‘Piccolino’ 3055 Rolex Chronograph, Pink Gold

This is one of the great, ‘what might have been, had Rolex pursued a different path’ watches. It’s the 3055, better known as the Piccolino, and it has more in common with the Patek Philippe 130 than a 6265 Daytona. Piccolino means little ‘little one’, but it packs an outsized punch. It is an answer to the quesiton, ‘what is a Rolex chronograph without an Oyster case, seventeen lines of text, and no sporting pretense?’ It’s a Piccolino, one of the most beautiful chronographs no one really talks about. And this example which has recently come to market is thought to be 1 of 20 manufactured in pink gold.

The 3055 is a bit of a catch all reference, with many different cases and dials all falling under it. There was a continuous production in the 1930s with olive pushers and this relaunch in the 1950s with square pushers. All, however, were 30mm with a Valjoux 69. This was marketed at debut as the ‘smallest chronograph wristwatch in the world’. Preferences vary with the flow of time, but the 1950s had greater bandwidth. Rolex back then was 30-38mm, and this complication at this size was a technical accomplishment. The details matter here too with kite or pyramidal indices, alpha hands, and flat broad bezel. Most think about 500 examples were made in total, 200 of which are thought to have been made in yellow gold and 20 in pink gold.

Even more interesting, Enzo Ferrari wore one all the time; there are many photos of the man with a 3055 on his wrist at various races. This was not an occasional watch for him, it’s almost always visible when his sleeve is rolled up in photos. His son, Piero Ferrari now owns that exact watch. It’s one of the most important motorsport associations no one covers. And it doesn’t get cooler than an ‘Il Commendatore’ association (what the King of Italy nicknamed Enzo). Unfortunately, the Ferrari movie got this one wrong. But it’s hard to blame them, these aren’t exactly watches you can stumble across. A few come up for sale each year, values peaked around 2015, they’ve been not talked about much. Size prohibits it from being enjoyed by many. But if you love a discreet proportion, this has as much merit as any Patek Philippe chronograph and no one knows what it is; mega chronograph.

This example is in a brilliant state of preservation. The case is relatively full with but a light polish from the tops, though I’d like to see the back the see hallmarks. There’s just a tiny bit of oxidation on the bezel above 1. It should be noted these never had squared off lugs or bevels to my knowledge, the case sides were a little rounded from the start. Its dial might have been cleaned, but not too badly if so. All fonts are full with only a minor mark above the E of Rolex. Given its age, it looks fabulous. It comes from a well-regarded Milan retailer.