Rolex Oyster Royal 1946'Beautiful Dial Patina' 32mm Rare Ref 4444 Vintage Watch

  
Rolex Oyster Royal, model 4444. An absolute classic design and a timeless beauty It has a polished, stainless steel bezel, original Rolex signed, Oyster screw-down crown and Rolex signed, screw back case. Mechanical manual winding in house Rolex caliber 10.5 hunter movement. Keeping good time within one minute per day, ready to enjoy! Original Dial: Signed Rolex Oyster Royal Shock Resisting Swiss Made.

The original, silver-tone shimmer effect dial has developed a beautiful patina. Applied raised luminescence Arabic numerals and dot markers to 1/3/5/7/9 and 11. Outer chapter ring is calibrated for 1/5ths of a second. The elegant and complete'feuille' minute and hour hands are steel blue with luminous inserts and contrast well with the engine turned sub seconds dial at'6'. Aged dial has tarnishing and foxing with marks all over, this is known as'patina'.

In any field, be it vintage wristwatches, period motorcars or antique fishing reels, there are definite classics that are universally acknowledged to be key units that are of the utmost historical significance. The movement in this watch, Rolex's 10.5 ligne (the ligne is the unit of width measurement traditionally used in the Swiss watch industry) Hunter, fits into this revered category perfectly, and is, without doubt, the most important mechanism that the company has ever created. Launched in 1923, the hand wound Hunter was the movement that replaced the venerable Rebberg that had powered the firm's officers' watches of the World War I era. It was the mechanism fitted to the first waterproof Rolex Oyster model of 1926 and, quite remarkably, remained in production until 1969.

This long manufacturing span wasn't in any sense because Rolex rested on its laurels in terms of innovation and research, far from it, but simply because the Hunter was so right from its first moments that there really wasn't any feasible way of revising it. This movement is in superb working order keeping good time within one minute per day which is good for the age. Tested for over 1 week without any issues to report. Original Case: Very clean with a polished finish.

Sharp lugs in great condition. Case is 32mm without the crown, 34mm with the crown, and 17mm between the lugs. Serial numbered 505 between lugs at 6 dating the watch to 1946 in the Rolex register. Case has surface hairline scratches associated with polished stainless steel commensurate with everyday wear and age. Overall good condition given the age.

Original Case Back Cover Inner: Signed Rolex Geneva Suisse Brevete 4444. Original Case Back Cover Outer: Milled edge cover has surface hairline scratches associated with stainless steel commensurate with age and wear. Cover fits flush and screws without any issues.

Original Crown/Winder: Signed Rolex Oyster, crown sits flush with case and sets/winds smoothly with no issues whatsoever. As expected some wear to the signature commensurate with age. Original Crystal: Domed Plexiglass in good condition for age. Strap/Buckle: Fitted with a brand new (old stock) unauthentic aftermarket strap and steel buckle.

Please observe pics carefully as they form part of the description. Movement : Manually Wound Rolex Cal.

This item is in the category "Jewellery & Watches\Watches, Parts & Accessories\Watches\Wristwatches". The seller is "oldwatchcompany" and is located in this country: GB. This item can be shipped worldwide.

1. Strap Material: Leather
2. Closure: Buckle
3. Max Wrist Size: 21.1-22 cm
4. Strap Colour: Black
5. Number of Jewels: 15 Jewels
6. Dial Pattern: Shimmer Effect
7. Indices: Arabic Numerals, Round Indexes
8. Dial Colour: Silver
9. Year Manufactured: 1946
10. Customised: No
11. Strap Width: 17 mm
12. Band/Strap: Two-Piece Strap
13. Vintage: Yes
14. Case Thickness: 8 mm
15. Department: Men, Unisex Adult
16. Case Colour: Silver
17. Caseback: Screwback
18. Bezel Type: Fixed
19. Lug Width: 17 mm
20. Watch Shape: Oval
21. Style: Luxury
22. Features: 12-Hour Dial, Acrylic Crystal, Subsidiary Seconds Dial
23. Case Size: 32 mm
24. Case Material: Stainless Steel
25. Bezel Colour: Silver
26. Handmade: Yes
27. Movement: Mechanical (Manual)
28. Water Resistance: No due To Age
29. Seller Warranty: No
30. With Papers: No
31. With Service Records: No
32. Reference Number: 4444
33. Brand: Royal
34. Type: Wristwatch
35. Model: Rolex Oyster Royal
36. With Original Box/Packaging: No
37. Case Finish: Polished
38. With Manual/Booklet: No
39. Country/Region of Manufacture: Switzerland
40. Display: Analogue