Vintage Rolex Watch. ROLEX Oyster Royal 2280 SS 30mm 1930s
By Rolex
Located in Port Charlotte, FL
Rolex Oyster Royal 2280 Stainless Steel Case. Manual Windup Movement.
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Vintage 1930s Modern Wrist Watches
Materials
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Antique Rolex Oyster Pioneer Watch Face Chronograph Manual Wind
By Rolex
Located in Miami, FL
Introducing a rare and stunning piece of history: an antique Rolex Oyster Pioneer manual winding watch. With its 28mm dial, manual winding movement, seconds chronograph, and impeccab...
Category
Vintage 1930s Swiss Wrist Watches
Materials
Stainless Steel
Rolex Oyster Solid 18k Gold Ladies 1930s Manual Wind Cocktail Watch RA639
$7,120Sale Price|20% Off
Rolex Oyster Solid 18k Gold Ladies 1930s Manual Wind Cocktail Watch RA639
By Rolex
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Rare, luxurious elegance solid 18k gold Rolex Lady Oyster cocktail watch, c.1938, unrestored dial, in excellent working condition. Verified authentic by a master watchmaker. Gorgeous...
Category
Vintage 1930s Swiss Retro Wrist Watches
Materials
Gold, 18k Gold
Rolex Egyptian Rose Gold & Steel Oyster with Factory Original Dial circa 1938
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Egyptian Model METAL / MATERIAL: Rose Gold & Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1938 DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 32mm X Diameter 29m...
Category
Vintage 1930s Swiss Art Deco Wrist Watches
Materials
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Rolex 1930s Ladies Rose Gold and Steel Oyster Case Manual Wind Wrist Watch
By Rolex
Located in Chicago, IL
Circa 1930s Rolex Oyster Wrist Watch, 24 M.M. Rose Gold top with Steel back oyster Case and curved down Lugs. mechanical, manual wind movement, original screw down Oyster logo Crown,...
Category
Vintage 1930s Swiss Wrist Watches
Materials
Rose Gold, Steel
Recent Sales
Rolex Oyster, Vintage Manual Winding Wristwatch, 1930s
By Rolex
Located in Braintree, GB
Rolex Oyster, Vintage manual winding wristwatch. 1930's Case : Stainless Steel Original Rolex Gender: Men's Case size (including crown): 35 x 33 mm Movement: Swiss Manual wind ...
Category
Vintage 1930s Swiss Wrist Watches
Vintage Rolex Oyster Perpetual 6582 14 Karat Yellow Gold Zephyr Dial
By Rolex
Located in San Diego, CA
Style Number: 6582 Serial: 135*** Year: Circa 1939 Model: Oyster Perpetual Case Material: Stainless Steel Band: Leather Bezel: 14K Yellow Gold Dial: Champagne Face: Acrlyic ...
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Vintage 1930s Swiss Wrist Watches
Materials
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Rolex Oyster 3478, Silver Dial, Certified and Warranty
By Rolex
Located in Miami, FL
Rolex Oyster Reference #: 3478. Mens Swiss Automatic Watch Stainless Steel Silver 30 MM. Verified and Certified by WatchFacts. 1 year warranty offered by WatchFacts.
Category
Vintage 1930s Swiss Contemporary Wrist Watches
Rolex Stainless Steel and Gold Oyster Perpetual Wristwatch
By Rolex
Located in San Francisco, CA
Rolex stainless steel and gold Oyster Perpetual bubble back wristwatch, 34mm diameter case, on a 8" brown lizard strap. Ref. 6565, Serial number 84396.
Category
Vintage 1930s Swiss Wrist Watches
Materials
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1938 Rolex Early Oyster Chronometer Vintage Mens Midsize Watch - 18K Gold
By Rolex
Located in Suwanee, GA
NAMED ONE OF WATCHPRO MAGAZINE’S “HOT 100” - THE TOP 100 INFLUENCERS OF THE U.S. WATCH INDUSTRY. HOW CAN WE SERVE YOU? We’re new to offering our carefully curated collection on 1stD...
