Exceptional Horological Sale Celebrat...

Hotel Noga Hilton, Geneva, Apr 24, 2004

LOT 100

Rolex Oyster Chronomètre, "Centregraph Observatory", Ref. 3346. Manufactured in the 1930s. Very fine and important, water-resistant, center-seconds, stainless steel wristwatch with single button chronograph and 24-hour indication.

CHF 60,000 - 80,000

EUR 38,000 - 50,000 / USD 47,000 - 62,000

Sold: CHF 91,500

C. three-body, polished and brushed, screwed-down case back and crown, fluted and revolving bezel with red graduations for 60 seconds.D. matte silver with radium-coated Roman numerals and dot indexes on a polished gold ring, concentric, the 24 hours in red Arabic numerals. Radium-coated "Skeleton" hands.M. 10 1/2''' rhodium-plated, 18 jewels, straight line lever escapement, Superbalance balance adjusted to 6 positions, self-compensating Breguet balance-spring, the single button on the 2 is for start-stop and return to zero functions of the chronograph.Dial, case, and movement signed.Diam. 32 mm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3 - 01

Notes

Produced in stainless steel only, in fewer than 50 examples, the Centregraph, like the Zerograph, is a high-precision instrument able to calculate intermediary consecutive times. It is, for example, useful when it is necessary to stop, go back to zero and restart the second hand,in one single operation, for sports events, automobile, motorcycle, or bicycle racing, or to calculate production times in manufacturing. A similar watch is published in "Collecting Rolex Wristwatches", by Osvaldo Patrizzi, Guido Mondani Editore, Genova 2001, p. 482.