1937 Rolex Oyster Royal with a Colonial Pedigree
There is a specific thrill in vintage collecting that transcends the mechanical. It’s the moment a serial number, a name, and a date align to tell a story. My latest acquisition is exactly that: a 31mm "time capsule" from the late 1930s with a direct link to South African sporting history and a unique era of horological innovation.
Rolex Oyster Ref. 2280 "Royal"
In the 1930s, the Rolex Oyster "Royal" was the quintessential gentleman’s sport watch. The 31mm case size was the standard for a man of action. It was designed to be durable, waterproof, and technically superior without being cumbersome.
Serial Number & Dating:
The serial number 74289 on the case back indicates a production year of circa 1939. However, the case back also bears a crisp engraving: “C. H. Twigg 26-7-1937”.
Provenance and historical context:
Research reveals that Charles Hanbury Twigg (1893–1986) was an English-born South African first-class cricketer. Born in Staffordshire and educated at Repton School, he served in the British Indian Army before immigrating to South Africa.
This watch, with its proven ruggedness and durability, would have been purchased for roughly £10 (about three weeks' salary at the time), would probably have been a significant investment. For a man who had spent most of his life in the hot and humid colonies, the Rolex Oyster Royal would likely have been chosen for its proven ruggedness and durability.
At the same time, July 1937 saw the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War, and the disappearance of female aviator Amelia Earhart, while in Europe the threat of a new World War was looming in the horizon. In South Africa, the United Party government, led by J.B.M. Hertzog, faced intense pressure from the Purified Nationalist Party of D.F. Malan to restrict Jewish immigration, while the Native Laws Amendment Act was passed to further regulate the movement of Black South Africans into urban areas and tighten labor controls.
The Movement: Rolex Calibre 10.5 (10 ½''').
The Rolex Calibre 10.5 (often referred to as the 10 ½''') is a "Ligne" size 10.5, which translates to roughly 23.7mm in diameter. It is the mechanical "workhorse" that powered the transition of the wristwatch from a fragile novelty to a rugged tool.
The movement was produced by Aegler, a specialist firm that worked almost exclusively for Rol (and was eventually bought by them).
- Jewel Count: Originally 15 jewels, though later "Precision" versions (like those in the 1940s) were upgraded to 17 jewels to reduce friction in the gear train.
- Beat Rate: 18,000 vibrations per hour (2.5Hz / 5 beats per minute). This slower beat gives the watch that distinct, relaxing "tick-tock" sound typical of pre-war timepieces.
- The "Super Balance": Many 10.5 movements featured the patented Rolex Super Balance wheel, which had a unique shape to compensate for temperature changes, ensuring the watch didn't speed up in the heat of a South African summer or slow down in a London winter.
- Aesthetics: Despite being hidden behind a solid case back, these movements were finished with "Geneva Stripes" (Côtes de Genève) and perlage, reflecting Rolex’s commitment to quality even where it couldn't be seen.
Manual Wind (vs. Perpetual): The 1930s Choice
In 1937, the Oyster Perpetual (automatic) was a relatively new and expensive luxury, and C. H. Twigg would have had several practical reasons to choose the manual wind Royal over the "self-winding" Perpetual:
1. Slimmer Profile
The early "Perpetual" movements were essentially a manual movement with a large automatic winding rotor bolted on top. This made the watches very thick and bulbous—earning them the nickname "Bubblebacks."
2. Mechanical Reliability
In the 1930s, automatic winding was still "bleeding edge" technology. The 10.5 manual movement was a proven, simple design. It had fewer moving parts and was less prone to failure. If you were in a remote part of the Commonwealth, you wanted a watch any local watchmaker could fix; the manual Rolex was that watch.
3. The "Ritual" of Winding
At the time, winding your watch every morning was as routine as shaving or putting on a tie. There was no "convenience" gap for most men because they expected to interact with their watch daily. The manual wind also offered a more direct tactile connection—you could feel exactly when the spring was fully wound.
4. Price Point
The Royal was positioned as an accessible "high-grade" watch. The Perpetual movement would have added significant cost. For many, the added expense of an automatic rotor wasn't worth the extra thickness, especially when the manual version was already famous for its accuracy and "Oyster" waterproofness.
Mr Twigg's watch features a sub-seconds dial at 6 o'clock. This was the classic configuration for the 10.5 movement. Converting this movement to the more modern "Center Seconds" (where the long hand sweeps the whole dial) would require a more complex and expensive modification at the time.
