A Historic Unmarked Rolex Trench Watch with a Sterling Silver Case 

The military trench watch, a pivotal innovation in horology, emerged during World War I as a solution to the impracticality of pocket watches in combat. Soldiers required quick and efficient timekeeping under harsh conditions. Early trench watches were essentially modified pocket watches, featuring leather straps and wire lugs for wrist wear. These timepieces often included luminous dials and hands, essential for visibility during nighttime operations. 

What's on Offer

In classic trench watch fashion, a white enamel dial with large numerals and sub-seconds counter at 6, sits inside a sterling silver rounded case. The inner markers on the hinged case denote it as an early Rolex. Due to It being made from Silver, the watch was most likely issued to an officer of the military to partner them during their time in the trenches. As to why the dial is unmarked we do not know for definite, although we are guessing it is due to it being used for military purposes. Unlike the dial, the movement is marked Rolex, in full working order and appears to be in excellent condition. We have been unable to retrieve a movement calibre as it is not marked, this is not unusual with watches this age.

It's condition is also remarkable given it is over 100 years old. Most likely light polished at some point in its life, the case displays light scratching but it is very minor. One other fairly obvious sign of wear is the hairline crack seen on the dial, this is often unavoidable with these dials in particular as they are very delicate. This watch comes as part of a selection of pieces we are selling for a valued client of ours and we are offering a complete service for an additional cost after purchasing. This circumstance is reflected in the price.