Rolex Bubble Back Oyster Perpetual Watch

Wrist watch in Advertisement by Shozo Nakamura Printed by World Mook

Rolex Bubble Back Oyster Perpetual Watch

Advertisement from Rolex in 1946 

“Every hour, every minute, every second the Rolex Oyster Perpetual guards the invaluable element time… with conscious thought of its owner.

Designed with a unique and efficient reserve action… in addition to positive automatic winding when on the wrist, it will keep split second time for as long as a period of 32 hours when motionless.

It is the one perpetual which over the years has proven its dependability.

Price, $141.75 to $320 Federal Tax Included.

“Rolex Keeps Better Time”.

Rolex Watch Company, Inc., 580 Fifth Ave., New York 18, N.Y.”

Bubble Back棺材chai

The 'Bubble Back' was the first completely watertight automatic watch developed by Rolex. It was named the 'Oyster Perpetual'. “Bubble Back” was the name we called it later on. The self-winding movement was quite thick and the rounded case back was made to house it rather than the original Oyster case. This gave the name the 'Bubble Back'. Rolex only produced this watch from 1933 – 1955, one year before Day Date was created!

Price of a Bubble Back is not cheap in 1946

This is a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Bubble back watch, the $320 dollar one is Solid Gold, in converting into the money in 1946, $320 is likely 10 months’ Rent for a home, Federal Minimum hourly wages was $0.40. So a car factory worker on assembly line, say $0.5 a hour, that watch was three months’s salary for a general worker. In 1946 a new car is $1,125 that Rolex is 1/3 of the car price. It is not cheap at all. 

I am eager to look for one mint condition 14KT gold as I know the size is a concern is that is about 32x38mm.  In the market, we can get a Rolex Bubble back with about $5,200 to $9,000 depending on condition.

A 14ct gold vintage Rolex Oyster Perpetual or 'Bubble Back' watch. The case measures 32 x 38 mm., with a smooth bezel. The case is signed Rolex Geneva Swiss, 14K, ref: 5015. The movement is signed Rolex Perpetual Chronometer Swiss Made with the 'Rolex Oyster' signed base cover.

The dial has gold Arabic numerals with an outside minute track and centre seconds. The dial is signed Rolex Oyster Perpetual above the centre, with Officially Certified Chronometer below.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Bubble back Ref 3130

Courtesy Picture from http://robertmaron.com/product.php?productid=18190&cat=0&page=11&sold

Movement  Automatic  Case  14K Pink Gold  Case Shape  Round  Case Size  33 mm  Crystal  Acrylic  Display  Complications  Subsidiary Seconds.  

Additional Information Rare Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback in 14k rose gold, from circa 1946, with subsidiary seconds in original condition. 

 

HK Snob

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