
Penelope Andrews
Head of Department
£30,000 - £40,000
Head of Department
Global Head
Head of sale, Knightsbridge
Senior Specialist
Senior Cataloguer
Cataloguer
Sale Coordinator
Rolex has produced an interesting range of hard stone dials throughout the decades - malachite, tiger's eye, lapis lazuli and onyx, such as the present lot.
Carved from a large stone which needs to be of excellent quality, the slice needs to be cut exceedingly thin in order to fit into the case. Especially with types of stone that are on the more porous side in structure, this can be a challenge and many are rejected.
The complicated production process is clearly rewarded by the result. By nature onyx is never completely jet black and is often dyed when used in watches or jewellery to make it more even. The nature of the material means each dial is truly unique and characterful and can give a completely different feel to the design of a watch.