Rolex Prince Cellini Yellow Gold ref. 5440/8 – rare in perfect condition

Dial: Two-tone, champagne and white, clous de Paris decoration, off center dial with applied yellow gold baton and Roman numerals, outer minute track, subsidiary dial for the seconds. Yellow gold dauphine hands.

Movement: Cal. 7040-1, rectangular shaped, gilt, clous de Paris decoration, 21 jewels, lateral lever escapement, monometallic balance, self-compensating Breguet balance spring, shock absorber.

Dial, case and movement signed.

Dimensions: 47mm x 28mm. Thickness 10 mm.

The Rolex Prince was born of a team effort to innovate and create; a bringing together of Rolex’s world-class designers and movement, case and dial specialists. The latest in a long line of regal timepieces, the Rolex Prince draws inspiration from an original 1920s model. In 1928 Rolex created the Prince which, thanks to its precision timekeeping, would go on to achieve huge success and earn a place in horological history befitting its name. Rectangular in shape, the Prince stood apart at the time thanks to the outstanding performance of its movement. Furthermore, Rolex developed and patented the watch’s unique display of hours and minutes on one side of the winding stem and of seconds on the other. Now part of the Cellini range, the Rolex Prince is a gem amongst wristwatches. It has pioneered the novel concept of using technical know-how to enhance design in an effort to ensure total balance between the aesthetics of the watch, the movement, the case, the dial and the strap. Everything about it is new. The movement–a Swiss chronometer – is rectangular in shape and makes use of all the available space to ensure performance and reliability. Designed and manufactured in perfect harmony with the case and strap, the aesthetics of the movement were given equal consideration to its technical performance. For the first time, a Rolex movement is on show through a transparent case back that reveals a guilloche decoration on the movement echoing that on the dial. On the dial, hours and minutes are displayed separately above the seconds. The guilloche decoration on each timepiece requires technical ingenuity and has redefined the art of watch decoration. The various patterns now available – Clou de Paris, Godron and Rayon Flammé de la Gloire – give each model its own distinct look. Sleek, smooth and sophisticated, the four distinct styles of the slim, elongated case offer something to suit everytaste, and the transparent case back adds an extra touch of elegance. Finally, the leather strap has been fitted with a gold butterfly clasp, giving the watch perfect balance. The Rolex Prince is at the same time a precise mechanical instrument and a lesson in aesthetics. It reflects the art of watchmaking at its best as much as design in its purest sense. It paves the way for a new generation of watches that embody the technical perfection and know-how so intrinsic to Rolex.