This stainless steel bubble back is in lovely, original condition. The case is unpolished and still retains the original, crisp milled band to the case back and crisp case number between the lugs. The dial, is original and unrestored, has two very appealing features. The first, is the silvered minute chapter ring, the second is the 24 hours ring printed in red towards the centre of the dial.

When collectors consider vintage Rolex, today they often turn to the famous sports watches and Daytona’s. Twenty years ago, the most collectible Rolex were the ‘bubble backs’ and Princes from the 1920s to 1950’s. As fashion changed, larger Rolex watches were sought after and the fabulous designs and variants in the ‘bubble back’ and Princes were forgotten.

The following seven pieces, pay homage to this golden era of the Rolex watch manufacture. Each watch is preserved in the most excellent condition with original dials and extremely crisp cases, showcasing their gold marks and case inscriptions, from case numbers to Rolex Cornets.

There are five ‘bubble back’ watches which was Rolex’s very first water tight automatic wristwatch. These watches were in production for 22 years, from early 1933 to 1955. While its official name was the “Oyster Perpetual”, Rolex collectors and admirers playfully dubbed these watches “bubble back” due to the convex shape on the case back. The rounded case bottom was produced to house the new automatic winding system, which replaced the mechanical mechanism. Today, Rolex ‘bubble back’ watches have become increasingly popular in recent years, like they were some 20 to 30 years ago, and have produced a cult like following.