Manufacturer: Rolex Year: Circa 1940 Reference No: 3484 Case No: 55'318 Material: 18K yellow gold Calibre: Manual, cal. 13’’’, 17 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Leather Clasp/Buckle: Plated yellow gold Rolex buckle Dimensions: 33mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and buckle signed Literature: For another example of a reference 3484, please see 100 Superlative Rolex Watches by John Goldberger, page 53.
Catalogue Essay
Reference 3484 was in production from 1939 to 1948 and was cased either in stainless steel or gold. The present lot is fitted with a rare and unusual non-luminous gilt black dial and the serial and reference numbers on the outside of the case back which is particularly sensitive to wear or careless polishing are still very crisp, underlining the overall condition of this rare chronograph highly desirable.
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.