Rolex Oyster Perpetual 9ct 1954

Rolex

Founded in 1905 in England by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis as Wilsdorf & Davis, the company became known as the Rolex Watch Company in 1915, moving from London to its new Geneva headquarters in 1919. The success of the wristwatch can be largely attributed to many of Rolex’s innovations which made the company one of the most respected and well-known of all luxury brands. These included its famous “Oyster” case — the world’s first water-resistant and dustproof watch case, invented in 1926 — and its “Perpetual” — the world’s first reliable, self-winding movement for the wristwatch, launched in 1933. These would form the foundation for Rolex’s Datejust and Day-Date, respectively introduced in 1945 and 1956. Also and equally importantly, Rolex is known for its sports watches, such as the Explorer, Submariner and GMT-Master launched in the mid-1950s.

Description

A classic 1950s vintage gold Rolex Oyster Perpetual gentleman’s dress watch, featuring a beautiful silver dial, with early ‘pencil’ style hour indices, original ‘Dauphine’ hands and a ‘Lollipop’ blued steel seconds hand. This is Rolex model reference 6567, with the Calibre 1030, 25 Jewel ‘butterfly movement’. The case and movement are truly immaculate, having seen very little real use. This watch has been fully restored and is now ready and set for many more years of faithful service!

The Dial

1950s vintage Rolex dials are, we feel, the most wonderful examples of Rolex style and classic elegance at its best. This particular dial in silver contrasts beautifully with the Rolex Coronet at 12 o’clock, and the applied gold ‘Pencil’ hour indices. It is full of character and 1950s Rolex charm and the original, restored ‘Dauphine’ hands and ‘Lollipop’ blued steel seconds hand perfectly complete the ensemble.

Incidentally, we are often asked about the hands on a watch and blemishes which are sometimes apparent in our photographs. This is, we feel, because we offer larger photographs and use a higher definition camera and higher magnification macro lens than virtually all other watch sellers on the Internet. While this the most honest way of working, this can be a little cruel in exposing every tiny flaw on a vintage watch which the naked eye cannot see or would not normally pick up.

The hands on this watch are original to the watch and have been polished to remove any tarnishing and pitting. While some of this is still apparent in the photographs, in truth you would be pushed to notice this on your wrist unless you held the watch very close to your eye and you have 20:20 eyesight! So rather than replace the hands, we have decided to retain them, partly for the sake of originality, and partly because they are in excellent condition for their age. Also, because many vintage watch buyers prefer a little honest originality in their vintage watch as they feel this retains some of the character and charm. With this in mind, we think if you were to buy this watch and place it on your wrist, you will agree with us. However will then offer the option if you prefer, of changing the hands, free of charge for a correct set of new replacements.

The lens has been replaced with a new original Rolex part and so is totally clear and scratch-free.

This dial is in stunning condition due to the superb work of our dial restorers. It is simply immaculate. This is the original dial which has been expertly restored to the very highest standards by our dial restorers who are considered to be the best in the UK.

The Case

The 9ct Rolex Oyster watch case is totally immaculate and measures 34mm in diameter, excluding the Rolex Oyster crown and 40mm including the lugs.

This watch has only seen very light occasional use and has therefore simply required professional cleaning and very careful gentle hand-polishing to bring the solid gold case back to showroom condition. The case is showing no scratches, dings, damage or signs of over polishing visible to the naked eye.

The screw-back case-back has a new rubber seal and this is also in “as new’ condition. It is highly polished and of full thickness meaning it has therefore never been engraved. Inside the case-back, all is as expected and signed ‘MONTRES ROLEX SA’, ‘GENEVA SWISS’, ‘PATENTED’ with the Rolex model number 6567. It also carries all the appropriate twin hallmarks for Geneva and 9ct gold.  Externally the case serial number 103248 is very clear and distinct on the outside of the case, between the lugs at ‘6’. This number dates the watch to 1954.

The case has the screw-down Rolex Oyster crown and screw-down case-back, each complete with new rubber seals. Although this watch was specified as waterproof when new, this has not been tested and it is not guaranteed

As ever our standard advice applies: Vintage watches should be kept clean and dry at all times.

The Movement

The high grade, Rolex Calibre 1030, 25 Jewel automatic movement is quite a rare movement and represents a significant milepost in the development of the Rolex automatic, since it was the first to feature a bi-directional automatic winding system.