Category
Vintage 1930s Swiss Wrist Watches
Materials
18k Gold
Rolex Stainless Steel Oyster Precision Champagne Dial Watch Ref. 6466
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
Movement: Manual Wind Function: hours, minutes, seconds, date Case: 31mm round stainless-steel case Dial: Champagne Dial with yellow gold stick markers Band: stainless steel factory ...
Category
Vintage 1930s Wrist Watches
Materials
Stainless Steel
Tudor Rolex Stainless Steel Mid Size Oyster Raleigh Wristwatch 1939
By Tudor
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex / Early Style Tudor STYLE / REFERENCE: Mid Size / Ref. 3136 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel DIMENSIONS: 39mm X 30mm CIRCA: 1939 MOVEMENT / CALIBER: 17 J...
Category
Vintage 1930s Swiss Wrist Watches
Rolex Stainless Steel Oyster Lipton Manual Wind Wristwatch
By Rolex
Located in Hicksville, NY
Authentic rolex from the late 30's. This watch was created for the Canadian market. Often used as a gift to veterans of WW2. Case is stainless measuring 30mm without crown included. ...
Category
Vintage 1930s Swiss Wrist Watches
Materials
Stainless Steel
Rolex Yellow Gold Oyster Octagonal Original Oversized Crown Manual Watch
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Octagon / English Patents METAL / MATERIAL: 14Kt Solid Yellow Gold DIMENSIONS: 40mm X 32mm CIRCA: 1935 / 1936 MOVEMENT ...
Category
Vintage 1930s Swiss Wrist Watches
Rolex 14Kt Solid Rose Gold Rare Oyster Viceroy Art Deco Watch circa 1938
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Viceroy / Reference 3116 METAL / MATERIAL: 14Kt Solid Rose Gold CIRCA / YEAR: 1938 DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 38mm "Lug ...
Category
Vintage 1930s Swiss Art Deco Wrist Watches
Materials
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Rolex Nickle Silver Oyster Octagon Radium Dial Wristwatch Ref 2136
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Oyster Watch Company (By Rolex) STYLE / REFERENCE: Octagon, Oyster, Ref. 2136 MOVEMENT / CALIBER: 15 Jewels, Font Calibur DIAL / HANDS: Original Luminous, Blued S...
Category
Vintage 1930s Swiss Wrist Watches
Materials
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Rolex Rose Gold Oyster Cushion Water Resistant Wristwatch
By Rolex
Located in Milano, IT
A very rare pink gold Rolex water resistant case with special original black dial and tritium hands. A famous production of the Oyster case by Rolex.
Category
Vintage 1930s Swiss Wrist Watches
Materials
18k Gold
Rolex Yellow Gold Oyster Water Resistant Speed King Wristwatch
By Rolex
Located in Milano, IT
A beautiful 18 KT yellow gold tonneau shape Rolex with special "patina" dial with applied buttons indexes and yellow gold hands. Another famous water resistant case model by Rolex.
Category
Vintage 1930s Swiss Wrist Watches
Materials
18k Gold
Rolex, Rose Gold, Art Deco Cushion Oyster Dated, 1930
By Rolex
Located in London, GB
An Art Deco vintage wristwatch by Rolex made in 1930. The Rolex “Oyster” the world’s first waterproof watch. In 1927 Hans Wilsdorf, founder of the Rolex Watch Company, sent a newly...
Category
Vintage 1930s Swiss Art Deco Wrist Watches
Materials
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Rare 1930s Rolex Oyster Officers 18 KT Yellow Gold Cushion Shaped Wristwatch
Sold
W 1.11 in Dm 1.11 in L 1.11 in
Rare 1930s Rolex Oyster Officers 18 KT Yellow Gold Cushion Shaped Wristwatch
By Rolex
Located in New york, NY
The present watch is a very rare 18kt yellow gold Rolex Oyster Cushion Shaped Officers wristwatch with Sub Second dial located at the 6, circa 1930s The Case dimensions are as follo...
