1979 Rolex Oyster Quartz Datejust 17013 Steel & Gold
Ref: 17013

Points of Mention

This watch is sold as "Watch Only" and therefore comes with no original Rolex box or paperwork. The watch comes paired with its original integrated stainless steel and 18ct Yellow gold link bracelet with a signed folding clasp. The watch is from Circa. 1979 and is sold in worn condition, but overall fair condition as you can see. The watch comes with our 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty.

The Watch

In 1905, German-born Hans Wilsdorf and his brother-in-law Alfred Davis set up a company in London that imported Swiss movements which were installed in British cases and sold to jewellers who put their names on the dials. Recognising the potential for their brand, Wilsdorf created the brand name Rolex in 1908. In 1910, a Rolex became the first wristwatch to carry the Swiss Certificate of Chronometric Precision, awarded by the Official Watch Rating Centre in Bienne, Switzerland. Demand for Rolex watches rose swiftly, and British taxes on the Swiss movements Rolex used prompted Wilsdorf to move the business to Geneva, Switzerland, in 1919. With production costs lowered, Wilsdorf quickly set out to solve the age-old problem of moisture and dust entering a watch case and damaging the movement. The Rolex watchmakers came up with a fully sealed watch case, which Wilsdorf named the Oyster, and released to an appreciative audience in 1926. In 1931, Rolex introduced the first automatic winding wristwatch, giving it the legendary name Oyster Perpetual. In 1945, they released Datejust which was the first watch to have the date jump instantaneously at midnight. The 1950s saw a whole lot of releases such as the Air-King (1958), the Explorer (1953), the Submariner (1953), the GMT Master (1955), the Day-Date (1956), the electromagnetic field resistant Milgauss (1956), the Lady-Datejust (1957) and the first Deep Sea model (1960). Wilsdorf’s death in 1960, saw ownership of Rolex S.A. (a collection of sub-companies) passed to the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation which was founded by Wilsdorf in 1945, the mission of which is simply to sustain Rolex S.A. indefinitely.

As a response to the ever-growing threat of electronic watches to the manufacturers of mechanical watches, Longines collaborated with 20 Swiss brands such as Rolex and Patek Philippe to form Centre Electronique Horloger (CEH). Prototypes began in 1967, with production starting in 1968. Longines beat the rest of the industry and announced the first production quartz wristwatch on August 20, 1969. On April 10, 1970, the Basel Fair opened with more than 20 Swiss quartz watches on display. Here we have a 1979 Rolex Oyster Quartz Datejust 17013 with a 36mm stainless steel and 18ct Yellow Gold case. Its distinctive tonneau shape and integrated lugs create seamless lines. A lug to lug length of 42mm and a case thickness of 12.5mm ensures a comfortable fit on your wrist. The case profile definitely has a Gerald Genta vibe. On the right side is a signed 18ct Yellow Gold crown with deep knurling for extra grip making adjustments a breeze. An 18ct Yellow Gold fluted bezel holds a flat sapphire crystal above the sunburst champagne dial. An outer minute track with lume pips sits above-applied batons that catch the light as your rotate your wrist. At 3 o’clock a date window with cyclops magnification. Elegant baton hands have a strip of lume complemented by a tapered second hand. At 12 o’clock an applied Rolex crown with precisely printed text underneath. At 6 o’clock “Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified”. On the reverse a screw-down coin-edged case back. Inside a Rolex Quartz Cal. 5035. Rolex in 1971 hired René Le Coultre to help develop their next generation of quartz movements, this movement was launched in 1977 and remained in production until 2003. It uses an anchor-style pallet wheel that ticks once per second instead of a traditional stepper motor. The watch comes fitted on its original integrated stainless steel and 18ct Yellow gold link bracelet with a signed folding clasp.

Personal Note

The first time I saw this incredible example I thought it was Stainless Steel & Pink/Rose Gold as the gold has beautifully and evenly patina'd to a warmer tone of yellow gold, truly stunning in the metal and well worth making a visit to see for yourself. This watch screams "Wolf of Wall Street" to me in a cool 1980s kind of way, on the wrist it is super comfortable and I suspect would convert most who aren't into this kind of design.