The Ultimate Guide to Square Rolex Watches
Today, every single watch in the Rolex lineup has a round dial and roughly the same case shape. But that wasn’t always the case. Their rectangular Prince was popular in the 1930s, for example, and Rolex dress watches were made with all sorts of case shapes over the years. There was a particular surge in square Rolex models around 1940, and some were offered into the 1970s. In this article I’ll focus on every known truly square Rolex model–and there are quite a few.
James Dowling wrote about how, due to French restrictions on gold imports, some gold Rolex watches were artfully cased by French jewelers particularly from the 1940s-1960s–often in rectangular shapes. Most of the square watches from Rolex, though, seem to have Genevan hallmarks. And there’s a spectrum ranging from thinner more “industrial” cases up to hand-made jewelry-like ones.
The First Square Rolex Watch: Ref. 912
Although square Rolex travel clocks were being made as early as 1912 (before they were even headquartered in Switzerland), I can’t find any square Rolex wristwatches from before the late 1920’s. The earliest model I’m aware of is ref. 912, with a lovely 30mm case featuring curved brancards on the side. It’s sometimes called the “square Prince” although it’s not technically a Prince model.
Square Rolex Chronograph Watches
Some of the most desirable square Rolexes are chronographs. Out of all the Rolex chronograph models ever made, only three references are square, and they’re tiny (30mm or smaller).
Ref. 3529 (1939-1942)
Supposedly only 62 of Rolex ref. 3529 were produced. It’s a simple, clean, small (25mm wide) two-register square chronograph made in approximately 1940:
Ref. 3830
Ref. 3830 is closer to a modern men’s size, with a 30mm diameter. It’s so rare that you basically never see one for sale. Christie’s sold this example over 20 years ago, also hailing from about 1940:
Rolex’s Square “Gabus” Chronograph Ref. 8206
The most iconic square Rolex chronograph watch is ref. 8206, which has a thick rounded bezel and fancy flared lugs. The 8206 is 29mm in diameter and is known as the “Gabus” because its case was made by Gabus Frères.
Square Perpetual Rolex Watches of the 1940’s
Around 1940 a flurry of non-chronograph square Rolex models appeared, too. The fanciest ones have automatic movements and “Perpetual” on the dial.
8094 Gabus
Ref. 8094 is a lesser-known non-chronograph version of the Rolex Gabus. It has the same 29mm square Gabus Frères case as the 8206. We know they’re the case maker by the “141” hallmark on the inside of the caseback.
My Favorite Square Rolex: Ref. 4643 and 4645
Ref. 4643 and 4645, only offered in solid gold, are some of the most appealing square Rolex watches ever made in my opinion. The slightly curved case (and matching curved crystal) sets them apart from other square Rolexes. This is about the closest you’ll get to a Rolex version of the Cartier Santos. It seems the 4643 (28mm) debuted sometime around 1947 was replaced by the slightly larger 4645 (31mm) in 1950.
Notably, these curved-crystal square Rolex models were offered with exotic options like cloisonné enamel dials and stelline dials such as this one:
Unfortunately the above example has been repainted, as the word “Oyster” doesn’t belong. It’s not an Oyster, but it is a Perpetual (meaning it has an automatic movement). Square watches wear “larger” than round watches with the same width, so a 4645 is still a wearable watch for a man today, though a 4643 is probably pushing it for most tastes.
Curved Square Rolex Ref. 8126
Ref. 8126 is one of few other Perpetual non-Oyster models in Rolex history. As opposed to the subtle sloped contour of the 4643/4645, the 8126 has some more aggressive curvature happening on its case. This case shape is known as “Carré galbé” or “curved square,” and it has a lot of presence despite its diminutive 22mm diameter:
Manual-Wind Square Rolex Watches 1940s-1950s
The more typical manual-wind square Rolex watches of the 1940s-1950s tend to have simpler, thinner cases than the Perpetuals.
Ref. 3777 Chronometer
Ref. 3777 has an attractive, sleek profile with tastefully tapered lugs. Definite Cartier Tank vibes. While most square Rolex watches are Precision models, this has a higher grade chronometer movement. With a 25mm diameter, this would be a tasteful choice for a ladies’ Rolex today. The only problem is 3777’s only come up for sale once every 20 years or so.
9548 “Brick”
Ref. 9548 is one of the most special square Rolex models of all. The brick texture of its 28mm case is striking, and on this example the dial continues that motif:
Phillips once auctioned a 9548 with an amazing cloisonné enamel dial.
Ref. 4330/4569
Ref. 4569 has somewhat fancy lugs but an otherwise rather sterile 28mm square case.
Ref. 4330 is the same thing, but with a seconds subdial rather than a central seconds hand:
Ref. 3894/4471
Ref. 3894 has slightly more rounded edges than the 4569 but its case is also thin. This example hails from 1943 and has a 25mm diameter. It was listed for $3,350 in April 2025:
Ref. 4471 is the same as the model above, but with once-fashionable flared lugs (similar to teardrop lugs).
