Uncommon Objects: Rediscovering Rolex’s Discontinued Collections

It may be stating the obvious, but it bears repeating: Rolex is one of the most collectible brands among enthusiasts. Yet, when pundits talk about rare Rolexes, they are usually referring to some variation of a Datejust, a Submariner, an Explorer II, or a Daytona with a unique feature, such as an exotic dial or a pump chronograph pusher.

New or vintage, it feels like these models are almost impossible to get on your wrist. And when you do luck out, at the end of the day, it’s still a Datejust, a Submariner, an Explorer II, or a Daytona.

But what if we told you that there are rarer Rolexes out there in the world?

Examples of now-discontinued collections that, while lesser known, are also less in demand, and therefore more accessible and (relatively) affordable? These obscure offerings also reflect moments in Rolex’s design history that won’t be repeated.

That is why today, we are talking about five gone-but-not-forgotten models from the Crown for which you should keep an eye out.

The name Rolex is forever linked with tool watches. In fact, the brand’s first major success was the Rolex Prince, a timepiece that was enthusiastically adopted by medical practitioners.

A gorgeous watch with an Art Deco rectangular case and a distinctive sub-seconds dial, the first Prince was released in 1928 and equipped with one of the most precise chronometer movements of the time. This big sub-dial was marketed to doctors for checking the pulse and breathing rate of the patients.
 

As practical as the Rolex Prince models were, they also offered some interesting and innovative features, such as curved cases for improved ergonomics. The ref. 1491 even featured a jumping hour complication at the 12 o’clock position, while the rest of the dial shows the minutes in 5-minute increments.

The elegant look of the prince meant that it wasn’t just for doctors: One of the most interesting editions was made for Canadian department store Eaton’s. This Prince was produced exclusively for employees who had worked for the company for 25 years. The numbers on the face were replaced with “1/4 C E N T U R Y C L U B,” and Rolex branding on the dial or case back was replaced with the name “Eaton.” The Rolex signature is only revealed when the watch is opened.
 

Occasionally, a pocket watch version of the prince will pop up at auction, interestingly enough. Moreover, there were also smaller Princess and Queen spin-offs. These dainty timepieces didn’t always share the rectangular shape, but they have curved cases.

The Prince models were discontinued in the late 1940s, and then briefly revived in 2005 as part of the Cellini line. These 21^st-century iterations were the first Rolexes to feature a display caseback, showcasing the manual-wind, in-house, 21-jewel COSC-certified chronometer caliber.
 

So, while this more recent collection was also canceled, it’s a good omen that these elegant watches could be resurrected again.

One of the most underrated watches in Rolex’s back catalog (and probably the best known of our list) was the Milgauss, which was introduced in 1956 as an anti-magnetic engineer’s watch.

The original Milgauss was advertised as “designed to meet the demands of the scientific community working around electromagnetic fields.” And while its oversized case, bezel, and riveted bracelet made it look like a Submariner, it was marketed to scientists, as it was the first watch capable of withstanding magnetic fields of up to 1,000 gauss.
 

Its anti-magnetic resistance was made possible via a two-part shield inside the case, made of ferromagnetic alloys, to protect the movement. Additionally, its Caliber 3131 movement incorporated paramagnetic materials.

Like the Prince, the Milgauss went through many configurations before being discontinued in 1986. Then, in 2007, Rolex brought it back as the reference 116400.

These modern era Milgausses came with an updated movement and an entirely new aesthetic. Most notably, it features a green-tinted sapphire crystal (the only Rolex ever produced with a tinted crystal), fluoro-colored highlights, a double caseback, and a lightning bolt-shaped seconds hand.
 

This look made the Milgauss stand out from its more traditional Rolex cousins. Despite its bold look (and usefulness in our digital age), it just wasn’t popular enough, and the collection was again retired in 2023.

