ROLEX Prince Chronometer Ref.3937 — 9K Red Gold Railway Case Cabriole Lugs · 1940s Art Deco Icon · Certified Chronometer Dial

⭐ ROLEX Prince Chronometer 3937 — Railway Case / 9K Red Gold / 1945 — Museum-Grade Vintage Curation

A rare slice of Rolex pre-Oyster history, crafted when the maison still experimented boldly with form, proportion, and chronometric ambition. This Prince Chronometer, with its impossibly elongated red-gold carriage and cabriole lugs, is not merely a watch—it is a sculpture from the golden age of European elegance.

Description

Few vintage Rolex references radiate such unmistakable artistry as the Prince Chronometer Ref.3937—an icon born in the 1940s, when precision timekeeping and architectural watch design converged. Rendered in 9K solid red gold, the case stretches across the wrist in an extraordinary 45.2mm length, its stepped sides forming the famous Railway profile. The elongated architecture was more than aesthetic: it housed the celebrated Calibre 300, the same lineage that propelled Rolex to its first Observatory-grade awards.

The cabriole lugs, fluid and sculptural, offer a softness to the otherwise formal geometry—creating a silhouette found only on the most artistically driven Rolex references of the period. The salmon-pink duo-dial, printed with PRINCE / CERTIFIED CHRONOMETER / SWISS MADE, displays the warmth and honest age that collectors covet, preserved without repainting, retouching, or compromise.

Every detail remains true to the era: blued-steel baton hands, the gold subsidiary seconds, the plain red-gold crown, the original stepped architecture that defines the Railway case genre. It carries the gentle patina and surface memory that only a genuine 1940s piece can hold—untouched, unpolished past basic buffing, and profoundly honest.

This is a Rolex for the connoisseur: not a mainstream flagship, but a scholarly work of horological design; an artifact from the moment Rolex's reputation for chronometry was first forged.

Highlights & Features

• 1945-era Rolex Prince Chronometer Ref.3937
• 9K solid red-gold Railway case with cabriole lugs
• Salmon-pink duo-dial with original printed lettering
• Certified Chronometer dial (era-correct, pre-Oyster designation)
• Original blued-steel hour/minute hands and gold subsidiary seconds
• Extra-long 45.2mm case architecture
• 6-position regulated Calibre 300
• Breguet overcoil + screw balance
• Honest vintage patina, no redial, no restoration
• Snap-back case with correct inside hallmarks
• New crocodile strap with vintage YGP buckle
• A rare early chronometry-era Rolex reference

Item Details

Model: Prince Chronometer Ref.3937
Era: circa 1945
Material: 9K Red Gold
Dial: Salmon Pink, Duo-Dial Layout
Hands: Blued-steel hour/minute, gold seconds
Case Size: 22.3mm × 45.2mm
Lug Width: 14mm
Movement: Manual-wind Cal.300
Functions: Hours, minutes, subsidiary seconds
Bracelet/Strap: New crocodile strap / vintage YGP buckle
Accessories: None (original era pieces rarely retain kits)

Condition Report

Case: Excellent vintage state with only light surface marks. Steps remain sharp with no collapse or deformation.
Bezel: Clean, no notable dents or distortion.
Dial: Fully original with age-appropriate patina. No redial, no overprinting.
Hands: Original blued-steel + gold seconds, intact with natural aging.
Crystal: Clear with vintage-correct light marks only.
Crown: Original red-gold crown, secure operation.
Movement: Cal.300 running with vintage tolerances; last timing +100s/d (environment dependent).
Strap: New crocodile strap fitted.

Why Collectors Want This Piece

The Ref.3937 “Railway” Prince is one of the most architecturally distinctive watches Rolex ever produced—a study in elongated Art Deco geometry harnessed to early chronometer engineering. Few examples remain in untouched condition; even fewer in red gold. The presence of the original salmon dial and certified chronometer printing elevates this specimen into the upper ranks of pre-Oyster Rolex collecting. It is the kind of historically meaningful reference that seasoned collectors quietly hunt for years.

Brand Heritage

Rolex’s Prince series defined precision dress horology in the early 20th century. Long before the Oyster reshaped the brand identity, the Prince earned accolades in chronometry competitions and served as an aesthetic ambassador for Rolex's most refined ambitions. The Ref.3937 represents the apex of that lineage: an elongated case, a chronometer-grade movement, and an unmistakable Art Deco silhouette—combining engineering excellence with sculptural beauty.

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