A niche watch from Rolex: the little-known Cellini Prince

　　Introduction:Rolexis a guarantee of quality; dignity, practicality and understated elegance define Rolex as a paragon of high watchmaking. Yet there is one particular Rolex that stands out as a niche timepiece within the brand.

　　RolexThe Cellini Prince could be said to be the least Rolex-like Rolex. Whether it is the classical rectangular case, the exquisite dial, or the literary aesthetic, it feels completely different from what one usually expects from Rolex.

　　Aside from an exterior unlike any familiar Rolex watch, this timepiece has another important feature: it is an exhibition-caseback watch. As is well known, Rolex follows a pragmatic philosophy and dislikes flashiness. Even with exquisite watchmaking craftsmanship, a robust movement, fine finishing, and excellence inside and out, the brand remains understated; good things are best kept within the movement rather than flaunted for others to see. Barring a few exceptionally rare models, the Cellini Prince is practically the only open-caseback model Rolex ever produced.

　　However,Rolexalso uses the Cellini Prince to prove that: my discretion reflects modesty, not a lack of substance. Through the transparent case back, one can seeRolexthe exquisite movement finishing of the Cellini Prince, which is visually captivating and fully demonstrates an Art Deco style. Moreover, we can see that the decorative patterns on the movement match those on the dial! This is also one of the features when Rolex re-released the Cellini Prince watch in 2005.

　　The Cellini Prince launched in 05 came in three materials and 5 reference models to choose from: three white gold models (two standard versions, one diamond-set dial version), one yellow gold model, and one Everose gold model. All of these Cellini Prince models share the same case silhouette on the exterior, but differ in details: the yellow gold model features a Clous de Paris guilloché dial, while the white gold models feature concentric circle dials, sunburst dials, and more. Even more uniquely, the movement decoration visible on the reverse matches the dial pattern!

　　Although the Cellini Prince is now considered a niche watch by many of us, it actually has a longer history than numerous existing Rolex models. It was born as early as 1928, keeping in mind that Hans Wilsdorf founded the Rolex company in 1905. The earliest Prince was a rectangular watch with a small seconds layout, as central seconds layouts were not yet popular at the time.

　　The first two Rolex Prince watches are Ref.971 and Ref.1343 respectively; both use the Aegler877 manual rectangular movement, which has a power reserve of over 2 days and a large screw balance wheel. With ruby bearings, gold chatons, fine finishing and an exquisite layout, the Rolex Prince watch was produced until the 20s of the 40th century, which is considered a long run.

　　It is said that after the launch of the Cellini Prince, Rolex sales representatives proudly claimed that the Cellini Prince would certainly be a more sought-after commodity than the Daytona. Curiously, however, the Rolex Prince won critical acclaim without commercial success; no matter how much collectors praised it over the years, the Prince languished in obscurity as a niche Rolex known only to a few. The Cellini Prince is now discontinued, and the latest Rolex Cellini collection has undergone a complete and vastly different transformation.

　　Although the Cellini Prince is a little-known niche Rolex watch, it is undeniably an important chapter in Rolex history and a vital member of the Rolex family.