The movement is running perfectly following a complete overhaul and service by our vintage Rolex specialist watchmaker. This involves completely dismantling the movement to all its component parts, close examination and replacement where necessary with only genuine Rolex parts, then careful reassembly and lubrication with only Rolex specified lubricants. This particular movement looks incredibly clean and winds and sets very nicely just as it should. When tested following its overhaul, this watch was found to be keeping superb time to within +5 seconds per day! This is incredibly good for any watch of this age. We are therefore highly confident in offering this watch with a 12 months warranty on the movement* and will also be very happy to assist you with competitively priced servicing in the future.

These Chronometer grade movements are very strong, very accurate and very reliable making this watch perfectly suitable for both evening wear and everyday use. This movement is in superb, sparkling clean, A1 condition and with regular servicing say every 3 – 4 years, we would fully expect this watch to run happily another lifetime!

The movement is again all correctly signed ‘MONTRES ROLEX SA GENEVA’, ‘SWISS’, with the Calibre number 1030 and ‘TWENTY FIVE JEWELS’ along with the reference number 567135.

Please note – our 12 months’ warranty is only applicable if the list price is paid.

The Strap & Buckle

A new high quality brown Crocodile strap has been fitted, along with a matching gold plated Rolex buckle. However, if a different colour or style of strap is preferred, please let us know and we will do our best to oblige free of charge. We carry tan, conker, dark brown and black in stock in plain padded leather, crocodile skin or lizard skin. We can also obtain most colours and types of strap from our partners at ‘Watch Obsession’ within 48hrs. Please take a look at their huge range of 19mm straps if you wish here.

The Box and Papers

Although there are no original papers with this watch, the reference numbers, markings, signatures and hallmarks are all correct, dating this watch to 1954.

Detailed particulars will be included with the receipt, along with our 12 months warranty*.  A separate insurance valuation for the replacement value of this watch will also be provided at the time of sale along with our unique ‘Lifetime Authenticity Guarantee’ which states: “If this watch proves to be anything less than totally authentic, or not as described, Vintage Gold Watches of London will offer you a full refund at any time”.

The Rolex Oyster presentation box, as shown in the photographs, is included in the sale.

In Conclusion

This is a truly outstanding example of a 1950s vintage Rolex automatic which is ready to wear and very appropriate and practical for regular everyday use. It is also a highly collectable timepiece from horology’s most famous name, which if treated with care will provide an excellent financial investment as well as be something to treasure and enjoy! If treated with care, it will make an excellent investment or heirloom piece and even though vintage gold Rolex prices have risen markedly recently, we still feel excellent examples such as this are still undervalued. As each year goes by and the world market for vintage gold Rolex watches continues to expand, prices will continue to climb ever higher.

A word about our prices – We always try our hardest to acquire the very best quality watches we can find before restoring these to the highest possible standards. We then offer these watches at the fairest prices we can, taking into account our pre and post sales care and service. This approach inevitably means we will never be the cheapest, but nor will we be the most expensive. Indeed there are a number of well known stores in West London which are very successful, charging between two to three times the price you see here. We therefore consider our prices to be fair, given the quality of watches we have to offer.

We are happy to accept PayPal as this is the quickest method of payment. However, if you choose to pay by UK bank transfer, we will be pleased to pass on a 3% transaction saving to you. – Please contact us to reserve the watch and request our bank details. Similarly, if you wish to pay by International SWIFT or International Bank Wire Transfer, we will provide you with our BIC / Swift number and our IBAN number.

Please note, we welcome part exchanges and if you have a watch or small collection for sale, please contact us as we will be happy to discuss this.

We will be happy to Service, Repair, or Restore your watch, all at ‘sensible’ prices. Please see here.

If you have any questions, please call our landline 020 7727 7095  or mobile  07515 949 250 or if calling from overseas our landline number is +44 207 727 7095  or mobile +44 7515 949 250.

We will be happy to answer any questions and offer advice about this or any of our watches listed for sale. If you would like some general advice regarding any aspect of vintage watches, including buying, selling, or collecting, we will also be very happy to hear from you. We await your call!

Finally, please enjoy some time spent viewing our other fine vintage gold watches.

Thank you.