the meaning of which is still unclear.
This watch most interestingly displays very similar design specifications to the reference 3525 "Prisoner of War" watches that Rolex supplied to detained British army officers in WWII German war camps. These watches were often fitted with a black dial, gold graphics and luminous hands.
Founded 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.