![]() Paul himself owns one, and he considers it one of the finest and most special watches in his collection. So not only do these Kew A certified watches have the observatory certified movements, they are also among the rarest Rolex watches around. According to Paul Boutros (whom I now believe to be the most knowledgeable man there is in regards to these Kew A Rolexes) just 24 were cased, into full size (34 mm) gold watches, all in 1952. This information comes from research first presented in James Dowling's Unauthorized History of Rolex. The 1914 piece was not the only wristwatch movement that Rolex sent to the Kew Observatory – there were approximately 145 Rolex calibers produced that could meet Kew A standards 136 did, and received certification. Not only are observatory chronometer wristwatches incredibly accurate, they're also extremely rare.īut, back to Rolex. Consider the fact that a Patek Philippe reference 570 in platinum (the 570 is the archetypal vintage Calatrava, and very rare in platinum) would sell for around $100,000 these days ( one here at the Patek 175 sale in November 2014 at $96,000), while a platinum observatory chronometer wristwatch, like, say the JB Champion piece, would, and did, sell well into the millions. Observatory Chronometers represent a special place in watchmaking, and indeed represent a special place in the mind of collectors. For example, while most tests were conducted over fifteen days, Kew tested watches for 44 days, in several positions and temperatures. Kew, relative to even its Swiss and French counterparts, conducted the most stringent accuracy tests on watches in the world. Then, in 1914, Wilsdorf submitted another wristwatch to the Kew observatory in the United Kingdom. ![]() ![]() You can see a copy of this document above, and you'll notice that the manufacture name is not Wilsdorf, but Aegler, though it was housed in a Wilsdorf & Davis watch. The watch passed all tests, and was the very first wristwatch to be awarded this certificate. Wilsdorf changed all that when he submitted one of this Aegler-powered watches to the Official Watch Rating Center in Bienne, Switzerland – something of a predecessor to COSC – in 1910. Up until this point, the most accurate watches in the world were pocket watches because, few were paying much attention to wristwatches. Wilsdorf was obsessive, and the very first target he set his eyes on was chronometric performance – but for a wristwatch. And that’s indisputably the most wonderful thing about a Rolex from my own perspective – they are unbelievably accurate, incredibly cool, and supremely lasting. It will, I can guarantee, still work flawlessly, and look even better. He will get it the day he turns 18 (or 25, depending on how moody he is at 18) after years of wear by his mother. When my only sister gave birth to her first son, my first nephew, I purchased him a brand new Rolex and engraved his initials on the back. But, that doesn’t mean I don’t have great respect for the Rolex of today, nor would it prevent me from encouraging family, friends, and readers to look to the Crown for a new watch today. There is and was a distinct difference between the Rolex of today and the Rolex of yesterday, and I don’t think it would come as a surprise to anyone if I said I preferred that of yesterday. Of the handful of Rolex watches I own, the youngest dates to 1976 – making it, in fact, older than I am. I own more of them than any other watch from any other manufacturer, and I have always believed its contribution to watchmaking is beyond measure. I will begin this detailed article with a wholly unsurprising admission.
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