Rolex - 1976 Rolex Cellini Red Vignette (Ref. 3805)
Reference: 3805
Model: Cellini
Movement: Manual
Year: 1976
Contents: Rolex Service card and booklets
Case: The case is 31.5mm which wears large with the help of the case shape and the 20mm lug width. The brush finished case is unpolished and in fantastic condition.
Dial: The rare red vignette dial is in amazing condition with beautiful gold hour markers and hands.
Strap & Buckle: The watch is paired with our glazed cognac alligator strap and it comes with the original buckle.
The Rolex Cellini collection, named after Italian goldsmith Benvenuto Cellini, is a collection of refined and often gem-set dress watches. The brand's shift from building reliable tool watches to luxury-oriented watch collection was led by Rene-Paul Jeanneret, who aimed to create the "tool watch" concept. By the early 1960s, the Cellini collection was already a diverse assortment of elegant, dress-oriented timepieces. By the 1970s, the collection expanded to incorporate bold, angular designs, hiring prominent designers like Gérald Genta. The 'King Midas' and ref. 4651 are examples of Cellini watches that embodied the era's design traits, such as a non-traditional case shape, strong angular lines, and a distinct integrated bracelet. The Cellini was the first Rolex collection to focus strictly on aesthetics, rather than pure functionality, which has since become more common in the watch industry.
The Rolex Cellini collection, which began with bold and angular lines in the 1970s, has since shifted towards more conventional and timeless designs. The modern Cellini timepieces, which are still available today, share many design cues from the early 2000s Cellini watches. The most recent addition to the Cellini collection was the reference 50535, a 39mm model in Everose pink gold, featuring a pointer date and a moonphase complication. All modern Cellini watches share a 39mm case crafted from either 18k white gold or Rolex's proprietary Everose pink gold. Despite the range of dials and complications, the modern Cellini watches have a more cohesive overall aesthetic than previous Cellini generations.
The reference 3805 is a simple and clean Cellini made for a short period of time. The manual movement keeps the precious metal case thin, paired with the simplistic dial configuration, The 3805 gives you the perfect Rolex dress watch.
Dimensions: 31.5mm
Box & Papers: RSC and Booklets