# Blancpain Rolls



## peteslag (Mar 23, 2011)

I have been buying and selling vintage watches for about a year now. Some watches I buy to make money on, some to restore and keep and some just because I enjoy doing it. Before I sell any watch I always try to find out a little about it, a lot of the information has come from searching either google or this site. With this watch I've drawn a bit of a blank. I've found plenty of info about a 1930's ladies auto that goes by the same name but it looks nothing like my watch, also my watch is almost certainly a gents watch The movement is marked Blancpain 1002 984. Does any body have any knowledge of this watch?


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## seemore (Oct 25, 2007)

Looks like an AS 1009 movement or one of it,s many varients from the late 1940,s early 1950,s would be my best guess. The dial or movement has probably been swapped at some point, as Blancpain is fairly high end and i have not come across Rolls much.

Looks quite pretty and was a mans watch then but i suspect a liitle on the small side for most men now a days.


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## peteslag (Mar 23, 2011)

Rolls is a range of watches that were made by Blancpain. If you google "Blancpain Rolls" you should find it. Here is an image of their most famous, it was made in 1931 and is their first auto.










If you look at the images of mine, the Rolls logo on the face is identical and the movement is marked Blancpain. I can't find any other info on Rolls watches but really want to know if there is any chance that my watch is an original Blancpain?


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## jeffvader (Jun 10, 2008)

Contact Blancpain there records might be able to help.

From what I know with Omega & Jack they have always been very helpful.


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## peteslag (Mar 23, 2011)

That's a good idea, I'll give them a try. This is quite exciting. My watch will either be an original Blancpain, in which case I'll have it restored and put it straight into my collection, or it will be a fake and end up on Ebay for 20 quid!

I have a sneaking suspicion it will be the latter, thanks for the help.


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## peteslag (Mar 23, 2011)

An interesting development. I contacted Blancpain who have confirmed this watch is authentic. The chap I spoke to was kind enough to tell me a bit about it's history. The movement was made by a company called "ATO" who sold it to Blancpain in the 1920's. They re-branded the movement "Blancpain" and called the watch "Rolls" .

This has left me wondering about what to do with it. Should I get a valuation and if so, where can I have it done?


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## Rob.A32 (Feb 24, 2012)

Learn something every day! I thought Blancpain Rolls were on sale at Pret a Manger with coffee.


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## peteslag (Mar 23, 2011)

Like it, white bread rolls. :lol:

But as it turns out, this is a genuine blancpain watch. As far as I know Blancpain are fairly high end so I really could do with a bit of advice as to what to do with this watch. I mean, could it be worth enough to have valued? Try and restore it? Flog it? I have never come across a watch like this and feel a bit clueless to be honest!!!


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## pugster (Nov 22, 2004)

i would not get anything done to it to be honest (just a polish and arcylic polished) , you can devalue vintage watches alot by having a nice new redial , collector want originality more than anything else , i couldnt find one of these anywhere and getting one valued will be hard to do (tho i would be thinking 3 numbers) , the only way to get a true value would be to put it on fleabay advertised as early blanpain with some history.


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## peteslag (Mar 23, 2011)

Excellent idea. I'll put it on fleabay and let the masses decide its value.


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## peteslag (Mar 23, 2011)

Thanks for the help on this, I've put it on Fleabay:

It has been really interesting tracing the origins of this watch, who knows, it might even make me a few quid. :yes:


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## oz-bear (Jan 27, 2012)

Good luck on your ebay auction...it's always interesting to see what things sell for :yes: ..


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