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Wristwatch
Rolex 'Oyster', gents.
Rolex Oyster watch, presented to John Joe Doyle in 1934 from Newmarket Hurling Club and Hall Committee. Rosegold case, winder is yellow gold and not original. White dial. Possesses a cheap, modern, nylon stap which appears to be on backwards.
John Joe Doyle was captain of the Clare team beaten in the 1932 All Ireland Hurling Final and had represented his county in the Railway Cup. He was also on a winning Newmarket-on-Fergus County championship team on several occasions during the 1920s and 1930s.
This watch was given to John Joe as a token of his GAA club’s appreciation for his service as a player. The winder on the watch and the strap are replacements and it is likely that the glass on the dial is not the original one. These replacement parts are generic and are not Rolex parts.
The strap is of a type that was popular with rural men and farmers in Ireland in the late 20th century. Nylon straps were popular because the were cheap but very hardwearing.
‘Oyster’ Rolex watches were given this name because they were watertight, and this watch is a descendent of the original Rolex ‘Oyster’ created in 1926.
Collection: John Joe Doyle
Category: Horology Equipment