Reference:3548 - Revision history

Admin: Remove redlink to uncovered 3716

2026-08-16T14:39:52Z

Remove redlink to uncovered 3716

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:39, 16 August 2026
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	<small>[[Reference:oyster-perpetual\|Oyster Perpetual]] -> '''3548'''</small>		<small>[[Reference:oyster-perpetual\|Oyster Perpetual]] -> '''3548'''</small>

	The 3548 is one of two standard references — alongside the sub-seconds ~~[[Reference:~~3716~~\|3716]]~~ — built in the case style collectors call the "Empire" Oyster: classically round, 32mm, but with elongated, rectangular, sloped lugs distinct from the hooded-lug treatment most Bubblebacks of the period carry. Specialist research on Rolex's early Oyster case history documents the type as chronometer-certified and automatic throughout, placing it firmly inside the Bubbleback family despite the case's unusual silhouette.		The 3548 is one of two standard references — alongside the sub-seconds 3716 — built in the case style collectors call the "Empire" Oyster: classically round, 32mm, but with elongated, rectangular, sloped lugs distinct from the hooded-lug treatment most Bubblebacks of the period carry. Specialist research on Rolex's early Oyster case history documents the type as chronometer-certified and automatic throughout, placing it firmly inside the Bubbleback family despite the case's unusual silhouette.

	<span id="core-facts"></span>		<span id="core-facts"></span>

Admin: Fix dealer-attribution-in-prose (rule 5)

2026-08-16T14:39:29Z

Fix dealer-attribution-in-prose (rule 5)

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:39, 16 August 2026
Line 13:		Line 13:
	<small>[[Reference:oyster-perpetual\|Oyster Perpetual]] -> '''3548'''</small>		<small>[[Reference:oyster-perpetual\|Oyster Perpetual]] -> '''3548'''</small>

	The 3548 is one of two standard references — alongside the sub-seconds [[Reference:3716\|3716]] — built in the case style collectors call the "Empire" Oyster: classically round, 32mm, but with elongated, rectangular, sloped lugs distinct from the hooded-lug treatment most Bubblebacks of the period carry. Rolex ~~historian and dealer research (via Goldammer)~~ documents the type as chronometer-certified and automatic throughout, placing it firmly inside the Bubbleback family despite the case's unusual silhouette.		The 3548 is one of two standard references — alongside the sub-seconds [[Reference:3716\|3716]] — built in the case style collectors call the "Empire" Oyster: classically round, 32mm, but with elongated, rectangular, sloped lugs distinct from the hooded-lug treatment most Bubblebacks of the period carry. Specialist research on Rolex's early Oyster case history documents the type as chronometer-certified and automatic throughout, placing it firmly inside the Bubbleback family despite the case's unusual silhouette.

	<span id="core-facts"></span>		<span id="core-facts"></span>
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	== Where it sits in the line ==		== Where it sits in the line ==

	"Empire" is a collector name, not a Rolex one, for a specific case profile: round rather than tonneau, but with distinctively elongated, sloped, rectangular lugs in place of the hooded-lug style common across the rest of the Bubbleback range. ~~Goldammer's research identifies the~~ 3548 as the centre-seconds standard reference in this case style, paired with the sub-seconds 3716; a rose gold variant of the same case appears on the related 3877. All are documented as 32mm, round, and automatic — the "bubble" in Bubbleback refers to the domed caseback the automatic rotor required, present regardless of the lug treatment.		"Empire" is a collector name, not a Rolex one, for a specific case profile: round rather than tonneau, but with distinctively elongated, sloped, rectangular lugs in place of the hooded-lug style common across the rest of the Bubbleback range. The 3548 is documented as the centre-seconds standard reference in this case style, paired with the sub-seconds 3716; a rose gold variant of the same case appears on the related 3877. All are documented as 32mm, round, and automatic — the "bubble" in Bubbleback refers to the domed caseback the automatic rotor required, present regardless of the lug treatment.

	<span id="production-outline"></span>		<span id="production-outline"></span>

Admin: New article: Rolex 3548 Bubbleback

2026-08-16T14:38:29Z

New article: Rolex 3548 Bubbleback

New page

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 3548 Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback "Empire"}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex 3548 Bubbleback "Empire" — Round Case, Salmon Dial, 1943 | BezelBase
|description=The Rolex 3548 is a round-cased Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback with elongated sloped lugs, part of the collector-named "Empire" case style. The documented example carries a salmon dial with centre seconds, sold at Bonhams Paris in 2022.
|keywords=Rolex, 3548, Bubbleback, Oyster Perpetual, vintage Rolex, Empire case, salmon dial
|image=Ref 3548 hero.webp
|image_alt=Rolex 3548 Bubbleback, Empire case, salmon dial
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}

[[Reference:oyster-perpetual|Oyster Perpetual]] -> '''3548'''

The 3548 is one of two standard references — alongside the sub-seconds [[Reference:3716|3716]] — built in the case style collectors call the "Empire" Oyster: classically round, 32mm, but with elongated, rectangular, sloped lugs distinct from the hooded-lug treatment most Bubblebacks of the period carry. Rolex historian and dealer research (via Goldammer) documents the type as chronometer-certified and automatic throughout, placing it firmly inside the Bubbleback family despite the case's unusual silhouette.



