Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cal.1560 18ct 1958

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 Oyster Perpetual collection which included the 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.

Description

A very rare and highly attractive 18ct Gold Rolex Oyster Perpetual Chronometer in mint condition from 1958. This Rolex model reference 1005 has the most beautifully elegant ’50’s silver-white burst dial. Original gilt ‘Dauphine’ hands pair wonderfully with the ‘Hearts and Arrows’ hour indices. The silver burst dial is original unrestored and untouched and has been left this way, due to its extraordinary good condition relative to its age. There is some very light fading and speckling but this is even and not unattractive, particularly because on the wrist this is much less noticeable and lends some extra charm and character to the watch.

At 34mm in diameter, excluding the crown, this is quite a large sized watch by 1950s standards and the watch case carries the ‘Thunderbird’ bezel which is immaculate and is another rare feature of this watch.

The original Rolex Calibre 1560, 26 Jewel Chronometer grade movement is superbly accurate and reliable even by current day standards. The watch has just been fully inspected and overhauled by our team and as can be seen, the movement is sparkling clean, following its service by our vintage Rolex specialist watchmaker.

The Dial

This classic 1950s Rolex Oyster Perpetual dial is beautifully simple and elegant. A wonderful and very rare example of the beautiful Hearts & Arrowhead hour indices burst dial. This was an early forerunner to the classic Rolex design which carries through to this day. The dial looks wonderful against the gold case and the original restored Rolex 1950s ‘Dauphine’ hands. The dial carries the perennial Rolex Coronet at the very top of the dial.

The silver-white dial is beautifully well balanced and benefits greatly in terms of symmetry, by the absence of a date window. It is correctly signed ‘Rolex Oyster Perpetual’ and ‘Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified’ with ‘Swiss’ at the very bottom of the dial.

The dial is original and unrestored and has been left untouched by our restoration team because of its excellent condition, relative to its age. Usually, we restore the dials of the watches we list. However, here we decided to retain its originality and charm for those who prefer this. The even fading and speckling is not offensive as it is hardly noticeable when the watch is on the wrist. This contrasts with most of the other watch dials on this website which have been restored. If you particularly like this watch and you would prefer to buy the watch and have the dial restored we will be happy to arrange this with some small price adjustment.

Note – the images you see here were taken with a high-resolution professional camera and high power macro lens. Please also remember the photographs on your computer screen are many times larger than the watch is in real life.

The Watch Case

The 18ct yellow gold case is in tip-top condition and measures 34mm, excluding the original Rolex signed, Oyster screw-down crown. This would have been a large sized gentlemans wristwatch for the 1950s.

The case carries the rare Metropolitan bezel, sometimes often referred to as the Thunderbird bezel. This carries a light radial engraving which here is in perfect condition. This again is rare, because this part of the watch case is most prone to damage.

The case has been professionally cleaned and carefully inspected, and required only light polishing. It is in superb condition with no scratches, dings or other damage, visible to the naked eye.

Inside the case-back, all the markings are as expected and correct with the Rolex signature. Signed ‘Montres Rolex SA Geneva Switzerland’, along with Geneva Swiss 18ct hallmarks and the model reference number 1005. The watch also carries a clear case serial number 997603 between the lugs at 6 o’clock which confirms the date of manufacture of this watch as 1958. Between the lugs at 12 reads ‘Registered Design’ and a further Rolex model reference number, ‘1026’.

Please note – even though this watch was specified as waterproof when new, and the rubber seals have been replaced on the case-back and crown, the water-resistance of this watch has not been tested and is not guaranteed.

As ever, our standard advice applies: Vintage watches should be kept clean and dry at all times.

The Movement

The watch carries its original very high grade ‘Superlative Chronometer’ Calibre 1560, 26 Jewel automatic movement which here is in sparklingly clean condition. The movement has been fully overhauled and serviced by our watchmaker. This means it has been fully dismantled to all its component parts, before ultrasonic cleaning, microscope inspection and replacement of parts with new originals where required. Then careful reassembly and oiling ready for final testing and calibration. The watch is now running perfectly having been calibrated and timed at -9 seconds per day, which is truly outstanding for any watch of this age. It is therefore ready for many more years of reliable service. This movement has a 44 hour power reserve when fully wound.

The movement is all correctly signed ‘MONTRES ROLEX SA GENEVA’, ‘SWISS’, and ‘TWENTY SIX JEWELS’ with the Calibre number 1560 and the serial number 30376

These Chronometer grade movements are very strong, very accurate and very reliable making this watch perfectly suitable for evening wear and everyday use. This particular movement is in superb A1 condition and with regular servicing, every 3 – 4 years, we would fully expect this watch to run happily for many more years to come! We are pleased to offer a 12 month warranty on this watch movement*.

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

The Strap & Buckle

A new high quality brown bull leather strap has been fitted, along with a matching gold-plated Rolex buckle. However, if a different colour or style of strap is preferred, please let us know and we will do our best to oblige free of charge. We carry tan, conker, dark brown and black in stock in plain padded leather, crocodile skin or lizard skin. We can also obtain most types and colours from our partners at ‘Watch Obsession’ within 48hrs. Please take a look at their huge range of 18mm straps if you wish here.

The matching Rolex Oyster inner and outer presentation boxes as shown in the photographs are included in the sale.

Conclusion

This is a truly first class example of a rare 18ct gold 1958 vintage Rolex Oyster Perpetual with a Thunderbird bezel and an unrestored dial in mint condition, which is ready to wear and completely practical for everyday use. If treated with care, it will make an excellent investment and heirloom piece. Even though vintage Rolex prices have risen markedly of late, we still feel first class examples such as this remain undervalued. And as each year goes by and the world market for vintage Rolex watches continues to expand, prices will inevitably climb ever higher.

To summarise, this is a 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. 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 0207 727 7095. If calling from overseas: +44 207 727 7095.

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

We will also be pleased to service, repair or restore your vintage watch, all at ‘sensible’ prices. Please see here.

Please take a look at our wide range of fine vintage gold watches.

Thank you.