Manufacturer: Rolex Year: 1947 Reference No: 3130 Movement No: N17'101 Case No: 520'875 Model Name: Oyster Perpetual "Bubbleback" Material: 14k yellow gold Calibre: Manual, 9 3/4'', 17 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Leather Clasp/Buckle: Gilt metal Rolex Dimensions: 32mm. Diameter Signed: Case, dial and movement signed
Catalogue Essay
The present watch is a superb example of the reference 3130 "Bubbleback" and with a rare double-signed dial featuring the retailer's name Gammeter. Research shows that Gammeter was a Jewelry store in Missouri, opened in 1905. It was owned and run by multiple generations of the Gammeter family continuously until 1963.
Preserved in wonderful condition, the back still retains its clear and legible case number and its correct Rolex Oyster crown.
The present "Bubbleback" is from the second half of the 1940s, and consequently, one of the last generation of the model's entire production run. It is characteristic for this batch to see the serial number engraved by Pantograph, a technique newly introduced by Rolex after World War II. Few "Bubblebacks" have as much presence and personality, which when paired with extraordinary condition, and a rare retailer's signature, are sure to amaze its future owner for years to come.
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.