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michiganwatchguy · 31 July 2010, 12:01 PM

I bought this Rolex several months ago on eBay from a reputable dealer. I just now noticed that there is no serial number on the case. I believe it should be between the lugs. Is the watch authentic? I know the movement is, but what about the case? I have seen identical cases with the same ref number -1573.

Thanks in advance!

DadsWatch72 · 31 July 2010, 12:31 PM

Very interesting.

kyle L · 31 July 2010, 12:34 PM

I think it is, if you google 1573 you get some examples like yours. Others can help you out, I don't know a lot about these old oysters.

nowzen · 31 July 2010, 07:11 PM

I think with the Oyster Watch co, the serial was sometimes on outside of the caseback- sometimes with the case ref and sometimes on the inside of the caseback.
The watch certainly looks authentic but strange no serial at all.
Maybe look under the dial where its sometimes stamped rolex geneve?

I see you've listed it on ebay, good luck with that.

michiganwatchguy · 31 July 2010, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nowzen

I think with the Oyster Watch co, the serial was sometimes on outside of the caseback- sometimes with the case ref and sometimes on the inside of the caseback.
The watch certainly looks authentic but strange no serial at all.
Maybe look under the dial where its sometimes stamped rolex geneve?

I see you've listed it on ebay, good luck with that.

I'll have to take the dial back off and take a look. But still, shouldn't there be a serial number on the case?

Anyone else out there with a 1573? Where is your serial number?

Thanks in advance!

adam78 · 1 August 2010, 12:06 AM

That's certainly a beauty, and appears to be authentic, despite the puzzling lack of SN (should be on the outer case back with the case ref. number). Appears to be late-30s by styling, similar to mine:

I've found that not everything is absolutely predictable with vintage Rolex! N.B. the absence of "Swiss Made" on the dial of mine; yet it appears to be authentic. James Dowling mentioned with regards to this one that at the time (1938), if the watch was sold in Switzerland, it usually did not say "Swiss Made", so I hypothesized that the original owner of mine (Jack Mayer) must have bought it during a holiday there. Later he enlisted in the Army (1944) and must have had his own SN engraved on the case back at that time. I was able to look up his city of enlistment (NYC) and DOB (1910) on the 'net.

michiganwatchguy · 1 August 2010, 12:29 AM

I now suspect the case back was replaced at some point. There is a very faint hand inscribed number "54182" that is probably the original serial number and would date it to about the same year as yours.
The plates show some wear, but this watch runs great after I serviced it. Keeping time to better than 30sec a day according to my watch timer.

michiganwatchguy · 1 August 2010, 01:11 AM

Here are some pics of the dial side and the underside of the dial.

nowzen · 1 August 2010, 07:54 PM

well on the bright side, Stern Geneve (on the dial) was a major dial supplier to rolex throughout the years.

On the movement Patent 197101 probably refers to patented stem mechanism (patent 97101, deposited 08-02-1921 by Aegler S.A. Rolex Watch Co., Bienne)

1 August 2010, 12:06 AM	#6
adam78 "TRF" Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Chicago Posts: 1,830	That's certainly a beauty, and appears to be authentic, despite the puzzling lack of SN (should be on the outer case back with the case ref. number). Appears to be late-30s by styling, similar to mine: I've found that not everything is absolutely predictable with vintage Rolex! N.B. the absence of "Swiss Made" on the dial of mine; yet it appears to be authentic. James Dowling mentioned with regards to this one that at the time (1938), if the watch was sold in Switzerland, it usually did not say "Swiss Made", so I hypothesized that the original owner of mine (Jack Mayer) must have bought it during a holiday there. Later he enlisted in the Army (1944) and must have had his own SN engraved on the case back at that time. I was able to look up his city of enlistment (NYC) and DOB (1910) on the 'net. __________________ Cheers, Adam

31 July 2010, 12:31 PM	#2
DadsWatch72 Banned Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: USA Watch: DRSD 1665 #3551XXX Posts: 2,401	Very interesting.

31 July 2010, 12:34 PM	#3
kyle L "TRF" Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: USA Watch: Rolex Explorer I Posts: 10,278	I think it is, if you google 1573 you get some examples like yours. Others can help you out, I don't know a lot about these old oysters.

31 July 2010, 07:11 PM	#4
nowzen "TRF" Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Hong Kong Posts: 741	I think with the Oyster Watch co, the serial was sometimes on outside of the caseback- sometimes with the case ref and sometimes on the inside of the caseback. The watch certainly looks authentic but strange no serial at all. Maybe look under the dial where its sometimes stamped rolex geneve? I see you've listed it on ebay, good luck with that.

1 August 2010, 12:29 AM	#7
michiganwatchguy "TRF" Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Real Name: Derek Location: Albion, Michigan Watch: ETA 7750 NAWCC Posts: 38	I now suspect the case back was replaced at some point. There is a very faint hand inscribed number "54182" that is probably the original serial number and would date it to about the same year as yours. The plates show some wear, but this watch runs great after I serviced it. Keeping time to better than 30sec a day according to my watch timer.

1 August 2010, 07:54 PM	#9
nowzen "TRF" Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Hong Kong Posts: 741	well on the bright side, Stern Geneve (on the dial) was a major dial supplier to rolex throughout the years. On the movement Patent 197101 probably refers to patented stem mechanism (patent 97101, deposited 08-02-1921 by Aegler S.A. Rolex Watch Co., Bienne)

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