It’s relatively easy to find one of these modern Milguasses on the secondary market. But for those holding out for a revival, Instagram influencer Nick Gould (a.k.a. @nicoloy) recently reported that Rolex just patented a new way to make tinted sapphire watch crystals. Can this mean another resurrection? We hope so.

In the 1960s, Rolex launched a dress watch collection named after the Italian Renaissance-era goldsmith and sculptor, Benvenuto Cellini. At the time, the brand was best known for its tool watches, such as the Submariner and GMT-Master. However, the brand’s then-director of marketing, René-Paul Jeanneret, felt that Rolex diehards also wanted watches for different uses and occasions. And with the Cellini, he popularized the idea of building a watch wardrobe.

The old master’s name was chosen to reflect the luxe materials (Gold! Gems!) and impeccable craftsmanship of the collection. And the timing was right, as buyers were quick to take to the idea of owning multiple, purpose-driven timepieces.
 

The apogee of the Cellini collection was the famed Rolex Cellini King Midas, introduced in 1962. With its Gérald Genta-designed case, which features an asymmetrical, polygonal shape and a sleek, integrated bracelet, the King Midas certainly doesn’t resemble any Rolex that came before or after.

However, at the same time, it reflected the near-mythical status of the maison.

In addition to being the heaviest gold watch of its day, the King Midas was also the most expensive model in the Rolex catalog. The original asymmetrical King Midas references were produced as stand-alones for ten years, then the model was absorbed into the Cellini collection.
 

From 1976, the Maison produced both asymmetrical and symmetrical models, with and without integrated bracelets, in a variety of case textures, hardstone dials, and other embellishments. The King Midas family also included smaller models called the Queen Midas.

The Royal family was eventually phased out in the 1990s, and the whole Cellini category was dropped in 2023. That said, the Rolex Cellini King Midas has recently gained cult status among celebrity watch collectors, such as Rihanna and The Weeknd.

For those inclined to spend hours of screen time searching for an affordable vintage Rolex, you will already be aware of the Orchid – Rolex’s mid-century, high-end jewelry watch collection.

Cocktail watches – teeny, tiny timepieces marketed specifically to women – were first introduced in the 1920s as watches meant to be worn with formal evening wear as a piece of jewelry. But the form’s peak popularity came in the 1960s and 1970s. And the glamorous Orchid helped fire the trend for delicate timepieces.
 

Still, demand for wee watches (some models measure in at a minuscule 13mm) eventually waned by the 1990s, and Rolex slowly phased them out of production.

While Rolex always made women’s watches and jewelry watches, the Orchid family was famous for its opulent materials and designs. With integrated metal bracelets and fun textures, these timepieces are very 1970s coded, but that’s okay – disco-era design is making a comeback.
 

The Orchid was housed under the Cellini collection and, like it, used luxurious materials such as gold and platinum. The watches are signed on the dial, but other than these details, there is no singular design signature for the Orchid.

While the Orchid offered a wide variety of female-friendly watches, the Chameleon offered a singular watch that could be worn in many ways. Until very recently, these watches were very obscure – until Taylor Swift was spotted in June wearing a diamond-studded version from the 1970s with a woven gold bracelet.
 

In the 1950s, when the Rolex Chameleon first arrived, there was a vogue for modular watches. These timepieces were usually sold with an array of colorful straps and interchangeable bracelets. Unlike the Orchid, which was advertised as a piece of jewelry, the Chameleon was marketed as an extension of one’s wardrobe.

Here’s how it worked. The original cases were small and conical, with a slot in the back for single-pass straps. It could also be worn as a brooch. Because of this pass-through system, the cases sit high. The word “Chameleon” does not appear on the dial, but the word “Precision” does.
 

These funky, fashion-forward watches were available in precious metal and stainless steel. Not only were colorful leather straps available, but you could also get full single-pass bracelets made from 18k gold. The fad for interchangeable watches, however, was short-lived, and the Chameleon seems to have faded into the background in the 1970s.