A stainless steel manual wind Rolex Precision with an integrated riveted Oyster bracelet. This watch is a very unique offering from a brand that was very well known for its various iterations of the Oyster case. The model was introduced in the early 1950's during the height of some of the most revolutionary and modern design to impact the planet from visionaries like van der Rohe and Charles and Ray Eames. The design approach to this watch very much reflects this new movement. Clean, simple lines and the introduction of the integrated bracelet was very modern for Rolex, and watch design in general. When people look at the revolutionary Royal Oak and Nautilus designs from Genta in the 1970's, this was introduced twenty years earlier.
The watch was made only for the U.K market, and as a result of which is quite rare. It also did not stay in the Rolex line for too long, perhaps because it was a little ahead of its time. On the wrist, it is a pleasure to wear. The thin case holding a manually wound caliber 1210 movement sits beautifully on the wrist, and is a wide 36mm across. This is how it came to acquire the moniker the "U.F.O". It appears to come out of a 1950's sci-fi film!
The dial is all original, with a soft ivory hue to it. The condition is excellent, there is some slight foxing to the dials edge, but it is not distracting to the eye, and is mentioned for transparency. It has a vintage feel to it. It could potentially be cleaned, but we have chosen to leave it all original. The dial itself is an exceptionally rare version of the dial. They are quite often a waffle, or honeycomb texture. This has more of a carbon fiber finish to the dial texture. We have not handled another like it.
It is hard to find these watches in original condition. The sealing to the case, and through the crown, is not perfect and they succumbed to moisture and dirt. The applied hour markers and original steel hands are perfect, and show no deterioration, with the added beauty of a blued steel center seconds sweep hand. The applied long Rolex coronet sits proudly as the twelve o'clock marker. The minute track is perfect with serif font hour dashes. It is marked correctly below the six o'clock marker "Swiss".
The stainless steel case is unpolished, and is as a great strong example. The case back of these early Rolex precision watches have an engraved coronet on the back. However, the engraving is very fine, and so any polishing tends to remove it completely. Along with the coronet, common at this time, the Rolex serial number is also stamped onto the case back, both perfectly presented. The serial is a 92XXX, which dates the watch to early 1955. The are no papers or Rolex box present. The watch has been tested and is working well.
With Rolex watches from this early period in the company's history, this is perhaps the most interesting and compelling. Especially for what was to come in stainless steel integrated watches. To find these today is rare, to find them unpolished and with this dial is near impossible. For what its worth, this reference 9083 is one of our personal favourite Rolex watches of all time. To wear it is fabulous and it is a watch that even the most seasoned watch collectors will get a positive reaction from.
