Rolex

I Cronografi da Polso: Preziose memorie del XX secolo volume I, Paul White, pp. 210

The Reference 2811 holds the distinction of being one of Rolex's earliest and rarest chronograph watches manufactured during the brand's early years. Damage from excessive wear or inappropriate restoration coupled with the very small size of Rolex's production in the nascent decades mean that watches before the mid 20th century are particularly rare. According to scholarship only around 500 examples of the Reference 2811 have been produced between the mid 1930s to the early 1940s cased in stainless steel, yellow, and pink gold.

This early example Reference 2811 is an extremely rare model from pre-war Rolex production cased in 18k pink gold with the case number 30'608, and dates the watch to the mid 1930s, featuring olive-shaped pushers, a characteristic of early Rolex chronographs. Examples of the 2811 that have surfaced at auction show that the first generation of Reference 2811s had olive-shaped chronograph pushers like the present lot, whereas the second generation came with rectangular pushers.

The case was manufactured by casemaker Georges Croisier identifiable by the Geneva Key no. 5 stamped on the inside case back. Croisier is most notable during the period for working with stainless steel and was thus the maker of choice for some of the most coveted stainless steel references during the first half of the 20th century by Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, and Rolex.

At the heart of the Reference 2811 heart beats the Valjoux calibre VZ, which enjoyed an impressive production run from 1916 to 1974. With a frequency of 18000 vph and a power reserve of approximately 48 hours, the calibre VZ is one of the most technologically advanced movements of the time period.

We are pleased to offer the present lot, and the rare opportunity to own one of the rarest and earliest Rolex timepieces.