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Exceedingly
Rare - Fabulous All Original Condition - True Connoisseur's Piece
Serviced by Former Rolex Watchmaker with 1 Year Warranty
For the true Rolex connoisseur, sometimes the exclusive forms of
collecting goes beyond the familiar icons - the Daytona, Submariner,
GMT, Explorer - and enter a quieter, more rarefied realm: a world
of Rolex timing instruments. These are the pieces created not
for the mass market, but for the individuals advancing the boundaries
of speed, engineering, and scientific accuracy in the early 20th
century.
This exceptionally well-preserved Rolex Compteur stopwatch showcased
as our Watch of the Week is one of those rare survivors. To own
one is to appreciate not only what Rolex became, but how it earned
its reputation for precision in the decades that preceded its
legendary sports watches - when when timing seconds - and fractions
of them - carried far more weight than telling the hour.
It is easy to imagine the world this piece once served. A world
accelerating in every direction: athletes pushing for new records,
engineers testing the limits of machinery, aviators charting courses
across uncertain skies. In those environments, a timing instrument
wasn’t an accessory - it was part of the proof of progress.
Holding it today, it’s difficult not to feel something of
that atmosphere: the sense of purpose, the concentration of the
hand that gripped it, the focus of the eye that followed its sweep.
A Rolex stopwatch like this would
not often have been purchased casually. In the 1930's, this instrument
would have been held by the official at a race, by the engineer
timing a critical mechanism in an aviation workshop, by a technician
in a scientific laboratory measuring performance in tenths of
a second - where a tool like this Compteur was an essential partner
in innovation.
Its timing hand makes a full revolution
in 30 seconds measuring 1/10 of a second increments. Though the
escapement still beats at 18,000 the center seconds hand is geared
up to achieve this.
Its 49mm chrome-plated open-face
case, crisp white enamel dial, bold red 5-second indices, and
precisely calibrated 15-minute register tell a story of purposeful
design: each marking is functional and each choice is rooted in
the practical demands of timing accuracy.
We were fortunate
to acquire it in very honest all-original condition. Unlike
some that endured hard service, this example remains in pleasing
original condition. It likely had sustained a jarring long ago
in its history and broken its staff and balance jewel, which is
a true blessing in disguse. Rather than being used, it appears
to have been stored away for many decades.
Its case has never
been polished, and its dial is untouched. The case is in excellent
condition - its only blemishes are two light dings - otherwise
it shows very little wear. And its dial is flawless, even under
magnifcation.
One of our Master
Watchmakers, who used to be the watchmaker for an authorized Rolex
dealer and was given special training by Rolex at their Beverly
Hills Service Center to be an authorized Rolex watchmaker, has
fully serviced it which consisted of fully disassembling the movement
down to its last screw, carefully inspecting each part, installing
a correct new mainspring and balance jewel, reassembling and lubricating
the movement, and extensive timing testing and regulation (a $995
value).
Like always, included with the
purchase is a one-year warranty on the movement and its function
and a custom printed Connoisseur of Time Certificate of Authenticity.
A chance to own a truly rare Rolex - among seasoned
Rolex experts, few have ever seen one of these in person.
Price - $3,495
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