Hello Michael,
Thank you for sending in this pocket watch to mearto.com for an appraisal. I shall try to help you with that today.
TITLE:
Gent’s stainless steel, manually wound, ultra-thin, open face dress pocket watch, Precision model, ref. 3400, made by the Rolex Watch Company, Geneva, Switzerland, circa mid-1950s.
DESCRIPTION:
Case: Size not provided but estimated to be 44-46mm in diameter, three leaf, polished, ‘bassine’, stainless steel, ultra-thin, open face pocket watch with fluted canted steel bezel, fluted steel coin shaped pendant (no logo) and horseshoe shaped bow placed at the twelve position. The inside of the back cover is damascened and engraved, “Montres Rolex SA. Geneva, case number 993XXX (circa 1954) and 3400 (reference number).
Dial: Cream color silvered metal dial with applied steel baton hours, doubled @12 and faceted @3 & @9, subsidiary seconds dial @6, open bar minute track, steel ‘Alpha’ hands, and the dial is marked with the Coronet logo above ‘Rolex, Precision” in the upper dial and ‘Swiss’ at the base.
Movement: Not shown – Most likely a bridge-plate movement with the half plate bridge having exposed ratchet and crown wheels, broad curved center wheel-bridge with gilt center wheel and small curved single finger bridge adjacent to the Swiss made regulator, balance wheel with Breguet hairspring, 15 or 17 jewels, some in gold settings with a Swiss type index regulator. The plates would be signed Rolex on the curved center wheel bridge along with either 17 jewels or 15 jewel markings. The 17 jewel model would have Elinvar on the center wheel bridge.
Condition: Case – Some areas of oxidation on the pendant bow, but the edge or barrel of the case is very good as is the inside of the back cover. The outside of the back cover could not be evaluated (not shown). Dial: Some oxidative changes to the hour batons otherwise very good. Movement – not seen and not evaluated but will assume it is either the 15 jewel or 17 jewel version of the bridge plate movement described above.
COMMENTARY:
I was unable to find the reference 3400, although I found many similar watches from the mid to late 1950s that were made very much like your pocket watch, all with different model numbers, but similar movements. So, I tried to find a bunch of comparables for you that were very much like your model that sold since the jump in gold prices began in 2011. For some reason the back of the cover and especially the movement were not shown, and that always raises questions in my mind as to WHY NOT?
COMPARABLES:
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/56187394_rolex-precision-a-gold-pocket-watch (IN SOLID GOLD CASE SOLD IN 2017 FOR 2250 EUROS)
https://www.barnebys.com/realized-prices/lot/a-mid-20th-century-stainless-steel-rolex-precision-keyless-pocket-watch-NhzXCUZaFk (WITH SOME DAMAGE TO THE DIAL WITHDRAWN AT $869 IN 2016)
https://www.barnebys.com/realized-prices/lot/rolex-pocket-watch-brevetee-haute-precision-early-20th-century-l9Rp25zvA9 (STEEL HIGH PRECISION MODEL WITH NO HANDS SOLD IN 2016 FOR $762
https://www.barnebys.com/realized-prices/lot/rolex-precision-gold-pocket-watch-N6Bjah7Uio (IN SOLID GOLD CSAE SOLD FOR $2680 IN 2017)
https://www.barnebys.com/realized-prices/lot/a-9ct-gold-keyless-wind-open-face-rolex-precision-pocket-watch-J2DBP_eCB_ (9K GOLD CASE SOLD IN 2014 FOR $2793)
https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/a-rolex-open-face-gold-pocket-watch-870-c-16014903c2# (14K GOLD CASE Precision sold for $1840 in 2013)
https://shop.connoisseuroftime.com/products/1960-rolex-precision-vintage-antique-mens-pocket-watch-45mm-stainless-steel-18k-gold (Solid gold example RETAILED for $2295)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/254151258023?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-222657-2056-0&mkcid=2&itemid=254151258023&targetid=895040249695&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9003546&poi=&campaignid=9758553007&mkgroupid=99769992956&rlsatarget=pla-895040249695&abcId=1145980&merchantid=114639157&gclid=CjwKCAiApNSABhAlEiwANuR9YGTYuRPErSuqghMLJ69wPVNNvD9gs-xSa5OfgfM7VrHoOGU-wJOXKxoCnxUQAvD_BwE (18K GOLD EXAMPLE OFFERED ON e-BAY FOR $5900 AND OF COURSE DID NOT SELL)
PRICING:
This appears to be a fine example of the classic mid-20th century Rolex Precision pocket watch in stainless steel. If offered on the watch market today I feel the fair market value would be in the range of $1200-$1500. That is said with the proviso that the movement is correct for this model, and I could not evaluate that, and the condition of the back cover is good or better. The retail price can, with Rolex be 2-3 times the fair market.
Thank you for choosing mearto.com for your appraisal.
My best,
David