A handsome, stainless steel, manual wind wristwatch with center-seconds and luminous hands and numerals. Circa 1957. Reference 4377.
Case: Stainless steel with stainless steel case back. Screw-down crown.
Bracelet: Brown calfskin. Stainless steel pin buckle.
Dial: Luminous, Arabic numerals for hours. Outer seconds track. Blued steel hands with original lume. Center seconds hand.
Movement: Manual-winding movement. 17 jewels.
Diameter: 34mm. Thickness: 12mm.
Condition: This particular watch has been well maintained and is in excellent vintage condition. Dial is in wonderful condition with original lume present. Watches similar to this one were often sold at PX, or post-exchange stores on US military bases in the 1950s.
More about Rolex:
The Rolex Oyster, when it was released in 1926, was the world’s first water-resistant watch. Arguably, it changed the watch market forever, with a new focus on durability and water resistance.
In 1927, Mercedes Gleitze became the first Englishwoman to swim the English Channel. Later, also in 1927, Gleitze repeated the swim while wearing an early, gold Rolex Oyster around her neck. Following the swim, and because of increased media attention to Gleitze, Rolex partnered with the swimmer, using her notoriety and her likeness in the company’s official advertising, which continues to this day.