1980 Rolex Oysterquartz Datejust Steel & Gold 17013
Ref: 17013
Specification
Lugs :Â 23.5mm
Condition :Â Pre-Owned
Box & Papers :Â None
Case Material :Â Stainless Steel & 18ct Yellow Gold
Warranty : 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty
Points of Mention
This watch is sold “Watch Only” and therefore without its original box or paperwork. The watch comes paired with its original Rolex-signed integrated 23.5mm steel and 18ct yellow gold centre links bracelet with a signed folding clasp and will fit up to a 7-inch wrist. The watch is from Circa.1980, based on the serial numbers, and is sold in worn condition, as you can see from the photographs. The watch comes with our 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty.
For more photos see here -Â https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1y6IuT71ywCd6Qd-6w_XbA7QWByy1eb6P?usp=drive_link
4K YouTube video, skip to 12:35Â -Â https://youtu.be/wcMg-5W7HJQ
The Watch
Here we have a 1980 Rolex Oysterquartz Datejust Steel & Gold 17013 with a 36mm stainless steel barrel-shaped case with drilled lugs, a subtle curve to the case leads to a lug-to-lug length of 42mm and a case thickness of 13mm that ensures a comfortable fit on your wrist. On the right side, is a signed 18ct Yellow gold crown and an attractive 18ct Yellow gold fluted bezel that holds a sapphire crystal above a sunburst champagne dial. An outer minute track with Tritium pips is precisely printed surrounding applied 18ct Yellow gold baton indexes marking the hours, at 3 o’clock a date window with cyclops magnification on the crystal. Elegant 18ct Yellow gold baton hands have a strip of Tritium luminance complemented by a tapered second hand, at noon an applied Rolex crown with printed text “Rolex OysterQuartz DateJust" underneath, and at 6 o’clock “Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified”. On the reverse, a coin-edged screw-down case back, inside a Quartz Rolex Cal. 5035, 11 jewels and has a quickset date. The watch comes paired with its original Rolex-signed integrated 23.5mm Steel and 18ct Yellow Gold centre links bracelet with a signed folding clasp and will fit up to a 7-inch wrist.
Personal Note
The Rolex Oysterquartz Datejust Steel & Gold reference 17013 is an absolute treat on the wrist, at 36mm and with an integrated bracelet it wears beautifully and hugs the wrist effortlessly. I am amazed that Rolex still hasn't brought this design back and I really do hope we see it appear soon, I think it would take the watch world by absolute surprise and sell out immediately. In the meantime, you can pick up this great example at an equally great price instead!
The Brand
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. The Datejust 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.