{"id":4166,"date":"2022-05-11T01:30:48","date_gmt":"2022-05-11T08:30:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/?p=4166"},"modified":"2022-10-24T11:48:29","modified_gmt":"2022-10-24T18:48:29","slug":"vintage-week-rolex-bubbleback-3131","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\/vintage-week-rolex-bubbleback-3131.html","title":{"rendered":"Vintage Rolex 3131 Bubbleback"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Rolex Bubbleback 3131 is truly a vintage watch, as it is one of the brand&#8217;s very first fully-functional automatic timepieces produced in the 1930s and one of the earliest models from the iconic <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-oyster-perpetual-1.html\" title=\"Rolex Oyster Perpetual\">Rolex Oyster Perpetual<\/a> collection. The watch gets its name from its protruding, bubble-shaped caseback that is emblematic of the brand\u2019s early self-winding models. Rolex Bubbleback watches were most frequently crafted from either yellow or rose gold (9k, 14k, or 18k), and surviving examples can be found with various different styles of dials and hands.<\/p>\n<h2>Rolex Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback 3131<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-51806 size-full\" title=\"Rolex Oyster Perpetual ref. 3131 - Bubbleback\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Screen-Shot-2022-03-23-at-2.54.54-PM.jpg\" alt=\"Vintage Rolex Bubbleback 3131 Oyster Perpetual\" width=\"1800\" height=\"1733\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Screen-Shot-2022-03-23-at-2.54.54-PM.jpg 1800w, https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Screen-Shot-2022-03-23-at-2.54.54-PM-300x289.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Screen-Shot-2022-03-23-at-2.54.54-PM-1024x986.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Screen-Shot-2022-03-23-at-2.54.54-PM-768x739.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Screen-Shot-2022-03-23-at-2.54.54-PM-1536x1479.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>Rolex Bubbleback 3131 Key Details:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Production Years:<\/strong> 1930s &#8211; 1940s<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Reference Number:<\/strong> 3131<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Case Size:<\/strong> 32mm<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Materials:<\/strong> Yellow or Rose Gold (9k, 14k, or 18k)<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Functions:<\/strong> Time w\/ Running Seconds<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Dial:<\/strong> Multiple Options Available<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Bezel:<\/strong> Fixed, Yellow or Rose Gold, Smooth Style<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Crystal:<\/strong> Acrylic (Domed)<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Movement:<\/strong> Automatic (Self-Winding)<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Strap\/Bracelet:<\/strong> Leather Strap or Metal Bracelet<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/history-of-time\/rolex-oyster-perpetual-best-entry-level.html\" title=\"learn more about the Rolex Oyster Perpetual\">Click here to learn more about the Rolex Oyster Perpetual.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex\/vintage_rolex-3131\" title=\"Vintage Rolex Oyster Perpetual 3131\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-46392 size-full\" title=\"Vintage Rolex Oyster Perpetual 3131\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/shop-the-collection1.jpg\" alt=\"Vintage Rolex 3131\" width=\"436\" height=\"46\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/shop-the-collection1.jpg 436w, https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/shop-the-collection1-300x32.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 436px) 100vw, 436px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-51804 size-full\" title=\"Rolex Oyster Perpetual ref. 3131 - Bubbleback\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Vintage-bubble-back-wrist.jpeg\" alt=\"Vintage Rolex Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback 3131\" width=\"1219\" height=\"838\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Vintage-bubble-back-wrist.jpeg 1219w, https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Vintage-bubble-back-wrist-300x206.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Vintage-bubble-back-wrist-1024x704.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Vintage-bubble-back-wrist-768x528.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1219px) 100vw, 1219px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>History Of The Rolex Bubbleback<\/h2>\n<p>The Rolex Bubbleback was launched in 1933 (following the advent of the self-winding &#8220;Perpetual&#8221; movement in 1931) and it featured the first auto-rotor. Rolex was not the first company to create the automatic-winding movement, but it was the first to create a wristwatch with a winding weight that is able to rotate a full 360 degrees, which now serves as the foundation for nearly all automatic movement designs.<\/p>\n<p>Rolex created the auto-rotor movement based on the Aegler movement in Hunter watches that featured a &#8220;perpetual motion&#8221; winding mass. Rolex patented its first successful Perpetual self-winding wristwatch in 1932 and introduced the Bubbleback to the public the following year. Like most authentic vintage Rolex timepieces a Bubbleback is sure to spark the hearts of vintage watch collectors.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-51805 size-full\" title=\"Rolex Oyster Perpetual ref. 3131 - Bubbleback\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/vintage-rolex-bubble-back-movement-1024x624.jpeg\" alt=\"Vintage Rolex Oyster Perpetual 3131 Bubbleback\" width=\"1024\" height=\"624\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/vintage-rolex-bubble-back-movement-1024x624.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/vintage-rolex-bubble-back-movement-1024x624-300x183.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/vintage-rolex-bubble-back-movement-1024x624-768x468.