Admin: Fix ligne-mark bold corruption in Movement notes

2026-08-16T14:39:06Z

Fix ligne-mark bold corruption in Movement notes

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:39, 16 August 2026
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	== Movement notes ==		== Movement notes ==

	Caliber 9¾~~'''~~ (ligne class), automatic, 18 jewels, chronometer-certified — the same movement-size class documented on the 3130, 3133, and 3725 references from the same generation.		Caliber 9¾ lignes (ligne class), automatic, 18 jewels, chronometer-certified — the same movement-size class documented on the 3130, 3133, and 3725 references from the same generation.

	<span id="dial-map"></span>		<span id="dial-map"></span>

Admin: New article: Rolex 3064 Bubbleback

2026-08-16T14:38:28Z

New article: Rolex 3064 Bubbleback

New page

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 3064 Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback}}
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|title=Rolex 3064 Bubbleback — Pink Gold and Steel, Nairobi-Retailed | BezelBase
|description=The Rolex 3064 is a tonneau-shaped Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback in pink gold and steel, circa 1940, documented in a single Christie's example retailed by Dobbies Ltd. of Nairobi and sold for CHF 10,000 in 2014.
|keywords=Rolex, 3064, Bubbleback, Oyster Perpetual, vintage Rolex, chronometer, tonneau
|image=Ref 3064 hero.webp
|image_alt=Rolex 3064 Bubbleback, pink gold and steel, pink dial
|type=Article
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[[Reference:oyster-perpetual|Oyster Perpetual]] -> '''3064'''

The 3064 is a tonneau-shaped Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback from around 1940, built in pink gold and stainless steel with hooded lugs and a pink dial. Its only publicly documented example carries an unusual retail history: sold new through Dobbies Ltd. of Nairobi, a Kenyan retailer, and signed on the dial to prove it. Colonial-era East African retail signatures are rare next to the Swiss and European names that dominate Bubbleback dial signatures, and this one survived on the watch through to a 2014 Christie's sale.



[[File:Ref 3064 hero.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex 3064 Bubbleback, pink gold and steel, pink dial|Rolex 3064 Bubbleback, pink gold and steel, retailed by Dobbies Ltd., Nairobi]]

== Core facts ==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! detail
! value
|-
| reference
| 3064
|-
| family
| Oyster Perpetual (Bubbleback)
|-
| common name
| "Bubbleback"
|-
| production
| documented example dated circa 1940
|-
| case
| 32mm, tonneau-shaped, stainless steel with 18k pink gold bezel and hooded lugs, screw-down back and crown
|-
| movement
| self-winding, caliber sized 9¾ lignes, 18 jewels, chronometer-certified
|-
| dial (documented)
| pink, luminous Arabic and baton numerals, luminous hands, subsidiary seconds, signed by Rolex and further signed by retailer Dobbies Ltd., Nairobi
|-
| documented examples
| Christie's Geneva, 12 May 2014, sale 1401, lot 240, case no. 282'453
|}


== Where it sits in the line ==

The 3064 belongs to the same tonneau-cased, pink-gold-and-steel bi-metal group as the [[Reference:3130|3130]] and [[Reference:3133|3133]], sharing the 9¾-ligne movement class and hooded-lug case style common to Rolex's early automatic Oyster Perpetuals. What distinguishes its one documented example is provenance rather than construction: a retailer signature from Dobbies Ltd. of Nairobi, placing the watch in Rolex's colonial East African retail network rather than the Swiss or London houses that signed most surviving Bubblebacks.


== Production outline ==

The only documented 3064 is dated circa 1940 by Christie's, case no. 282'453, and sold at the house's Geneva sale on 12 May 2014 (sale 1401, lot 240) for CHF 10,000 against a CHF 8,000–12,000 estimate. Christie's own cataloguing calls it directly a "bubble back type case" watch, removing any ambiguity about family classification.


== Movement notes ==

Caliber 9¾''' (ligne class), automatic, 18 jewels, chronometer-certified — the same movement-size class documented on the 3130, 3133, and 3725 references from the same generation.


== Dial map ==

The dial is pink with luminous Arabic and baton numerals and luminous hands, a subsidiary seconds sub-dial, and dual signatures: Rolex's own maker's signature alongside the retailer's mark for Dobbies Ltd., Nairobi. Retailer-signed Bubbleback dials are documented across several references from major houses like Serpico y Laino and Bucherer; a colonial East African retailer signature is a less common variant of the same practice.


== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==

32mm tonneau-shaped case in stainless steel, with an 18k pink gold bezel and hooded lugs, screw-down case back and crown, the crown itself in pink gold. The bi-metal construction — steel case body, gold bezel and lugs — is a cost-tier choice documented across several Bubbleback references of this generation rather than unique to the 3064.

== Related references ==

* [[Reference:3130|Bubbleback 3130]] — same movement class, same bi-metal construction
* [[Reference:3133|Bubbleback 3133]] — same generation, pink gold and steel
* [[Reference:3725|Bubbleback 3725]] — same generation, documented in multiple metal configurations

See also the [[Reference:oyster-perpetual|Oyster Perpetual family index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].


== Auction record ==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Sale !! Lot !! Case no. !! Configuration !! Estimate !! Result
|-
| Christie's, Geneva, 12 May 2014 || 240 || 282'453 || Pink gold and stainless steel, tonneau-shaped, pink dial, hooded lugs, retailed by Dobbies Ltd., Nairobi, with box || CHF 8,000–12,000 || CHF 10,000
|}

Only one 3064 has a located auction result; no second case number or dial variant has surfaced to compare it against.

== Sources ==

* [https://www.collectorsquare.com/en/watches/rolex/oyster-perpetual/ref-rolex-3064/lpi "Rolex, A fine and rare stainless steel and 18K pink gold automatic bubble back wristwatch", ref. 3064, Christie's Geneva, sale 1401, lot 240, 2014, via CollectorSquare Luxprice Index]
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-rolex-bubbleback-and-why-it-still-matters Anthony Traina, "The Rolex Bubbleback And Why It Still Matters", Hodinkee, 2024]
* [https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/lists/rolex-bubbleback-watches-collector-guide-1931-1950s-1235893131/ Oren Hartov, "Rolex Bubbleback Watches: A Collector's Guide, From 1931 to the 1950s", Robb Report, 2024]

[[Category:Oyster Perpetual]]

Reference:3064 - Revision history

Admin: Fix ligne-mark bold corruption in Movement notes

Admin: New article: Rolex 3064 Bubbleback