Rolex
Rolex Prince Chronometer Ref. 3937 con caja Railway, oro rojo de 9K, asas cabriolé, esfera doble color salmón, circa 1945
Rolex Prince Chronometer Ref. 3937 con caja Railway, oro rojo de 9K, asas cabriolé, esfera doble color salmón, circa 1945
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A circa-1945 Rolex Prince Chronometer Ref. 3937 in 9K solid red gold, its stepped Railway case stretching 45.2mm along the wrist on sculptural cabriole lugs. The original salmon duo-dial, never repainted or retouched, and the chronometer Calibre 300 make it a scholarly piece from the moment Rolex's reputation for precision was forged.
The Piece
Few vintage Rolex references radiate such artistry as the Prince Chronometer Ref. 3937, a pre-Oyster icon of the 1940s, when precision timekeeping and architectural case design converged. Rendered in 9K solid red gold, the case stretches an extraordinary 45.2mm in length, its stepped sides forming the celebrated Railway profile. The elongated form housed the Calibre 300, the lineage that carried Rolex to its first observatory-grade awards.
The cabriole lugs, fluid and sculptural, soften the formal geometry into a silhouette found only on the most artistically driven Rolex references of the period. The salmon-pink duo-dial is printed 'Prince', 'Certified Chronometer' and 'Swiss Made', and shows the warmth and honest age collectors covet, preserved without repainting, retouching or compromise.
Every detail remains true to the era: blued-steel baton hands, gold subsidiary seconds, the plain red-gold crown and the stepped architecture that defines the Railway case. The case carries the gentle patina and surface memory of a genuine 1940s piece, unpolished beyond basic buffing. This is a Rolex for the connoisseur: not a mainstream flagship, but a scholarly work of horological design.
Details
- Maker: Rolex
- Model: Prince Chronometer
- Reference: 3937
- Era: Circa 1945
- Material: 9K red gold
- Measurements: Case 22.3mm × 45.2mm · Lug width 14mm
- Included: None; fitted with a new crocodile strap and vintage yellow-gold-plated buckle
- Case: Stepped Railway case with cabriole lugs; snap back with correct inside hallmarks
- Dial: Salmon pink duo-dial, printed Prince / Certified Chronometer / Swiss Made
- Hands: Blued-steel hour and minute; gold subsidiary seconds
- Movement: Manual-wind Calibre 300, six-position regulated; Breguet overcoil and screw balance
- Functions: Hours, minutes, subsidiary seconds
Condition
- Excellent vintage state: fully original dial, sharp case steps and honest patina, with no redial and no restoration.
- Case: only light surface marks; the steps remain sharp, with no collapse or deformation.
- Bezel: clean, with no notable dents or distortion.
- Dial: fully original with age-appropriate patina; no redial, no overprinting.
- Hands: original blued steel with gold seconds, intact with natural aging.
- Crystal: clear, with vintage-correct light marks only.
- Crown: original red-gold crown, secure in operation.
- Movement: Calibre 300 running within vintage tolerances; last timing +100s/d (environment dependent).
- Strap: new crocodile strap fitted.
Prince Lineage
Long before the Oyster reshaped the brand's identity, Rolex's Prince series defined precision dress horology, earning accolades in chronometry competitions and serving as the aesthetic ambassador of the company's most refined ambitions. The Ref. 3937 represents the apex of that line: an elongated Art Deco case, a chronometer-grade movement and a silhouette that joins engineering to sculpture. Few examples remain untouched, fewer still in red gold, and the original salmon dial with its chronometer printing places this one in the upper ranks of pre-Oyster collecting.
Authenticity & Care
Original salmon duo-dial with 'Certified Chronometer' printing, original hands and red-gold crown, and a snap-back case bearing correct inside hallmarks. The strap is new and the buckle is a vintage gold-plated piece rather than solid gold; original period accessories are not present, as is usual for the era. Every piece is examined and documented in Japan before dispatch and is offered with the Japonista authenticity guarantee.
Delivery from Japan
Packed by hand in Japan and shipped insured and tracked by EMS or an equivalent express service. Import duties and taxes, where applicable, are payable on arrival. Returns follow our published policy.
Considered offers are welcome through Send an Offer, and each one is reviewed personally. Pieces over $1,000 may be reserved over several payments with Layaway Privilege™.
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