ROLEX Antique and Vintage Watches The Great Marconi

The charm of antique watches

 
Do you have any antique watches?

Antique watches are those made between the early 1900s and the 1960s.

I have a watch that I inherited from my grandfather.

When I received it from my grandfather, I didn't know anything about it so I just thought of it as a hand-me-down...But when I realized that the watch my grandfather had worked hard to get when he was young was still ticking away today, I became fascinated with the charm of antique watches.


I think the greatest appeal of antique watches is that they will continue to work if you take good care of them.
No matter how expensive a piece of clothing is, it's difficult to keep it for decades.
Jewelry may retain its shine for decades, but unlike jewelry, watches are functional and have practical uses.

A watch that was loved by its owner in a world that was more chaotic than today.
It's fun just to pick it up and look at it while imagining what kind of story it tells.
 
Well, this time we will introduce the Rolex Marconi, a model that has many fans among antique watches.

Rolex Marconi is born

Marconi watches were produced in large quantities from the 1920s to the 1950s, but only a few remain, making them very valuable antique watches.
The name Marconi comes from the physicist Guglielmo Marconi.

In 1901, Guglielmo Marconi succeeded in wireless communication over a distance of 3,200 km. The Morse code signal sent from England was received in Canada. This was the first time that wireless communication was used for communication, and it amazed people around the world.
He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1909, and Marconi's name became known throughout the world.
At the time, wireless communication was recognized by the public as a symbol of art technology, and the world was excited by this futuristic technology.
Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of Rolex, thought that by attaching the Marconi name to his company's products, he could brand the greatness of Rolex watches to the world.

And in the 1920s Rolex Marconi was born.

The symbol of antique Rolex. Diffusion line

 
Now, antique Rolexes have something called a diffusion line.
A diffusion line is like a second line, and its brand strategy is to maintain the brand value while keeping prices low so that more people can purchase the products.
Miu Miu, a sister brand of Prada today. GU, which is sold by Uniqlo, is also an easy-to-understand example, although it is in a different price range.
 
At the time, Rolex had many diffusion lines, including Aqua, Genex, Oyster, Prince dauphin, Rolco, Solar, and Unicorn, which were collectively called Rolex Watch Company (RWC).
These lines have gone through various changes, such as becoming divisions of Rolex or being disbanded, and the only one that remains today is Tudor.

The now-defunct Rolex Diffusion Line watches are a must-have for antique lovers.

Diffusion lines and Rolex's growth period

It is said that it was around the 1970s that Rolex gained the brand power it has today and became known around the world.
Nowadays, wearing a Rolex watch brings to mind images of being "stylish," "an elite businessman," and "successful," but in the 1920s, when the brand was not yet well known, Rolex created many diffusion lines as mentioned above and took a variety of marketing approaches.

 
This is because the brand was not yet well known and was therefore out of reach for ordinary people, but also because the 1920s was a period of growth for Rolex.

Today, one of the Rolex principles is that "conceived, designed, manufactured and inspected by Rolex in Switzerland," and the company is very committed to the consistency of production in Switzerland.
However, the aforementioned diffusion line Tudor was named after the prestigious British family Tudor, and developed with the aim of expanding sales in the UK at the time.
Also, the Nobel Prize-winning physicist Guglielmo Marconi, for whom the term is named, was Italian, and the wireless telegraph company he founded was based in Britain.

In the early days, Rolex's brand power was still unstable and it was still in the process of development, which is why it was able to develop a diffusion line and have a global background.

Of course, Rolex with its current style of consistency is wonderful, but the diffusion line of antique Rolex, which has a global historical story that was unique to that time, is very romantic and attractive.

Top Quality Rolex Marconi

 
Among the various lines, Marconi was positioned as the most luxurious line, aimed at the wealthy and those who demanded the highest quality.
It is said that Rolex Marconi was only sold in a few high-end London jewellery stores which catered to wealthy clients.

The company also collaborated with Cuervo y Sobrinos, a luxury watch and jewelry store located in Havana, the capital of Cuba, which was then known as the Pearl of the Caribbean and at the height of its glory, and stocked Marconi watches there.
Many world-famous people, including the writer Hemingway and the physicist Einstein, visited Cuervo y Sobrinos whenever they visited Cuba.

The Marconi you pick up may have once been owned by one of these famous people.

Model Introduction

Diameter 33mm . This sterling silver Rolex Marconi was made in the early 1920s . The small second has an antique feel to it, making it a very attractive design.
The dial is made of ceramic and is a beautiful piece with a shining white color and yellow gold numerals.

35 mm diameter. Nickel case with stainless steel back.

The back cover is engraved with RWCL LTD Swiss .
The dial glows in the dark.
Among antique Rolexes, the Marconi line is made in Switzerland and uses high-performance movements.

This is a square Marconi.
The 1925 Paris International Exhibition of Decorative Arts sparked Art Deco fashion in all areas of the art world.
The Art Deco wave, characterized by its geometric design, was also reflected in wristwatches. Because the movement of a watch is round, a square dial watch would create dead space. It was a very challenging design at the time.
Square clocks are becoming relatively mainstream these days, but models from the 1920s are very rare.

 
This is also a very beautiful Rolex Marconi.
Although it is from the 1930s , it is in good condition and has been well-loved by its owner. The second hand is openwork, making it very delicate and gorgeous.
In addition to the fact that it has been used very little, the dial design does not have an antique feel to it, making it a design that can be easily used even in modern times. The engraved MARCONI letters make this a very stylish item that "those who know will understand."

What did you think? The late Marconi was loved as one of the most luxurious Rolex watches.

Why not consider welcoming them as your partner?