Why We Love It
“Oh, the only gold I know about is the kind you wear.”
Though Miss Moneypenny was insinuating she'd enjoy receiving a wedding ring from 007 in Goldfinger, she had it right.
Let's face it, a gold Rolex is currency- either real or social. Due to the manufacture’s longevity, quality, and position in the market place, Rolex has a developed a certain cache over the years that is virtually unimpeachable.
This particular 35mm Oyster Perpetual Date is cast in a unique 14K yellow gold case, offering a softer, less blingy look than its 18k counterparts. With a very sharp case, nearly flawless champagne gold toned sunburst dial and evenly patinated luminous plots and hands, this piece strikes a perfect balance between understated and illustrious. Equally cool is the matching Jubilee bracelet with 'Big Logo' clasp.
While over polished and over worn gold watches are fairly easy to come by, truly collector grade pieces are more difficult to find by the day. Its safe to say this is one of the cleanest, best looking, and most comfortably-wearing OPDs we've ever had the pleasure to offer.
Simply put, this is a special one folks.
The Story
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 of the battlefield. The Oyster case of 1925 represented the culmination of ten years of development. It gained notoriety in 1927, when Mercedes Gleitze became the first British woman to swim across the English Channel, wearing - you guessed it - a Rolex. A series of advertisements followed, featuring smiling flappers holding their Rolexes in fishtanks.
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, without the fanfare that followed the introduction of the Oyster case. The movement was met with some consternation from purists who decried the "extreme novelty" of a self-winding watch. Nevertheless, Rolex could see that they had struck gold with the Perpetual movement. They continued to develop and improve it over the years, establishing a line of watches that would stand as an alternative to Rolex's sportier models.
The Oyster Perpetuals of the 1960s and 1970s remain some of Rolex's best-loved timepieces. Elegant, with clean lines, the watches are nevertheless sturdy, coming in stainless steel or 18k yellow or pink gold. The Perpetual, Rolex cal. 1570, movement has a straight-line lever escapement and a Breguet balance spring. Meant to be worn every day, the Oyster Perpetual Date combines elegant looks with rugged dependability.
