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The moral of Aesop’s fable of the tortoise and the hare is that slow and steady wins the race. This unassuming Rolex Oyster ‘Turtle Timer’ from World War II is the proof in the pudding.Some people knock Rolex for being too conservative but that’s the exact reason we love the green giant. Because it’s so fixated on technological excellence and unbothered with fads, every single one of its watches—no matter the age—displays that quintessential Rolex design DNA.This even holds true when the watch is not obviously branded as a Rolex. Take this ref. 3478 Rolex Oyster from 1942, which features a dial that replaces the Rolex logo with the words ‘Turtle Timer’. This line of watches was produced by Rolex for the Oregon based retailer Zell Brothers. It’s a typical Rolex Oyster watch of that era with a 29 mm waterproof steel case with a Rolex screwdown case back, Rolex screwdown crown and a phenomenal riveted stainless steel Rolex bracelet. Yet, at the retailer's request, the dials were printed by Rolex with ‘Turtle Timer’ a name owned by Zell Brothers.This rare watch is in excellent condition with a thick case and virtually stretch-free bracelet. The sector style dial with painted Arabic numerals has turned a pleasing yellow and orange color and is in excellent condition as well and comes with the original arrow-shaped handset.