8813 – Diamond-Shaped Lugs
Rolex toyed with a lot of exotic lug shapes up through the 1950s. There are a handful of old square Rolex watches with unusual lugs. Ref. 8813 has fancy pointy, diamond-shaped lugs and a relatively large 31mm diameter (the biggest a square Rolex gets). The “Case of Pforzheim, RW” inscription inside implies a German-made case, which is interesting.
4533 – Classy Lugs
The lugs of ref. 4533 aren’t quite as dramatic as the 8813, but they’re prominent and nicely shaped.
325/3570/3651 – Hooded Lugs
Hooded lugs are another interesting old-fashioned lug design, and ref. 325 is one of few square Rolex models with them. It has a thin, straightforward 25mm square case. And the 3570 model looks the same but with some “pinstripes” added to the lug covering. Ref. 3651 is also similar but with a slightly different lug cover.
Tiny Square Ladies’ Rolex Precision Models of the 1950’s
Numerous square ladies’ Rolex Precision models were made in sizes as little as 15mm, always with simple two-hand manual-wind movements.
Ref. 8700 has an interesting square fluted bezel and diamond-set hooded lugs, and ref. 9158 is a small ladies’ model from the 1950’s with movable lugs. Some ladies’ models of the day say “Orchid” on the dial like ref. 2682, which was made until the 1970s.
Ref. 9356 might be the coolest 15mm square Rolex of all. Rather than a separate fluted bezel, the case itself is fluted around the dial:
Back then, Rolex made such a vast array of random ladies’ models that there are probably more old square ladies’ models yet to be discovered. And there’s a whole other category of random ladies’ watches I should mention.
Square Rolex “Belt Watches”
“Belt watches” and “bracelet watches” are two terms you might hear for watches where the bezel is essentially part of the bracelet structure. Meaning, the face is no wider than the rest of the bracelet. You’ve probably heard of integrated bracelet luxury watches, but these are really integrated into the bracelet.
Almost all square Rolex belt watches seem to be solid gold, like ref. 9634 shown below:
Ref. 8209 is another square Rolex belt watch reference with a brick bracelet, but it has no diamonds. Ref. 2382 is similar but with an intricate woven gold bracelet and a lid to cover the dial (called a “concealed dial”).
Square Rolex Cellini and Pre-Cellini (Ref. 3643/3811)
By the 1960s, the classic Hunter 10 1/2‴ and Rebberg movements had finally been replaced by more modern movements like caliber 1600, and a “Rolex Genève” stamp became common at the top of Rolex dress watch dials.
3614/3617/9347 Textured Case
3617 and 9347 are attractive square Rolex models with a coin-edge-like texture on their cases. Ref. 3614 is essentially the same thing but textured with wider all-vertical ridges.
Ref. 3643 is the only other square Rolex from the pre-Cellini 1960s era. It’s 23mm wide and is often found on a mesh bracelet.
Square Rolex Cellini: Ref. 3811
Rolex launched their dressy Cellini sub-brand in 1968, and thus ref. 3811 replaced 3643. There doesn’t seem to be any difference besides the “Cellini” text added to the dial. The 3811 was the only square Rolex Cellini ever offered on a leather strap. There are also numerous rectangular Cellinis, and curved almost-square models like ref. 4114–and even some with 5-sided or 6-sided cases. But 3811 seems to be the only straight-up square non-Midas Cellini.
Ref. 3811 is also powered by the trusty manual-wind caliber 1600 found in many Rolex dress watches of the day. And inside the caseback is a key hallmark with the number 29 inside. The key system was a Genevan code to identify case makers, so even though nobody seems to know which company was #29, we know the case was made in Geneva.
More on Rolex:
Square Rolex Cellini King Midas Models: 4312 and 4316
Before he designed the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, legendary watch designer Gérald Genta created the 5-sided Rolex King Midas. Rolex expanded the King Midas lineup to include several bold, non-circular gold dress watches with bracelets.
Ref. 4312 and 4316 are classy 24mm square Rolex Cellini models that are technically part of the King Midas family. They’re the only two truly square Midas models to my knowledge, though references like the 4314 Queen Midas are close. This 4312 has a beautiful hobnail dial that matches its bracelet:
The 4312 has a mesh-like bracelet while the 4316 has the traditional King Midas-style single horizontal bars; that’s the difference between the references. This 4316 has a tiger’s eye dial, one of the many attractive stone Rolex dials made over the years:
The 4312 and 4316 were discontinued in the late 1970s, and to my knowledge, Rolex never again made a square dial. That should just about cover all of the known square Rolex watches. Although it’s not the shape most collectors associate with the brand today, square designs were a consistent part of their lineup for about 50 years. Perhaps these square Rolexes would get more attention if they were bigger than 31mm, but none of them are. If we forgot a reference, please let us know below!
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