Vintage Rolex Precision Ladies’ 18ct Gold Trapeze Watch

A wonderfully unusual vintage Rolex Precision ladies’ watch, crafted in solid 18ct yellow gold with a distinctive trapeze-shaped case.

Rather than the traditional round case more commonly associated with ladies’ Rolex watches of this period, this example has an elegant architectural form, gently widening across the dial and finished with beautifully shaped lugs. Its petite proportions give it the character of a classic mid-century cocktail watch while the unusual geometry makes it particularly striking on the wrist.

The silvered dial is beautifully understated, signed Rolex Precision and finished with the applied Rolex coronet at 12. Applied gold hour markers alternate between slender batons and elongated faceted markers, complemented by matching gold-tone hands.

Inside is a signed Rolex Precision 17-ruby mechanical movement, operated by traditional manual winding. The fully serviced movement is marked “Rolex Precision” and “17 Rubis”, a lovely detail that reinforces the traditional Swiss mechanical construction of the watch.

The solid 18ct yellow gold case measures approximately 13 x 17mm, creating a wonderfully petite jewellery-watch profile. The inside case back is correctly signed Rolex and marked 18K / 0.750, confirming its solid 18ct gold construction.

It is currently fitted to a rich brown leather strap with a Rolex gold-plated buckle, a combination that works particularly well with the warm yellow-gold case and gives the watch an elegant, understated finish.

With an overall gross weight of approximately 14 grams, this is a beautiful example of the diminutive gold watches Rolex produced for women during the mid-20th century, when a fine wristwatch was designed to function almost as much as jewellery as a means of telling the time.

Its unusual trapeze case is the real highlight: discreet on the wrist, but considerably more characterful than a conventional round cocktail watch.