Category
Vintage 1930s Swiss Wrist Watches
Materials
18k Gold
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Antique Rolex 9K Yellow Gold 15 Jewel Manual Wind Women’s Watch
By Rolex
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By Rolex
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By Rolex
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Vintage 1940s Bubbleback Rolex Oyster Perpetual 14k Gold 32mm Watch Ref. 3372
$9,960Sale Price|20% Off
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By Rolex
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Rolex for sale on 1stDibs
While the rise in popularity of vintage Rolex watches is of no surprise to aficionados, collectors and industry experts, when it comes to contemporary luxury wristwatches, Rolex is also often the first brand that springs to mind. Not only is the company revered for its precision timekeeping and impeccable craftsmanship, but its name was designed to be memorable.
Rolex's enviable worldwide recognition can be credited in part to the genius of company founder Hans Wilsdorf. When the German-born watch dealer and his brother-in-law, Alfred Davis, set up their London enterprise, in 1905, they called it Wilsdorf & Davis, according to the traditional formula.
But Wilsdorf was determined to come up with another name that was short, would look good on a watch dial and was easy to say and remember in several languages. In 1908, he trademarked the name Rolex, and by 1920, he had moved the company to Geneva and redubbed it as Montres Rolex S.A.
But the main reasons for the brand’s success are its aforementioned commitment to precision and unflagging pursuit of innovation. In 1926, the company introduced the aptly named Oyster model. With a screw-down crown and case back, both fitted with rubber gaskets, this was the first truly waterproof watch.
Five years later, Rolex upped the ante with the Oyster Perpetual. That model’s patented Perpetual movement contained a rotor mechanism enabling it to self-wind. In another trendsetting move, in 1945, the brand debuted the Datejust, with a date window prominently displayed on the dial.
The company’s two most iconic models are sports watches. Although the Submariner, which debuted in 1953, was developed as a dive watch, its waterproof case, solid construction and good looks made it a favorite of adventurers and urbanites alike, including James Bond, who wore it in classics like Dr. No and Goldfinger. The Daytona, the racing chronograph made famous by Paul Newman, is especially sought after by collectors. Newman’s personal Daytona, which hit the auction block in 2017, sold for $17.8 million.
Find vintage Rolex watches, bracelets and more on 1stDibs.
Finding the Right Wrist-watches for You
Antique, vintage and luxury wristwatches have captured the hearts and minds of all manner of watch collectors as well as the watchmakers themselves — it's time you found your own.
Certain vintage watches for men and iconic watch designs for women are sought after not only because of their graceful proportions or innovative materials but also because of the illustrious histories of the houses that created them, histories that they stylishly embody.
Bulgari’s legendary Serpenti watch was on everyone’s list after the collection’s bold bracelet, which technically debuted after the timepiece, graced the wrist of actress Elizabeth Taylor. If anything, elaborately crafted timepieces — the unmistakably boxy silhouette of Cartier Tank watches, the elegant and minimal Calatrava designed by legendary Swiss house Patek Philippe — are even more effective than the shape we associate with traditional wristwatches.
Form watches — the all-encompassing moniker bestowed upon non-round watches — are making headlines and completing contemporary fashionable ensembles the world over. At the same time, both casual fans and careful collectors are drawn to the unbeatable charm of vintage styles, such as the icons designed by Omega that even James Bond can’t resist.
In the early days of watchmaking, watches were fragile enough that they necessitated protection from the elements. Now, wristwatches made of gold and steel can withstand the harshest climates — even 100 meters underwater, in the case of Rolex’s Submariner. Designer Gérald Genta, whose range of clients included Rolex, created for Audemars Piguet the first luxury sports timepiece to be made from stainless steel. First introduced in 1972, the Royal Oak was a perfect choice for blending the form and function that are now synonymous with sports watches.
Are you shopping for a wristwatch? It’s good to keep your needs as well as your specific personal style in mind: A smaller, subtle timepiece is a good fit for small wrists. When will you be wearing your new accessory? There’s a versatile model out there for everyday wear, while a rugged, feature-heavy watch is a safe bet if you’re prone to embarking on all-weather activities in the great outdoors.
Find antique, vintage and luxury wristwatches for sale on 1stDibs.
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