Rolex officers military 9ct gold gents vintage watch - c1919

This is a rare Rolex military officers watch, dating from 1919 and made for the English military. It is in as near to mint original, unrestored condition as you will find for a watch dating back nearly 100 years. The most important thing about this watch is the near mint original porcelain dial. It is incredibly rare to find an unrestored porcelain dial from this era in such superb condition - it could have been made yesterday. Nearly all are usually either badly chipped and cracked or restored, which lowers value. The watch also features a 33.5mm solid 9ct gold case, original winding crown, beautiful 'cathedral' hands and a clean, freshly serviced hand-wound Rolex 15 jewel movement. It comes complete with a new leather strap and a new, quality non-Rolex presentation case. The watch makes a very impressive statement on the wrist, something a bit different with a history, and will only rise in value. The case has photographed a bit dark - it is bright and gleaming in reality.

The solid 9ct yellow gold hinged case is in excellent bright condition, with very minor wear, and measures 33.5mm wide, excluding the original winding crown x 11mm thick x 39mm long, including the solid gold fixed bar lugs. The case back closes tightly with the hinge in order and carries a beautifully hand engraved personal inscription which reads 'Presented To Mr. Herbert Joys by the Members of the West End Angling Club 1919-20'. Early engravings of this quality do not greatly affect value. The inside case is signed 'Rolex', 'W&D' (for Wilsdord and Davies, the founders of Rolex), 'Brevet + Depose', 'Swiss', the '974063' serial number and a London import hallmarks for 9ct gold, dating to 1919.

The original, unrestored porcelain dial is in near mint condition - bright white with no cracks or fading, just a very very tiny edge nibble at the 9 position - and features beautiful large numbers. It is signed 'Rolex'. The original 'cathedral' hands are just gorgeous, and are in excellent condition, and the lens is very clear.

The hand-wound Rolex 15 jewel movement is in very good, clean condition and is signed 'Rolex', '15 Jewels' and 'Swiss Made'. The movement has just been serviced by a master watchmaker and is in very good working order, with no issues.

We have put this lovely watch on a new leather strap, which suits it perfectly. The watch comes complete with a new non-Rolex watch case.

A rare, highly collectible military Rolex; full of meaning and history. Will provide an excellent financial investment as well as a possession to enjoy.

You can feel confident buying from us - we offer a full refund if you are not entirely happy with your purchase. We also provide a full receipt, six months guarantee (long enough for you to assess the working order) and a professional insurance valuation (We are approved to provide insurance valuations for wrist and pocket watches). We also welcome you to come and view the watch at our central London address, in New Bond Street - by appointment only. We offer our customers online prices - below value - with offline availability and service.