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Rolex Bubbleback Development<\/h2>\n<p>Despite the ubiquitous name, Rolex never engraved &#8220;Bubbleback&#8221; anywhere on the watch or officially recognized the name. However, the thick auto-rotor required a fatter case, and the decision was made to move the case out in the back rather than make the entire watch itself larger. This led not only to the English designation of &#8220;Bubbleback&#8221; but the Italian nickname &#8220;Ovettone&#8221; (meaning &#8220;Little Egg&#8221;), as well as the more sinister &#8220;Little Coffin&#8221; name in Hong Kong. Nicknames are often given to a watch for their unusual appearance, or the colors of something similar, and for the Rolex Bubbleback, it is simply due to the shape of its case.<\/p>\n<p>The first Rolex Bubbleback model was 1858, powered by the cal. 520 movement. Early Bubblebacks featured a three-piece case. However, in 1936, Rolex introduced a two-piece case with the references 3131 and 3132. In 1941, a ladies version of the Bubbleback was introduced with a cal. 420 movement. The Rolex Bubbleback was marketed in three sizes to appeal to both men and women, and multiple case sizes remains an offering for the current Oyster Perpetual watches that Rolex produces today. The culmination of the line was the &#8220;Big Bubbleback,&#8221; which would ultimately lead to the development of the 36mm Datejust once a date display was added in 1945.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-51809 size-full\" title=\"Rolex Oyster Perpetual ref. 3131 - Bubbleback\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/bubble-back-crown.jpg\" alt=\"Vintage Rolex Bubbleback 3131 Gold Oyster Perpetual \" width=\"1800\" height=\"926\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/bubble-back-crown.jpg 1800w, https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/bubble-back-crown-300x154.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/bubble-back-crown-1024x527.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/bubble-back-crown-768x395.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/bubble-back-crown-1536x790.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>The Bubbleback 3131 &#8211; True Vintage<\/h2>\n<p>Collectors covet the Rolex Bubbleback 3131 because it was not only one of the first Bubbleback watches but also because it has a deep history and it is the first with a two-piece rather than a three-piece case. It offers a distinctly vintage aesthetic, while simultaneously occupying an incredibly important place within the history and development of the Rolex Oyster Perpetual collection.<\/p>\n<p>This beautiful watch makes a wonderful addition to any luxury timepiece collection and is truly unlike any of the models that Rolex produces today. Rolex&#8217;s two greatest contributions to the greater wristwatch industry have been its waterproof &#8220;Oyster&#8221; case the self-winding &#8220;Perpetual&#8221; movement &#8211; and the Rolex Bubbleback ref. 3131 represent the merging of these two key innovations and offers a timeless aesthetic with the build quality necessary to last a lifetime.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-51807 size-full\" title=\"Rolex Oyster Perpetual ref. 3131 - Bubbleback\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/gold-bubble-back-with-leather-strap-1024x524.jpeg\" alt=\"Vintage Rolex Oyster Perpetual 3131 Solid Gold\" width=\"1024\" height=\"524\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/gold-bubble-back-with-leather-strap-1024x524.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/gold-bubble-back-with-leather-strap-1024x524-300x154.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/gold-bubble-back-with-leather-strap-1024x524-768x393.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Rolex Bubbleback 3131 is truly a vintage watch, being one of the first fully-functional automatic watches produced in the 1930s and some of the earliest Rolex watches available.  The watch takes its name from the protruding or &#8220;bubbleback&#8221; case. Like all vintage Rolex watches on our site, this one is a completely all original period collectible. The Bubbleback was made in several types of metals, including steel, half gold, and 9, 14, and 18 karat pink or yellow gold with various sizes and dials also available.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4167,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2171],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[2286],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Vintage of the Week: Rolex Bubbleback Reference 3131<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Rolex Bubbleback 3131 is truly a vintage watch, being one of the first fully-functional automatic watches produced in the 1930s.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\/vintage-week-rolex-bubbleback-3131.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Vintage of the Week: Rolex Bubbleback Reference 3131\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Rolex Bubbleback 3131 is truly a vintage watch, being one of the first fully-functional automatic watches produced in the 1930s.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\/vintage-week-rolex-bubbleback-3131.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Bob&#039;s Watches\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bobswatches\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-05-11T08:30:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-10-24T18:48:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/vintage-bubble-back-rolex.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"4203\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1963\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Paul Altieri\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@bobswatches\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@bobswatches\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Paul Altieri\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\/vintage-week-rolex-bubbleback-3131.html#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\/vintage-week-rolex-bubbleback-3131.html\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Paul Altieri\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/22b37643d599dce1a5947061baa91033\"},\"headline\":\"Vintage Rolex 3131 Bubbleback\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-05-11T08:30:48+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-10-24T18:48:29+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\/vintage-week-rolex-bubbleback-3131.html\"},\"wordCount\":635,\"commentCount\":7,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\/vintage-week-rolex-bubbleback-3131.html#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/vintage-bubble-back-rolex.