Rolex Oval 9ct Gold, 1929, Ladies Vintage Watch

Description:

A beautiful example of a 1920’s ladies Rolex. This rare and fine piece is typical of the art deco style of the late 1920s, with its gracefully adorned case and elegant face design.  

The oval case is typical of the period and features a beautifully stylised design along its side. It was made by the renowned Union Suisse pour L'Habillage de la Montre (USH), a celebrated case manufacturer that supplied Rolex with some of the finest cases in the 1920s. The case shows full UK hallmarks; Glasgow, 9-carat gold, 1929 as well as the case maker's mark "USH."

The watch features a hand-wound movement signed as having been tested to 6 positions for accuracy – something very rare to see on a ladies vintage watch of this era.

Watches such as this that epitomize the timeless elegance of the 1920’s are becoming incredibly difficult to source – especially in this condition! Be quick, to secure this because it won’t hang around long! 

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”, characterized 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.