97th Auction

2018/5/12

Lot 347

Rolex "Oyster Chronographe Antimagnetique", Case No. 206381, Ref. 4048, Cal. VZH13, 35 mm, circa 1942
An attractive wristwatch with chronograph, 30 min. and 12h counter, black tachy scale with metre indication and blue telemeter scale with kilometre indication - so called "Monoblocco" - one of the first chronographs produced by Rolex - POW model. The watch comes in an excellently preserved version and has the most appealing charmingly vintage dial.
Case: steel, screw back ref. 4048, one chronograph button replaced, screwed "Oyster Patent Plus" winding crown. Dial: silvered, luminous baton hands (partly relumed).
This watch is a marvellous example of the famous Rolex chronograph reference 4048. The attractive and beautifully aged silvered dial has never been restored and has lost none of its original charm. The case shows almost no signs of wear and tear, the lugs are still sharp. The "Oyster Patent" crown featuring the Swiss cross is also a crucial detail for the discerning collector.
Reference 4048 is certainly one of the rarest Rolex chronographs and this is one of the very first "Oyster" chronographs Rolex produced, with three subsidiary dials in the round "Calatrava" case. Reference 4048 was most likely exclusively produced in stainless steel cases. The "POW (Prisoners of War)" models are amongst these - chronographs which Rolex supplied free of charge to British Officers who were held prisoners of war by the German army during the WW2.
The history of this timepiece:
During the time of the occupation in World War II from 1943 to 1945, many American soldiers were based in the small town of Bruneck in the Puster Valley in South Tyrol and quite a few of them found accommodation at hotels in town, such as the Hotel Post or the Hotel Central.
One of the American officers asked the owner of the Hotel Central - who was known to be a helpful and caring man - for a loan of money and left a watch and a ring as security, mentioning that he had bought the watch in 1942 in the United States.
However, the officer disappeared and never returned to redeem his ring and his watch.

Sold

estimated
12.00025.000 €
Price realized
49.600 €