Watches

The 1970s were an interesting time for the watch industry. The Great Quartz Crisis from Japan offered the world better quality watches, that were more accurate, more reliable, and generally much more affordable. A kiss of death for mechanical watchmaking at the time. Even the very best of Switzerland will still lose accuracy over time — an issue that a quartz watch virtually solved (though not perfect). Great, beloved Swiss brands like Universal Genève, Gallet, Zodiac, and Blancpain would disappear — some of which were acquired by holding companies, other brands, etc. and eventually resurface, but hundreds of smaller brands were completely wiped away. Rolex responded by producing their own version of the quartz watch called it the Oysterquartz, which introduced a more style-forward and angular design that was becoming popular in the 1970s, and of course, a quartz movement inside. On top of this new model line name, these pieces utilized existing cornerstone model names to denote specific models with the Oysterquartz range, such as the Datejust and Day-Date. By the middle of the 1980s, the Swiss watch industry was able to pivot and re-establish itself as a luxury product worthy of higher prices that could justify the cost and complexity of designing and manufacturing a mechanical watch. So the Oysterquartz is massively important in the history of Rolex, representing the only time in its nearly 120-years of business that it was ever under siege in a truly threatening way. These did not stay in the Rolex lineup for long and therefore surprisingly hard to come by. The piece that we have here is a Day-Date variant dating to circa 1988, and as with all other pieces in Rolex's flagship line, it is constructed out of solid gold. In this case, yellow gold with a very of-its-time, lacquered 'burlwood' dial within — further adding to this pieces scarcity. The case and integrated bracelet are in excellent overall condition, having seen a light previous polishing and showing only light signs of wear throughout and only one small impression on the upper left lug. The 'fluted' yellow gold bezel retains crisp finishing and also shows only light signs of wear. Inside, the non-luminous lacquered burlwood dial with its printed minute markers, applied hour markers, and framed day & date apertures remains in outstanding, seemingly-flawless condition and is complimented by a matching non-luminous handset. The flat-link bracelet wears beautifully and features a signed 'hidden' deployant clasp. This then, is a strange yet important piece from the pages of Rolex's history, and is a must if you are looking to add a Day-Date to a collection of many, or simply snag a lesser-known piece thats a bit out of the ordinary. Condition: Case : Previously polished, showing light signs of wear throughout with only one small impression present on the center of the upper left lug. Bezel: Shows very light previous polishing, retaining crisp its crisp 'fluted' finishing and matching light wear with no significant impressions or damage. Dial: Non-luminous lacquered 'burlwood' is seemingly-flawless, with no visible imperfections or wear. Matching non-luminous yellow gold handset. Bracelet: Rolex 18K yellow gold 'flat-link' bracelet with 21 links and signed hidden clasp stamped 'G.' Shows matching light previous polishing and light signs of wear and virtually no stretch. Sized for ≈6.75" wrist. Shipping: All watches will be shipped via FedEx Insured Priority Overnight shipping. International shipping will be shipped via FedEx International Priority Express, always fully insured. This service is included in the listed price and will not incur any additional fees. All watches are shipped 1-2 business days after receiving payment confirmation by Chrono24. We are unable to ship watches on Saturday or Sunday. Our Policy: We service or perform necessary maintenance to the extent necessary to all of our watches, unless otherwise noted. All watches are listed and sold running and functioning as intended. Our Guarantee: Through rigorous vetting of each watch offered, we’re able to guarantee authenticity of our pieces. Ultimately, your satisfaction is our mission, as is helping you get YOUR perfect watch. If you have any questions at all, we will get back to you ASAP. Each of our timepieces are vetted, evaluated, authenticated, and approved by our experienced team of experts and watchmakers prior to sale. We guarantee the period-correctness of all components unless otherwise disclosed. We guarantee the authenticity of each watch in perpetuity.

The Rolex Day-Date, introduced in 1956, was the first wristwatch to display the date and day of the week spelled out in full in a window on the dial. It is exclusively made of precious metals, primarily 18k gold or platinum. The Day-Date is often associated with influential figures and has earned the nickname 'The President’s Watch.'