Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date

Why We Love it The Oyster Perpetuals of the 1960s and 1970s remain some of Rolex's best-loved timepieces. Elegant and sturdy, the Reference 1500 series Oyster Perpetual is a wonderful alternative to the slightly larger Datejust, offering an even better value proposition. In a time when more and more brands are returning to smaller and more sensible case sizes, the Oyster Perpetual Date shines at 35mm. This 14K yellow gold example dates to circa 1960 is fitted with a beautiful silver sunburst dial, magnified acrylic crystal, and beautifully aged luminous material throughout. Most interestingly, this lovely watch carries a special engraving - not on the outside, but on the inner caseback: 'Dec. '60 Our Timeless Love Lois & Jodi' Whether commemorating an important friendship - or a secretive pledge between lovers at a time when social norms were far less accepting - this is a beautiful watch with an even more beautiful story! The Oyster Perpetual Story In Rolex's impressive history, the brand has released a veritable arsenal of models that have become classics. Many of these bear the moniker "Oyster Perpetual." While this name is used on a particular model line, it also finds itself used widely across Rolex’s varied collections. This signifies two things: first, that the watch will have the trademark waterproof Rolex Oyster case. And secondly, that the movement beating inside that Oyster case will be one of Rolex's famed Perpetual (automatic winding) movements. Rolex first patented the Oyster case in 1925, but the quest for a waterproof and dust-proof case began shortly before the First World War. The cases of the Great War and the early 1920s came in two or three pieces with an inner case that shielded the movement (then a manual-wind movement) from the wet, dusty conditions on the battlefield. The Oyster case of 1925 represented the culmination of ten years of development. As with the Oyster case, the Perpetual movement saw many iterations before finally being perfected in the 1930s. Rolex's first automatic movement quietly debuted in 1931, and was met with some consternation from purists who decried the "extreme novelty" of a self-winding watch. Nevertheless, Rolex could see that the future lay in the Perpetual movement. They continued to develop and improve it over the years, establishing a line of dressier watches bearing the “Oyster Perpetual” nomenclature that would stand as an alternative to Rolex's sportier models.   These models run the gamut of size, casing material and dial design, and offer a tremendous value for buyers. Meant to be worn every day, the Oyster Perpetual combines elegant looks with rugged dependability, and are very much the backbone of the Rolex brand.