Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date

“Oh, the only gold I know about is the kind you wear.” Though Moneypenny was talking about wedding rings in Goldfinger, she had it right. There’s a certain kind of security that comes from wearing gold on your finger—or your wrist. A gold watch makes a statement, and a not-so-subtle one at that. Wearing a gold watch says to the world, “I’ve made it," or perhaps "I will very soon.” Above all, a gold Rolex spells success. Due to the manufacture’s longevity, the quality of their products, and the unimpeachable position it occupies in the vintage watch market, the value of their watches is as heavy as the gold that they’re cast in. And in certain parts of the world, a gold Rolex has a kind of cachet that transcends the social. Simply put, a gold Rolex is a kind of currency in and of itself, its value evergreen even in uncertain economic times. While a new gold watch loses its value as soon as you wear it out of the store (much like a new car), a gold Rolex is a sound investment. Starting in the 1940s, Rolex cast its trademark Oyster case in precious metals. The most famous of all gold Rolexes is without question the Day-Date of the 1950s, which was presented to President Dwight D. Eisenhower, giving it the nickname by which its perhaps best known: the President. However, Rolex also produced gold watches in its less high-end—but no less desirable—Datejust and Oyster Perpetual Date lines. This watch is an Oyster Perpetual Date Reference 1503 dating from approximately 1979. While the Oyster Perpetual (then, as now) is known for the relative simplicity of its designs, there are often touches of elegance, like engine-turned or fluted bezels. However, while these models can be found mainly in steel with only touches of gold (like this Reference 1002 from the mid-1960s), this Reference 1503 is entirely 14k yellow gold. On the wrist it’s solid, as only a Rolex can be, but the weight is softened by the slim, tapering #585 bracelet with polished center links. The interplay between the dark grey sunburst dial and the 14k gold fluted bezel and gold hour markers also does much to tone down the bravura of the watch, giving it a quiet splendor. For all that we love Day-Dates here, the Reference 1503 is a subtle stunner that is sure to impress. And if impressing isn't enough, it will sure help you channel your inner Alec Baldwin...A, Always, B, Be, C, Closing!