Reference:3548: Difference between revisions
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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 | 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. | ||
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Latest revision as of 14:39, 16 August 2026
Oyster Perpetual -> 3548
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.
Core facts
| 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. 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.
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
- Bubbleback 3353 — same broader generation, tonneau case
- Bubbleback 3131 — earliest automatic reference, same family
- Bubbleback 3133 — same era, pink gold and steel
See also the Oyster Perpetual family index, movement reference, bracelet & clasp guide, and serial numbers by year.
Auction record
| 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 |