1942 Rolex Error Proof Dial Poster
Sold for $11,500!!!
Thomas Andersen is a reader of Jake's Rolex World and he sent in a link that showed an original 24.75 x 17 inch Rolex Oyster Error Proof dial poster that came up for auction back in June of 2020 at Swann Galleries. This poster sold for a whopping $11,500!!! I wrote an article years ago that featured this poster and it was titled, "California Dreaming: The Complete History of the California Dial."
The Lot notes that described this magnificent art-deco poster reads:
24 3/4x17 inches, 63x43 1/4 cm. Haefeli & Co.,
Switzerland.
Condition A: minor creases at edges. Paper.
Rolex's original patent for their "Error Proof Radium dials," which became known (in the 1980s) as the 'California Dial,' was granted on June 15, 1942.
Ironically their proof-reading was not error-proof, as the word 'Radium' is misspelled here where it first appears.
The design of the face of the bubble-back watch features a combination of bold Arabic and Roman numerals.
The patent states, "that this particular arrangement will give a clear view of the hours, will be easy to create with luminous materials, and will allow easy reading of the time–especially within wristwatch cases, where the dials are relatively small."
The dial is a significant milestone in Rolex history, as it became the basis for the dials on the company's Submariner, SEA-DWELLER and GMT Master watches. Rolex purists have also pointed out the unusual crown logo on this poster. Rolex ceased use of radium in 1963, due to the cancer-causing nature of the element. Rare
