For more than a century Rolex has stood apart as the the world’s most legendary watch brand. A Rolex conveys many things: a luxury timepiece, a tool of power for movers and shakers and the symbol of passage into adulthood. It is the most collected watch brand in the world.
The Vintage Watch Company is the only store of its kind, with a client base of devoted Rolex aficionados from around the world, from royalty and sporting legends to stars of the silver screen. Father and son, John and David Silver have been carefully cataloguing and amassing one of the largest pictorial records of vintage Rolex watches in the world. This new and expanded edition, with an additional 48 sumptuous pages of fabulous pieces, is published to celebrate the company’s 30th anniversary in 2025 and contains a unique collection of vintage Rolexes that have passed through the shop during the past 30 years.
More than 2000 watches are photographed and described in detail in the book. From early Rolex pocket watches before World War One to the world’s first wristwatches, elegant in their simplicity yet revolutionary in their impact, to the very first Submariners, iconic Daytonas and jewel-encrusted Crown Collections, the mesmerising archive of vintage timepieces charts the extraordinary rise of an extraordinary brand. Choose from the first Rolex Submariner, later coined the James Bond, or the early GMT-Master made for Pan Am transatlantic pilots. Read about the first Explorer watches made famous by the 1953 Everest Expedition to the first Day-Date models famously nicknamed ‘The President’. Marvel at the early vintage collections, from the Officer’s Pocket Watch to the Ladies’ Diamond watches; the Oyster and the Stella & Stone collections, and the Sport Collection, from the Submariner to the ‘Paul Newman’ Daytona with all their technical wizardry. Take a look at the new chapters covering ‘tropical’ dials, watches with dials that have changed colour gradually through exposure to sun and hot climates, which are highly sought after; and the relationship between Rolex and the luxury jewellery brand Tiffany & Co, one of the most famous co-branding partnerships in history.
This book is perfect for all admirers of vintage timepieces as well as passionate collectors of Rolex watches.
The Vintage Watch Company, owned by father and son duo, John and David Silver, was established in 1995 and is now based in London’s historic Burlington Arcade. It is dedicated to showcasing vintage Rolex wristwatches from c1910–c2000.
Their unparalleled collection carries over 2000 pieces and is the largest collection of vintage Rolex watches on display in the world. The shop is now a destination for watch collectors and discerning shoppers from around the world.
