Watches like this remind us that Rolex has always been capable of far more than the professional sports watches for which it is best known. It is a true pleasure to offer this spectacular example from the golden age of mid-century jewellery design.
The 18k white-gold case is fully surrounded by diamonds, combining brilliant-cut stones with baguette-cut diamonds that give the setting a beautiful change in texture and shape. The bracelet is kept relatively simple, allowing the diamond-set centre section to do the talking, with its distinctive feather-like arrangement creating most of the visual character of the piece.
Carl Bucherer is particularly interesting in this context. The house had a long history as both a jeweller and watchmaker, and its jewellery workshops were also involved in creating elaborate bracelets and cases for Rolex during the mid-century period. Auction records document Rolex watches with integral diamond-set bracelets specifically made by Carl Bucherer and marked “CB”.
What makes this example so appealing is how much attention went into the small details. The contrast between the white gold, different diamond cuts and feather-like setting gives the bracelet a very distinctive look, while the relatively understated bracelet itself keeps the piece balanced.
Watches like these remind us why we started to collect, find and eventually sell vintage watches in the first place!