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Watch Review\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\/vintage-week-rolex-bubbleback-3131.html#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\/vintage-week-rolex-bubbleback-3131.html\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\/vintage-week-rolex-bubbleback-3131.html\",\"name\":\"Vintage of the Week: Rolex Bubbleback Reference 3131\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\/vintage-week-rolex-bubbleback-3131.html#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\/vintage-week-rolex-bubbleback-3131.html#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/vintage-bubble-back-rolex.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-05-11T08:30:48+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-10-24T18:48:29+00:00\",\"description\":\"The Rolex Bubbleback 3131 is truly a vintage watch, being one of the first fully-functional automatic watches produced in the 1930s.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\/vintage-week-rolex-bubbleback-3131.html#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\/vintage-week-rolex-bubbleback-3131.html\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\/vintage-week-rolex-bubbleback-3131.html#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/vintage-bubble-back-rolex.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/vintage-bubble-back-rolex.jpg\",\"width\":4203,\"height\":1963,\"caption\":\"Vintage Bubble Back by Rolex\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\/vintage-week-rolex-bubbleback-3131.html#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Bob's Watches\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Blog\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Watch Review\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"Vintage Rolex 3131 Bubbleback\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/\",\"name\":\"Bob&#039;s Watches\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Bob's Watches\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/bobs-watches-logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/bobs-watches-logo.png\",\"width\":600,\"height\":138,\"caption\":\"Bob's Watches\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bobswatches\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/bobswatches\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/bobswatches\/\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/bobs-watches\/\",\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/BobsWatches\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/bobswatches\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/22b37643d599dce1a5947061baa91033\",\"name\":\"Paul Altieri\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/10eb2a1135c1c05aef56a51714e68e06\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d3e540a744096739cccba1e3bb39245b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d3e540a744096739cccba1e3bb39245b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Paul Altieri\"},\"description\":\"Paul Altieri is a vintage and pre-owned Rolex specialist, entrepreneur, and the founder and CEO of BobsWatches.com. - the largest and most trusted name in luxury watches. He is widely considered a pioneer in the industry for bringing transparency and innovation to a once-considered stagnant industry. His experience spans over 35 years and he has been published in numerous publications including Forbes, The NY Times, WatchPro, and Fortune Magazine. Paul is committed to staying up-to-date with the latest research and developments in the watch industry and e-commerce, and regularly engages with other professionals in the industry. He is a member of the IWJG, the AWCI and a graduate of the GIA. Alongside running the premier retailer of pre-owned Rolex watches, Paul is a prominent Rolex watch collector himself amassing one of the largest private collections of rare timepieces. In an interview with the WSJ lifestyle\/fashion editor Christina Binkley, Paul opened his vault to display his extensive collection of vintage Rolex Submariners and Daytonas. Paul Altieri is a trusted and recognized authority in the watch industry with a proven track record of expertise, professionalism, and commitment to excellence.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\",\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bobs_Watches\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Vintage of the Week: Rolex Bubbleback Reference 3131","description":"The Rolex Bubbleback 3131 is truly a vintage watch, being one of the first fully-functional automatic watches produced in the 1930s.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\/vintage-week-rolex-bubbleback-3131.html","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Vintage of the Week: Rolex Bubbleback Reference 3131","og_description":"The Rolex Bubbleback 3131 is truly a vintage watch, being one of the first fully-functional automatic watches produced in the 1930s.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\/vintage-week-rolex-bubbleback-3131.html","og_site_name":"Bob&#039;s Watches","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bobswatches","article_published_time":"2022-05-11T08:30:48+00:00","article_modified_time":"2022-10-24T18:48:29+00:00","og_image":[{"width":4203,"height":1963,"url":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/vintage-bubble-back-rolex.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Paul Altieri","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@bobswatches","twitter_site":"@bobswatches","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Paul Altieri","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\/vintage-week-rolex-bubbleback-3131.html#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\/vintage-week-rolex-bubbleback-3131.html"},"author":{"name":"Paul Altieri","@id":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/22b37643d599dce1a5947061baa91033"},"headline":"Vintage Rolex 3131 Bubbleback","datePublished":"2022-05-11T08:30:48+00:00","dateModified":"2022-10-24T18:48:29+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\/vintage-week-rolex-bubbleback-3131.html"},"wordCount":635,"commentCount":7,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\/vintage-week-rolex-bubbleback-3131.html#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/vintage-bubble-back-rolex.jpg","articleSection":["Watch Review"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\/vintage-week-rolex-bubbleback-3131.html#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\/vintage-week-rolex-bubbleback-3131.html","url":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\/vintage-week-rolex-bubbleback-3131.html","name":"Vintage of the Week: Rolex Bubbleback Reference 3131","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\/vintage-week-rolex-bubbleback-3131.html#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\/vintage-week-rolex-bubbleback-3131.html#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/vintage-bubble-back-rolex.jpg","datePublished":"2022-05-11T08:30:48+00:00","dateModified":"2022-10-24T18:48:29+00:00","description":"The Rolex Bubbleback 3131 is truly a vintage watch, being one of the first fully-functional automatic watches produced in the 1930s.