Rolex Art Deco Cornercut 9ct Gold, 1920's Ladies Vintage Watch

A truly exceptional example of a 1929 9ct Gold ladies Rolex, Genex, with a rarely seen “cornercut” rectangular case and beautiful engraving along the side - this watch is typical of the elegant art deco style of the late 1920s. 

The watch features an attractive engine-turned guilloche “starburst” dial, with painted black Arabic numbers, railway line minute markers elegantly contrasted by blue steel hands.    

The original hand-wound movement is signed as Genex (a name registered by Rolex in September 1920), rarely seen and of special interest to collectors and investors alike.

Ladies vintage watches such as this are becoming increasingly hard to find, especially in such good condition. Not only is it a beautiful watch to wear, it’s certain to see a strong growth in value in the coming years.

Background:

If wristwatches first emerged as a fashion accessory during the 1910s, the 1920s were the decade that truly represented their coming of age – at least for the wristwatches we know today.

The tumultuous 1920s were characterized by tremendous economic growth, social changes and a renewed hope for a brighter future, all stemming from the culmination and end of WW1 at the end of the previous decade. In fact, the economic, technological and social shifts were so great that the period came to be known as the “Roaring” or “Golden Twenties”.

 Women were perhaps the most heavily influenced social group at the time; the image of the modern, independent woman was virtually non-existent before that and with the social revolution came new freedoms and changing attitudes. For the first time, a woman had an equal right to vote, work and pursue higher education. The shift in how women were perceived is perhaps best illustrated by the image of the “flapper girl”, characterised by the iconic bob haircut, short skirt and a tendency to indulge herself in all life has to offer – including wearing bold make up, drink, and smoke, and pride herself on being sexually adventurous.

Undoubtedly, the most famous “flapper girl” was the designer Coco Channel, who played a major role in furthering the emancipation and social freedom of women’s fashion during this age. It was during the Roaring Twenties that the iconic “little black dress” and the Channel No. 5 perfume were released but of course, the evolution of fashion and artistic expression did not stop there.

The shifting social attitudes had an enormous impact on the appearance of wristwatches too. Case designs changed to reflect the geometric style, characteristic of the Art Deco trend, and the once plain cases became adorned with sophisticated, stylized designs. In the broader context, the 1920s saw a host of innovations for wristwatches, all aiming to improve reliability. The brittle glass for watch crystals was replaced with the more resistant celluloid, movements were offered with 15,17, and 18 jewels and the first automatic movement emerged. Perhaps one of the most striking innovations was the launch of the first reliable waterproof watch, the iconic Rolex Oyster.

Condition Report:

Like all our watches this has been professionally serviced and regulated by our watch maker as well as authenticated by a independent third party.   

• Dial: Original dial in excellent condition;
• Hands: Hands show marks and tarnishing when viewed under a 4x loupe; 
• Glass: Minor scratches and marks;
• Case: Visible marks, scratches and dints to the naked eye. Crown shows scratches;
• Movement: Fully serviced & regulated. Movement shows marks and tarnishing commensurate with general wear visible when viewed under a 4x loupe;
• Strap: Replacement leather strap in good condition with minor signs of wear and creasing. Scratches to the buckle.
• Extra: Watch comes in an original period style case.