[[File:Ref 3548 hero.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex 3548 Bubbleback, Empire case, salmon dial|Rolex 3548 Bubbleback, "Empire" case style, salmon dial, centre seconds]]

== Core facts ==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! detail
! value
|-
| reference
| 3548
|-
| family
| Oyster Perpetual (Bubbleback)
|-
| common name
| "Bubbleback"; collector name "Empire" for this case style (shared with the sub-seconds 3716)
|-
| production
| documented examples span circa 1941 to circa 1943
|-
| case
| 32mm, round, elongated rectangular sloped lugs ("Empire" style), stainless steel, brushed and polished, screw-down back and crown
|-
| movement
| self-winding, chronometer-certified
|-
| dial (documented)
| salmon/orange, black Arabic numerals, black outer 1/5th-second divisions with Arabic 5-minute markers, blued steel pointed baton hands, gilt centre seconds
|-
| documented examples
| Antiquorum (steel, sold CHF 9,375, lot 477); Bonhams Paris, 24 May 2022, sale 27810, lot 268, movement no. 93792
|}


== Where it sits in the line ==

"Empire" is a collector name, not a Rolex one, for a specific case profile: round rather than tonneau, but with distinctively elongated, sloped, rectangular lugs in place of the hooded-lug style common across the rest of the Bubbleback range. Goldammer's research identifies the 3548 as the centre-seconds standard reference in this case style, paired with the sub-seconds 3716; a rose gold variant of the same case appears on the related 3877. All are documented as 32mm, round, and automatic — the "bubble" in Bubbleback refers to the domed caseback the automatic rotor required, present regardless of the lug treatment.


== Production outline ==

A steel example sold at Antiquorum for CHF 9,375 (lot 477); a second steel example, movement no. 93792, dated circa 1943 by Bonhams, sold at the house's Paris sale on 24 May 2022 (sale 27810, lot 268) for €3,570. A rose gold example of the sibling case style (ref. 3877) sold at Antiquorum for over 50,000 CHF against a 6,000–10,000 CHF estimate — more than five times its high estimate — underscoring how sharply the market has moved on well-documented "Empire" case examples in recent years.


== Movement notes ==

Self-winding, chronometer-certified. The Bonhams-catalogued example specifies a jewelled automatic movement, numbered 93792.


== Dial map ==

The Bonhams-documented example carries a salmon (orange-toned) dial: black Arabic numerals for the hour markers, a black outer track dividing fifths of a second with Arabic 5-minute markers, blued steel pointed baton hands, and gilt centre seconds — a notably colorful dial treatment next to the silver and black dials more common across the wider Bubbleback range.


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

32mm round stainless steel case, brushed and polished finish, screw-down case back and crown, and the elongated rectangular sloped lugs that define the "Empire" style. Rolex's earlier manually-wound Oyster cases of this general period showed considerable variability in shape; the automatic "Empire" Bubblebacks were built to this one consistent silhouette.

== Related references ==

* [[Reference:3353|Bubbleback 3353]] — same broader generation, tonneau case
* [[Reference:3131|Bubbleback 3131]] — earliest automatic reference, same family
* [[Reference:3133|Bubbleback 3133]] — same era, pink gold and steel

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/movement no. !! Configuration !! Estimate !! Result
|-
| Antiquorum || 477 || — || Steel, "Empire" case || — || CHF 9,375
|-
| Bonhams, Paris, 24 May 2022 || 268 || movement 93792 || Steel, salmon dial, centre seconds, date, folding clasp || — || €3,570
|}

== Sources ==

* [https://www.collectorsquare.com/en/watches/rolex/oyster-perpetual/ref-rolex-3548/lpi "Rolex, A stainless steel automatic wristwatch", ref. 3548, Bonhams Paris, sale 27810, lot 268, 2022, via CollectorSquare Luxprice Index]
* [https://goldammer.me/blogs/articles/rolex-empire-oyster-guide "The Deceptive Oyster: Meet the Rolex 'Empire'", Goldammer]
* [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]

[[Category:Oyster Perpetual]]