Rolex Oyster Perpetual 14ct Cal.1570 1977

Rolex

Founded in 1905 in England by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis as Wilsdorf & Davis, the partnership became known as the Rolex Watch Company in 1915 and moved 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 have 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.

During the 1930s and ’40s, Rolex also became quite masterful at courting tremendous publicity and excitement through literally being ‘on hand’ during numerous record-breaking events. These were, for example, swimming the English Channel (1927), breaking the world automobile speed record (300mph, 1935), breaking the sound barrier (1947) and climbing Everest for the first time in 1953. No matter how well orchestrated these events came to be, we have to admire Rolex for becoming masters of self-promotion and capitalising on every opportunity with simultaneous worldwide marketing campaigns.

Of course, Rolex is now so ubiquitous it is almost its own kind of its currency. A Rolex is the watch you want on your wrist when you’re in a Third World country when revolution breaks out and there’s only one seat on the plane – and there’s a guy standing there with a machine gun! You give him a Rolex and he’ll give you the seat!

Description

This is a wonderful Rolex Oyster Perpetual carrying a charming, original, unrestored and untouched champagne ‘sunburst’ dial with ‘baton’ hour indices and original ‘stick’ hands. This is Rolex model reference 1005 which contains the Calibre 1570 Chronometer automatic movement.

This Rolex Oyster Perpetual carries the larger-sized 35mm, 14ct yellow gold case with the quite sought after plain, subtle bezel, which along with the rest of the case, is in wonderful condition.

This watch is in superb condition throughout and is very much the classic Rolex timepiece, perfectly suited for all occasions. This watch comes with its original box and original papers which is extremely rare and unusual for a watch that is 34 years old.

The Dial

The stunning ‘sunburst’ gold dial is in the classic Rolex Oyster Perpetual style and simply exudes quality. Furnished with applied faceted ‘baton’ hour indices and the original  ‘stick’ hands, this dial catches the light wonderfully.  A rare feature of this dial are the batons, which are unusual in that they are onyx inlaid, which makes them quite eye-catching. We have seen this on one or two previous examples and this feature is quite impressive.

The dial carries the Rolex Coronet at 12 and is signed ‘Rolex Oyster Perpetual’ and ‘Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified’ with “Swiss’ at the very bottom.

This is the original dial which is completely unrestored, untouched and remains in a wonderful condition. The lens is a new original part, having been replaced as part of the restoration of the watch.

The Movement

The watch carries its original, very high grade ‘Superlative Chronometer’ Calibre 1570, 26 jewel automatic movement which is in sparkling clean condition. The movement has been completely overhauled and serviced which involves fully dismantling, ultrasonic cleaning, inspection under high magnification and replacement of parts, only with new original Rolex parts where required, then careful reassembly and oiling ready for testing and calibration. The watch is now running perfectly, having been calibrated and timed within +4 seconds per day. This is truly outstanding for any watch of this age and has been confirmed by our electronic timegrapher. It is now ready for many more years of faithful service.

The movement is all correctly signed ‘MONTRES ROLEX SA GENEVA’, ‘SWISS’, and ‘TWENTY SIX JEWELS’ with the Calibre number 1570 and the reference number 660304. These movements are very strong, very accurate and very reliable making this watch particularly suited to everyday use should you so wish. As can be seen from the image, this particular movement is in super condition and with regular servicing, say every 4 years, we would fully expect this watch to run happily for many years to come. We are therefore pleased to offer 12 months warranty on this watch movement*.

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

The Case

The case measures 35mm in diameter, excluding the original Rolex Oyster crown and the case, case-back and bezel are all in immaculate condition. The watch has seen only very light use and has been very well cared for so following close inspection and cleaning, the case has simply required a gentle hand-polish to bring the watch to almost new condition once again. The outside of the case-back has never been engraved and importantly, it is of its original thickness.

Inside the case-back, the markings are all correct for a Rolex Geneva Swiss made case. It is signed ‘MONTRES ROLEX S.A GENEVA SWITZERLAND’ and ‘R.W.C. Ltd’ with the correct Swiss Geneva 14ct gold hallmarks, the serial number 3921445 and the model number 1005. The model number can also be clearly found on the outside of the case between the lugs at 12 o’clock and the case serial number is found again on the outside of the case between the lugs at 6 o’clock and dates the watch to 1977.

The case has the screw-down Rolex Oyster crown and screw-down case-back, each complete with new rubber seals. However, 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 Bracelet

This watch is fitted with a genuine vintage 14ct gold bracelet, suitable for a gent’s dress watch with 18mm lugs, such as a Rolex Precision or any other slimmer dress watch.

The bracelet is a good length for a mid to slightly larger than average wrist size at 19.1cm – 19.7cm. A three-step adjustable ladder catch allows an extra 0.6cm. The bracelet could easily be tailored for a smaller wrist at extra cost to make it shorter. Making it longer, however, will be difficult. This bracelet carries the Rolex signature and is stamped B & S as it was made for Rolex by B. H. Britton & Sons, based in Birmingham UK, from 1855 until 1973.

The condition of the bracelet is simply immaculate with no scratches or damage visible to the naked eye. All the links are perfectly aligned and rotate just as they should.

The Box and Papers

The reference numbers, markings, signatures and hallmarks on this watch are all correct, dating this watch to 1977.

Genuine original documents with a watch of this age are very rare,  This watch also includes the original Rolex presentation box and Rolex papers, which include the original chronometer certificate showing the correct serial number 3921445 and the original purchase date of 15th October 1977. Also included is the original chronometer booklet, as shown in the photographs.

Detailed particulars will be included with our purchase receipt for your interest and security. A separate insurance valuation for the replacement value of this watch will 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 100% genuine, authentic and original, a full refund will be given at any time”.

In Conclusion

This is a truly first-class example of a 1970s vintage Rolex Precision which is ready to wear and completely practical for everyday use. 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 good 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.

To summarise, this is a truly rare and highly collectable vintage watch from horology’s most famous name, which is ready to wear, use, treasure and enjoy. It will provide excellent reliability and a sound financial investment, – as long-lasting as the watch itself!

A word on our prices – We always try our hardest to acquire the very highest quality watches we can find, before restoring them to the highest possible standards. We then offer these at the fairest prices we can, taking into account our pre and post sales care and service. This approach means we will never be the cheapest, but nor will we be the most expensive. Indeed there are some well known stores in West London which are highly 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 would like to pay by UK cheque or by UK bank transfer we will be pleased to assist you with this and pass on a 3% saving to you. Paying by bank transfer for a 3% saving will not affect your 12 months warranty. Similarly, if you wish to pay by International SWIFT or Bank Wire Transfer we will provide you with our BIC / Swift number and our IBAN number.

If you have any questions please call us on our Landline 0207 727 7095 or Mobile 07515 949250 or if calling from overseas, on Landline +44 207 727 7095 or Mobile +44 7515 949250.

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

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

Please take a look at our other fine vintage gold watches.

Thank you.