How to recognise one
Five marks make the look. The count says how many of the 2 homages keep each one.
Wide polished bezel
A broad, plain polished bezel frames the dial with no milling or scale.
Bold Arabic numerals
2 of 2 keep it. Heavy black Arabic numerals mark all twelve hours.
Two-tone sector dial
0 of 2 keep it. A darker centre disc sits inside a paler outer ring.
Red central seconds hand
1 of 2 keep it. A thin red seconds hand sweeps from the centre of the dial.
Large knurled crown
2 of 2 keep it. A big knurled crown sits at 3, proud of the case.
Each close-up covers about 12.5 mm of watch, using the listed case width and estimated photo edges.
Two to start with
Picked from the record by marks kept, price and size, each sold under its own maker's name, not as a Rolex.
Baltany S4036G gold-bezel Retro Oyster
about £131 $174, seen 27 Sep36 mm
Closest look with a price. Keeps 2 of the 5 marks of the Early Oyster.
Baltany S4015 1926 Oyster tribute
Partial look. Miyota 9039.
Price and size not listed yet
Original specifications
Sizes and specifications apply to the version named below. Other versions can differ.
1926 first-generation octagonal Rolex Oyster, pink-gold case no. 21647 (Vintage Gold Watches example R742)
Exact pink-gold octagonal Oyster case no. 21647, sold as VGW inventory R742. Source body identifies it as a first-production 1926 example. Dimensions apply to this physical watch only. The selected 16 mm lug width comes from a separate 1926 silver octagonal Oyster listing and is recorded only as same-generation fit evidence, not a direct R742 measurement. Olde Timers 16 mm lug-size claim for a distinct silver 1926 case remains observed but unselected. Same year and octagonal form do not establish shared case geometry with R742.
| Specification | Value | Sources and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Case width | 33 mm | Rolex Octagonal Oyster 9ct Pink Gold 1926 | Vintage Gold Watches One cited source. Exact 1926 case no. 21647 page states 33 x 33 mm excluding crown and 38.5 mm corner-to-corner; select the case width across flats as 33 mm, not the diagonal. |
| Lug to lug | Not confirmed | Rolex Octagonal Oyster 9ct Pink Gold 1926 | Vintage Gold Watches The direct-read listing gives 39 mm case length explicitly excluding lugs. Museum lists a different 1925 (?) octagonal case as length 33 mm, width 31.7 mm. Other retailer dimensions describe distinct cases. No source body supports a lug-tip span for this exact physical example. |
| Thickness | Not confirmed | Rolex Octagonal Oyster 9ct Pink Gold 1926 | Vintage Gold Watches No direct-read thickness for case no. 21647 found. Museum lists a different early octagonal Oyster at 9.4 mm over glass, and Robert Maron lists a separate octagonal specimen at 12.5 mm, so do not transfer either value. |
| Lug width | Not confirmed | 1920s silver octagonal vintage Rolex Oyster watch | Olde Timers Olde Timers reports 16 mm for a separate silver 1926 octagonal case measuring 32 x 34 mm. No evidence establishes common case geometry with pink-gold R742 case 21647, so retain the claim as an observation only. |
Sources and unconfirmed details
- No model-wide dimensions; early Oyster sizes varied. Science Museum collection page confirms a 1926 Oyster but reports case plus strap/frame measurements only.
- 1920s silver octagonal vintage Rolex Oyster watch | Olde Timers, read 2026-10-07T10:53:25Z
- Rolex Octagonal Oyster 9ct Pink Gold 1926 | Vintage Gold Watches, read 2026-10-07
3136Shown in the photograph
Pictured photo source is the 1942 Rolex Oyster Raleigh ref. 3136 specimen sold by Craft and Tailored, with 32 mm case and calibre 59. This is not the first 1926 Oyster candidate and no modern water rating is inherited.
| Specification | Value | Sources and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Case width | 32 mm | 1942 Rolex Oyster Raleigh ref. 3136, stock RWCOR3136 One cited source. The listing is the pictured individual specimen, serial 15XXXX with Cromwell stretch-rivet bracelet. No modern water rating inferred. |
| Lug to lug | Not confirmed | 1942 Rolex Oyster Raleigh ref. 3136, stock RWCOR3136 The exact photographed 1942 ref. 3136 dealer body states diameter only. Full case span is unreported. |
| Thickness | Not confirmed | 1942 Rolex Oyster Raleigh ref. 3136, stock RWCOR3136 The exact photographed 1942 ref. 3136 dealer body does not give case height. |
| Lug width | Not confirmed | 1942 Rolex Oyster Raleigh ref. 3136, stock RWCOR3136 The exact photographed 1942 ref. 3136 dealer body does not give attachment width. |
| Movement calibre | 59 | 1942 Rolex Oyster Raleigh ref. 3136, stock RWCOR3136 One cited source. The listing is the pictured individual specimen, serial 15XXXX with Cromwell stretch-rivet bracelet. No modern water rating inferred. |
| Water resistance | Not confirmed | No accepted body-read source gives a water rating for this vintage specimen. Modern Oyster ratings cannot be inherited. |
| Power reserve | Not confirmed | The exact photographed specimen source identifies calibre 59 but does not state reserve; none is inferred from adjacent vintage models. |
Sources and unconfirmed details
- The exact photographed 1942 ref. 3136 dealer body states diameter only. Full case span is unreported.
- The exact photographed 1942 ref. 3136 dealer body does not give case height.
- The exact photographed 1942 ref. 3136 dealer body does not give attachment width.
- No accepted body-read source gives a water rating for this vintage specimen. Modern Oyster ratings cannot be inherited.
- The exact photographed specimen source identifies calibre 59 but does not state reserve; none is inferred from adjacent vintage models.
- 1942 Rolex Oyster Raleigh ref. 3136, stock RWCOR3136, read 2026-10-07
More about the Early Oyster
Lay a homage over the Early OysterAny of the 2, laid over the original at one scale
Lay a homage over the Early Oyster
Slide to fade from one watch to the other and compare the case shapes. The figures below describe the version shown in the photograph.
32Rolex Early Oyster
40 mm placeholderBaltany S4015 1926 Oyster tribute
36Baltany S4036G gold-bezel Retro OysterWidth unknown for one or both watches. The 40 mm placeholder does not show their true relative size. Photo proportions stay unchanged. Perspective and lug length can differ.Photos use listed case widths and automatic case-edge readings. The readings have not been manually audited. Photo proportions stay unchanged. Perspective and lug length can differ.
Rolex Early Oyster photo: 3136. Baltany S4015 1926 Oyster tribute photo: S4015 white mother-of-pearl style dial, tan leather.36 mm, 4 mm wider than the Early Oyster
Rolex Early Oyster photo: 3136. Baltany S4036G gold-bezel Retro Oyster photo: S4036G black dial, gold bezel, black leather.
3136, specifications and sources
| Measure | Early Oyster | Baltany S4036G gold-bezel Retro Oyster |
|---|---|---|
| Case width | 32 mm | 36 mm |
| Lug to lug | Not listed yet | 43.3 mm |
| Thickness | Not listed yet | 11.1 mm |
| Lug width | Not listed yet | 18 mm |
| Movement | 59 | Seagull ST1701 |
| Power reserve | Not listed yet | Not listed yet |
| Water | Not listed yet | 100 m |
| Price | Not tracked here | about £131 $174, seen 27 Sep |
Side view
Copies
- Bold Arabic numerals
- Large knurled crown
Not compared yet
Gives it away
- Black dial in place of the silvered two-tone dial
- Small seconds at 6 in place of central seconds
- Gold-tone fluted bezel
No difference noted