Manufacturer: Rolex Year: Circa 2017 Reference No: 3612/8 Case No: M'780'367 Model Name: Cellini Material: 18K yellow gold Calibre: Manual, cal. 651, 18 jewels Dimensions: 34.5mm diameter Signed: Case, dial and movement signed Accessories: Accompanied by Rolex international guarantee stamped Rolex Boutique Sogo Yokohama and dated 27th August 2017, leather card holder, instruction manual, product literature, cloth pouch, fitted presentation box and outer packaging.
Catalogue Essay
Despite being most recognised for their robust sports models, the Rolex catalogue is incredibly diverse, and even includes a small collection of coin watches that are very rare and not often seen on the market. The present ref. 3612/8 is encased in a yellow gold twenty US-dollar coin from 1897, and the example truly embodies the spirit of the Rolex Cellini line with no intricate detail left unattended. Dedicated to Benvenuto Cellini, a master goldsmith of the 16th century, the Cellini collection very much takes after his devotion to methods of engraving, casting metal and perfecting even the most minute details.
To open the present coin watch, a button is concealed within the reeded edge of the coin and reveals the dial on demand with the stroke of a touch. The walls within the coin are also further adorned with hand-turned perlage finishes.
Offered in “like-new” condition, this is rare collectible will be a fantastic addition for both watches and coins collectors.
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.