Past Auction Killers Three exceptional Cloisonné Enamel Rolex
Fine WatchesCollector's InsightCloisonné Enamel Rolex watches belong to the pinnacle of watch collecting.
It is on par with four line big crowns, rare Rolex chronographs like the 6034 in pink gold* and any other special vintage Rolex watch you can think of. While Uni-color Enamel Rolex watches are extremely rare and desirable, Cloisonné Enamel (seperating different areas on the dial, that is often multicoloured, with a gold thread) takes the exclusivity and desirability to another level.
I take a look at three special Rolex watches (all Enamel Cloisonné) , one of which never really sold – but is perhaps the most spectacular of all of them (at least as far as mystery is concerned).
Let’s get straight into it.
A 1948 Rolex Ref 3372 in pink gold
We start with what surely is the most spectacular Cloisonné Enamel dial Rolex watch, not only for its incredible design, but also for the bizarre history of the watch. It is the Map of India Cloisonné Enamel dial Rolex from 1948.
(Sotheby’s archive).
The exact description of the watch is: A 1948 Rolex Ref 3372 in pink gold.
What is most interesting is that unlike most other Cloisonné Enamel watches from Rolex, this seems to be the only one Rolex with a map that is a bubbleback. The reference of the watch as well as the case design make it clear, that this is not the larger oyster versions which we show later on.
Why do I love this watch so much? Well for a start I love the history of it (more on that later).
But maybe even more importantly, I love the numerals design and Rolex crown (which is so untypical Rolex). The layout of the dial is perfect. The yellow map is also a bright beautiful color. In my view it is the most attractive map dial that Rolex ever made. I also like the engine turned bezel (versus smooth bezel) and the fact that this is pink gold.
(Details of the cloisonné Enamel dial of the bubble back Ref 3372).
This Rolex was made for the then President of India (Mr. Rajendra Prasad) to celebrate India becoming a democratic Republic. The watch was supposed to be sold by Sotheby’s in 2011, before the family of the Mr. Prasad intervened. Why? It turns out the watch was sadly stolen sometime in the 1960s after Mr. Prasad had passed away.
There seems to be no update of what happened to the watch since Sotheby’s decided to cancel the sale of this watch.
My hope is that it is in a museum where it belongs.
A 1953 Rolex Ref 6101 Oyster perpetual Map of the Americas
When I think of world map dials, I automatically think of Patek Philippe. But Rolex made some pretty awesome map dials themselves. One of the most attractive of them all is this ‘Map of Americas’.
(Credit: Christies watches).
Rolex made very few map dials watches, that are cloisonné Enamel (for some reason the other motifs such as dragons are far more common). I was only able to identify 3 of them (the other sold at Phillips Ref 6284, and the last being ref 6085 found in the John Goldberger 100 Rolex book, p40).
(A close-up of the dial of the Phillipswatches Map of America that sold in 2017/ Credit: Phillipswatches).
Out of all three, I prefer the Christies watch for the engined turned bezel which gives the watch a more attractive overall look and this is why I choose this particular watch. But I would blindly take any three of them as the differences are only minor.
I like the Map of the Americas for a few reasons: I find the fish and seagulls playful und I appreciate the multitude of colours in the dial. This watch carries Serial Nr is 902’xx which is common and fits in the range for Enamel dial Rolex watches. According to Phillipswatches (which sold another America map dial), records show that the dial work was carried out by none other than Marguerite Koch, the master Enameler who worked for Stern Freres and supplied many Enamel dials to Patek Philippe. This leads me to believe that the watch shown here, the Christies watch, Ref 6101 was consequently also made by Koch.
The watch sold back in 2014 for just over the high estimate for $425’000. If I am not mistaken, this watch is available with a well known International dealer of vintage watches Davide Parmegiani.
A 1953 Rolex Ref 8724 Chimera
Sometimes an unusual case can make a watch, even if, it has an cloisonné Enamel dial. This is the case with Ref 8724.
(Credit: Watches by SJX / Phillips watches).
This watch very attractive for a few reasons: 1) the unusual case design by Rolex 2) The bright and beautiful colours of the Chimera figure with the black background. The dial is the most vivid in colours of most figures ever made by Rolex and it is no surprise that this dial was made by one person: Marguerite Koch – considered by many, with Poluzzi, to be the best enameler that ever lived.
In my view this watch sold for a relative bargain back in 2016 for CHF 274’000 at Phillipswatches. Collectors maybe preferred the oyster cases by Genex that are typically found for Enamel dials leaving an astute collector to snap this up for a relative bargain.
Closing thoughts
Cloisonné Enamel dials were very costly and time consuming to produce resulting in very few being made. As we see with this post here, sometimes they were made by Charles Paluzzi (see runner up watch below) or Marguerite Koch. While Rolex made mostly figures (Chimera, dragons), I love the Map dials the best, also as they are extremely seldom seen by Rolex.
The one Rolex figure watch I do admire is the Chimera made by Marguerite Koch, for not only the attractive dial colours but also the watch shape itself. Again a unique piece (or extremely seldom seen) with unusual case which makes this watch exceptional.
All three watches I have shown, deserve to carry PAK status. They are among the most beautiful, rare and sought after Rolex watches made. It would be very interesting to see what they would achieve if they come back to the auction market in the coming years.
A close runner up to consider for its uniqueness and splendour is the elusive peacock dial.
As far as I am aware, it is a unique dial made by Stern Freres and famed Enameler Charles Poluzzi. The dial is a piece of art displaying the peacock stretching its feathers. Notice the gold thread that can also be seen by the peacocks feet. I also personally love the ‘Rolex Oyster‘ writing ,that is only in very few cases, found below the bottom half of the dial.
The watch sold last in 2006 at Christies and fetched an astronomical CHF 114’000.
This unique Enamel dial has never been seen since and probably sits in the one of the great private collections.
*(Picture Credit: John Goldberger). Picture above credit also Goldberger.
