Old Rolex Oyster Royal 1949 here

[Tri-National-Man]

Recently acquired this little old Rolex, it has a certain charm despite it being in worn condition.

[andromeda160]

Very cool watch, I was born In salsibury. The dials not too bad either given the age, bummer about the bezel though, I believe these are 2 piece cases so you can't replace/polish the damage without affecting the value

[R.W.T.]

Older. IO would say late 30's very early 40's if 40's. Single screw cap jewel on the upper escape wheel. Clear sapphires. Tall screws on crown wheel core. Is the balance split arm super balance or solid arm? Also fab suisse. and Swiss Made together. By 49 that would have also most likely had shock on the balance.

[Old Expat Beast]

Originally Posted by andromeda160

Very cool watch, I was born In salsibury. The dials not too bad either given the age, bummer about the bezel though, I believe these are 2 piece cases so you can't replace/polish the damage without affecting the value

I doubt you were born in this particular Salisbury, Greg. A google search suggests that this Salisbury is Harare, the old capital of Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe. Lovely watch.

[andromeda160]

Originally Posted by Old Expat Beast

I doubt you were born in this particular Salisbury, Greg. A google search suggests that this Salisbury is Harare, the old capital of Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe. Lovely watch.

... negative, I was going to look it up, just didn't have time, but I most certainly wasn't born in/near zimbabwe.

[Tri-National-Man]

H G Bell was a store in Salisbury (United Kingdom) I believe..And it is a 1939 Rolex not a'49...Serial number is 158881

[Old Expat Beast]

HG Bell of Salisbury, Rhodesia, was a Rolex AD in the 1930s.

Via Google: http://www.925-1000.com/forum/viewto...15236&start=60

H.G. BELL

First Street, Salisbury, and Umtali, Rhodesia

In business during the 1920's to 1950's at least.

The business of H.G. Bell's biggest claim to fame was the design of the famous 'Flame Lily brooch' presented to the then Princess Elizabeth on her 21st Birthday. The brooch was the gift of the children of Rhodesia, and some 42,000 of them contributed 3d. each towards the gift. The brooch, which was created in the shape of the flame lily Gloriosa Superba, the national flower of Rhodesia, was made of platinum set with 300 diamonds. It was designed by Len Bell of H.G. Bell and the work executed by Cartier trained jeweller Eric H.S. Kippin (1912-1998) at Sidersky & Son in Johannesburg. The brooch was presented to the Princess during her parents' tour of Southern Africa in 1947. It was probably most famously worn when she alighted from the aircraft upon her return from Kenya following the death of her father King George VI, the first time she stepped on British soil as monarch after her flight home in February 1952.

Eric Kippin later made a further two copies of the brooch that were given to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and to Princess Margaret at Bulawayo, on Queen Elizabeth's first Commonwealth tour as Queen Mother in June 1953.

H.G. Bell were the appointed Rolex dealers in Salisbury during the 1930's.

H.G. Bell Ltd. were noted as being customers of Deakin & Francis in 1949.





Trev.

[Tri-National-Man]

Wow, great info - Thanks Adam!

[R.W.T.]

1940.