This Royal was working, but running extremely fast (hours per day) when I first wound it - a classic sign of a stuck hairspring coil. In the world of vintage horology, sometimes the best tool is a gentle "tap" of the 9 o' clock side against the palm.
This mechanical jolt can unstick a coil caught by old oil or a minor shock, restoring the "heartbeat" to its proper rhythm. Fortunately this worked, and the 2280 has run incredibly precisely for the last 24 hours.
The Rolex Oyster Case:
The Rolex Royal 2280 uses the 30mm–31mm Oyster case in Stainless Steel (Staybrite - a higher-chromium stainless steel more resistant to corrosion than the chromium steels common in the 1920s).
Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of Rolex, recognized that for a wristwatch to be truly useful, it had to be protected from its greatest enemies: dust and moisture. In 1926, Rolex purchased the rights to a screw-down crown patent from inventors Paul Perregaux and Georges Peret. Wilsdorf combined this with a threaded bezel and a threaded case back.
The "Oyster" name comes from the way the components screw together against a middle case to form a hermetic seal—much like an oyster shell closing tight. To market this innovation, Wilsdorf famously equipped swimmer Mercedes Gleitze with an Oyster for her 10-hour swim across the English Channel in 1927. The watch emerged bone-dry.
Shown above are the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Royal (1943) and the contemporary Doxa "clamshell" waterproof watch from my collection.
This competing design was patented as Brevet N° 189190 by Schmitz Frères & Cie and introduced a radically different approach to waterproofness. Instead of threads, the Clamshell used compression. The case consisted of two main parts (the upper and lower halves) that "clamped" together over a specially flared acrylic crystal. The defining feature of a Clamshell is the four screws located on the underside of the lugs. Tightening these screws compressed the two halves of the case together, creating a water-resistant seal around the crystal.
The Gay Fréres Bonklip "ladder" bracelet
My example is paired with a period-correct, original Gay Fréres Bonklip "ladder" bracelet. Patented in 1930 and manufactured by B.H. Britton & Sons, the Bonklip was the first "infinitely adjustable" bracelet. It was a favorite of the RAF and Commonwealth officers for its durability in hot climates—like South Africa—where leather straps would quickly rot.
Invented in the late 1920s and patented in 1930 by Dudley Russell Howitt (of the Birmingham firm B.H. Britton & Sons), the Bonklip was the world’s first truly "infinitely adjustable", stainless steel (Staybrite) watch bracelet. Before the Bonklip, metal bracelets had to be resized by a jeweler or had crude folding clasps. The Bonklip allowed the wearer to simply clip the buckle into any link.
Often called a "bamboo" or "ladder" bracelet, its hollow, flat-link construction made it incredibly lightweight and breathable—a major advantage in hot climates like those in South Africa or India.
In the 1930s and 40s, Rolex did not yet manufacture all of its own bracelets in-house. B.H. Britton & Sons was an official supplier to Rolex. This durable and practical bracelet would have been the premier choice for a soldier, farmer, or sportsman in the Commonwealth. It fits the 31mm case perfectly without overwhelming it, was durable enough for a day on the farm, and elegant enough for a formal dinner at the club.
Henry Cie HC55 stainless steel expansion watch bracelet
I subsequently paired my watch with a Henry Cie HC55 stainless steel expansion watch bracelet, which suits it well and makes it wear considerably larger than on the Bonklip bracelet.
HC was a Geneva-based company - this ad dates from 1956.
This type of bracelet would have been worn on waterproof, sporting watches in the 50's and 60's - here on a Tudor Submariner (Rolex's subsidiary band) and likely the inspiration for the expandable Rolex Oyster bracelets of the era:
Technical Summary
- Reference: 2280
- Case Diameter: ~30mm (Excluding crown)
- Case Material: Stainless Steel (Staybrite)
- Movement: Rolex Manual Wind Cal. 10.5 H
- Dial Style: Often featured a "Small Seconds" sub-dial at 6 o'clock
- Bracelet: Period-correct "Bonklip" or "ladder" style often paired with these watches in the 30s and 40s for their adjustability.
References & Further Reading
- Dowling, J.M. & Hess, J.P. (2001). The Best of Time: Rolex Wristwatches.
- Knirim, K. (2009). British Military Timepieces. (History on the Bonklip and MoD standards).
- Wikipedia. Charles Twigg (cricketer) Biography.
- B.H. Britton & Sons Archive. The invention of the Bonklip (British Patent No. 349657).
