Always innovating, Rolex has a great many “firsts” on their horological resume. Among them, reference 3525, launched in 1939 and the very first chronograph manufactured by the brand and housed in an Oyster case with a screw down crown and screw down caseback. Known by collectors as the “Barilotto” in connection with the cases resemblance to a barrel, reference 3525 would mark the very beginning of an extraordinary line of chronographs by Rolex.
“Every Rolex tells a story” and “You can tell by the men who wear them” are among the phrases associated with Rolex over the years and which rush immediately to the forefront when one considers the present lot. Coming from the “second batch” of watches manufactured by Rolex in the early 1940’s, this 3525 has an exceptionally well preserved case and was fitted by Rolex with a black lacquer dial with gold graphics, luminous markers and gilt luminous hands. An extraordinary combination of rarity, quality, and beauty, the present lot checks a lot of collector boxes. In addition to the incredible beauty of the watch, it has an extraordinary story and was owned by an equally extraordinary man, RAF Flight Lieutenant Gerald Imeson.
After sustaining a barrage of anti-aircraft fire following an attack on Cologne in October of 1941, RAF Flight Lieutenant Gerald Imeson was forced to ditch his Vickers Wellington bomber in the North Sea just off the coast of Belgium. Clinging to a dinghy overnight with most of his crew and following a rescue attempt by a member of the Belgium resistance, the men were spotted and captured by German forces. Following a short stay in a German hospital with a broken ankle, F/Lt. Imeson was sent to German Stalag Luft III, a Luftwaffe-run prisoner-of-war (POW) camp in what was then Sagan, Germany.
Upon arrival at POW camps, military issued watches were often looted or seized by camp leaders for fear that they might contain a compass or something particularly useful for escape. During captivity however, airman in the camps were generally shown beneficence by the Luftwaffe. So much so in fact that there was a “gentleman’s agreement” that airmen could take advantage of an offer by Hans Wilsdorf, the owner of Rolex, allowing British officers to purchase watches on credit which could be paid when the war was won.
With a plethora of time during captivity, an estimated 3,000+ British officers, including F/Lt. Imeson, sent postcards via the International Red Cross to Hans Wilsdorf at Rolex in Geneva explaining their ‘circumstances and whereabouts” and indicating which Rolex they would like. Most officers requested modestly priced watches, though F/Lt. Imeson didn’t hesitate, ordering Rolex Oyster Chronograph reference 3525 in December 1942. A few months later in February 1943, F/Lt. Imeson received a response from Rolex acknowledging receipt of the request and indicating that there would probably be a delay in fulfilling his request. On August 4, 1943, F/Lt. Imeson’s Rolex 3525 was delivered to Stalag Luft III and one can only imagine what it might have been like to receive, unpack, and experience this watch in that environment.
A few months earlier, in the Spring of 1943, RAF Squadron Leader Roger Bushell conceived a plan for escape from the Stalag Luft III, a plan and a story that would be depicted in the 1963 film, “The Great Escape”, starring Steve McQueen, James Garner and Charles Bronson, among others.

In preparation for the Great Escape, POW’s, Imeson included, dug three tunnels referred to as Tom, Dick and Harry to ensure secrecy, and Bushell threated to court martial anyone that used the word “tunnel”. “Tom” was found by the Germans and dynamited, “Dick” was abandoned as its planned area to surface had been cleared for camp expansion, leaving “Harry”, a 30 foot deep, 2 by 2 foot wide and 334 foot long tunnel as the primary escape tunnel. Planning the time it would take the men to crawl the nearly 400 foot long tunnel, as well as timing camp guard patrols required a precision instrument and it is speculated that F/Lt. Imeson’s Rolex 3525 played a role here in both escape planning and execution.
When the escape got underway on March 24, 1944, it was discovered that tunnel “Harry” surfaced just short of the forest and shy of the tree line and close to a guard tower, resulting in the plan of one man leaving every minute being revised to 10 men per hour; yet another opportunity to employ the use of a chronograph.
The goal was to get 200 men through the tunnels, though in the end only 76 men made it through the tunnel to the forest undetected, the 77th was spotted by the guards. Of the 77 escapees, 73 were captured. Number 172 in the que, F/Lt. Imeson never got his chance to breakout of Stalag Luft III and remained at the camp until the forced marches through Germany during the bitter winter of 1945 to evade the advancing Allies. F/Lt. Imeson and his watch survived the war and he was eventually liberated from another POW camp in May 1945.
After the war, F/Lt. Imeson returned to his wife and his job with the Air Ministry. He would have four children, nine grandchildren and he would treasure his Rolex 3525 until his death in 2003 at the age of 85. Among his final wishes, F/Lt. Imeson requested that the watch be sold for his family’s benefit. The watch was originally auctioned by Bourne End Auction Rooms in Buckinghamshire in October of 2013 and Christie’s is honored to bring the watch to market again today.
Accompanying the present lot are a number of images of F/Lt. Imeson as well as some images of extracts from his diary during his time as a “POW” at Stalug Luft III, including references to the arrival of his 3525 at camp as well as an entry on 24-25/3 indicating the “Big Event”, aka “the Great Escape”. Also included is F/Lt. Imeson’s Goldfish Club card and embroidered Goldfish Club badge. Formed in 1942, the Goldfish Club is an exclusive club for airmen “who have escaped an aircraft by parachuting into the water, or whose aircraft crashed into the water, and whose lives were saved by a life jacket or inflatable dinghy.” The Goldfish Club badge shows a white winged goldfish flying over two symbolic blue waves. The main aim of the club is to keep alive the spirit of comradeship arising from the mutual experience of members surviving, “coming down in the drink”. In addition to the Goldfish Club card and embroidered Goldfish Club badge is F/Lt. Imeson’s issued snail style whistle in nickel plaited brass alloy marked with the Royal Crown and “A.M.” (Air Ministry) “23/230”.

The opportunity to own not an exceptionally rare and beautiful Rolex 3525 in steel with black luminous dial and hands is worth noting, but the opportunity to own a historically important 3525 with “Great Escape” original owner provenance is virtually unheard of. Live for greatness.