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\/vintage-week-rolex-bubbleback-3131.html#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\/vintage-week-rolex-bubbleback-3131.html"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\/vintage-week-rolex-bubbleback-3131.html#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/vintage-bubble-back-rolex.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/vintage-bubble-back-rolex.jpg","width":4203,"height":1963,"caption":"Vintage Bubble Back by Rolex"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review\/vintage-week-rolex-bubbleback-3131.html#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Bob's Watches","item":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Watch Review","item":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/watch-review"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Vintage Rolex 3131 Bubbleback"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/","name":"Bob&#039;s Watches","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/#organization","name":"Bob's Watches","url":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/bobs-watches-logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/bobs-watches-logo.png","width":600,"height":138,"caption":"Bob's Watches"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bobswatches","https:\/\/x.com\/bobswatches","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/bobswatches\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/bobs-watches\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/BobsWatches\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/bobswatches"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/22b37643d599dce1a5947061baa91033","name":"Paul Altieri","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/10eb2a1135c1c05aef56a51714e68e06","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d3e540a744096739cccba1e3bb39245b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d3e540a744096739cccba1e3bb39245b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Paul Altieri"},"description":"Paul Altieri is a vintage and pre-owned Rolex specialist, entrepreneur, and the founder and CEO of BobsWatches.com. - the largest and most trusted name in luxury watches. He is widely considered a pioneer in the industry for bringing transparency and innovation to a once-considered stagnant industry. His experience spans over 35 years and he has been published in numerous publications including Forbes, The NY Times, WatchPro, and Fortune Magazine. Paul is committed to staying up-to-date with the latest research and developments in the watch industry and e-commerce, and regularly engages with other professionals in the industry. He is a member of the IWJG, the AWCI and a graduate of the GIA. Alongside running the premier retailer of pre-owned Rolex watches, Paul is a prominent Rolex watch collector himself amassing one of the largest private collections of rare timepieces. In an interview with the WSJ lifestyle\/fashion editor Christina Binkley, Paul opened his vault to display his extensive collection of vintage Rolex Submariners and Daytonas. Paul Altieri is a trusted and recognized authority in the watch industry with a proven track record of expertise, professionalism, and commitment to excellence.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com","https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bobs_Watches"]}]}},"authors":[{"term_id":2286,"user_id":2,"is_guest":0,"slug":"paul","display_name":"Paul Altieri","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d3e540a744096739cccba1e3bb39245b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","author_category":"","user_url":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com","last_name":"Altieri","first_name":"Paul","job_title":"","description":"Paul Altieri is a vintage and pre-owned Rolex specialist, entrepreneur, and the founder and CEO of BobsWatches.com. - the largest and most trusted name in luxury watches. He is widely considered a pioneer in the industry for bringing transparency and innovation to a once-considered stagnant industry.  His experience spans over 35 years and he has been published in numerous publications including Forbes, The NY Times, WatchPro, and Fortune Magazine. Paul is committed to staying up-to-date with the latest research and developments in the watch industry and e-commerce, and regularly engages with other professionals in the industry. He is a member of the IWJG, the AWCI and a graduate of the GIA. \r\n\r\nAlongside running the premier retailer of pre-owned Rolex watches, Paul is a prominent Rolex watch collector himself amassing one of the largest private collections of rare timepieces. In an interview with the WSJ lifestyle\/fashion editor Christina Binkley, Paul opened his vault to display his extensive collection of vintage Rolex Submariners and Daytonas. \r\n\r\nPaul Altieri is a trusted and recognized authority in the watch industry with a proven track record of expertise, professionalism, and commitment to excellence."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4166"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4166"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4166\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":54953,"href":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4166\/revisions\/54953"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4167"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4166"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4166"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4166"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=4166"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}