ROLEX, TWO-COLOUR GOLD PRINCE WITH TWO-TONE DIAL, REF. 971

The present Rolex Prince Brancard model belongs to the famous ref. 971, distinguished by its two-tone gold case. With Glasgow import hallmarks for 1930, it is an attractive example for the collector. The two-tone silvered dial is nicely aged, the case retains good proportions showing only light wear for a watch of this period. The interior of the upper part of the case is stamped with the last two digits of the case number and the hallmark for 9K gold. The Extra Prima Observatory Quality movement is timed to six positions and retains its original Patent Protective Cap.

The Rolex Prince model is amongst the most attractive Art Deco wristwatches ever made. Produced between the late 1920s until the mid-1930s, it features a, for the period, very unusual design: a rectangular case with elegantly flared sides and a dial with hours and seconds indication of the same size. Reference numbers 971, 971A and 971U were cased in several versions comprising 9K, 14K and 18K yellow, white or pink gold, platinum, silver, stainless steel or combinations.

Often called the ‘Doctor's Watch’ because of the large hour and seconds indication on the dial, allowing the easy timing of pulse and respiration, the Prince model has enjoyed great popularity amongst collectors over the years.

The Prince models are illustrated and described in Chapter 4 “Someday my Prince will come” in The Best of Time - Rolex Wristwatches by James M. Dowling & Jeffrey P. Hess, pp. 111-133.