Ladies Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust Ref.6917 18ct 1979

Rolex

Founded in 1905 in England by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis as Wilsdorf & Davis, the partnership soon became known as the Rolex Watch Company in 1915, moving 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 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 highly elegant Ladies Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust with the original president bracelet, both in 18ct yellow gold from 1979. This is Rolex model reference 6917, containing the Rolex Calibre 2030, 28 Jewel automatic movement which is superbly accurate and reliable, even by current day standards. This remarkable watch carries a wonderful fluted bezel along with an incredible, completely original, unrestored and untouched ‘sunburst’ dial.

At 25mm in diameter, excluding the Rolex Oyster screw-down crown, this is a good-sized ladies watch by the standards of the period.

The Dial

The watch carries a wonderful example of a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust dial with beautiful ‘baton’ hour indices. This is the forerunner to the iconic Rolex design which carries through to this day. The completely original, unrestored and untouched ‘sunburst’ dial matches perfectly with the 18ct yellow gold case and carries original unrestored 1970s ‘stick’ hands. This watch carries a perfect cyclops date window at 3.

The dial carries the perennial Rolex Coronet at the very top and is signed ‘Rolex Oyster-Perpetual Datejust’ at the very top of the dial below 12, ‘Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified’ at the bottom of the dial above 6 and ‘T Swiss T’ at the very bottom of the dial below 6.

As the dial is original and unrestored, this has been left untouched by our restoration team due to its superb condition. Usually, we restore the dials of the watches we sell, however we decided in this case to leave it alone. It also helps to contrast with almost all of the other watch dials you see on our website, which have been restored. The hands, likewise, have also been left in their original condition.

Please note, studio lights, professional-grade digital cameras, and macro lenses can be very unkind to an unrestored vintage watch dial. Also the dial here measures less than 1.25 inches across, so the image you’re seeing may be between 5 – 25 times larger than the watch itself. Therefore please keep in mind you are seeing many tiny flaws which cannot be seen, or will be very hard to see with the naked eye, even under close examination. Suffice to say, on the wrist, in natural light, this dial looks much better and carries a great deal more charm than the photographs portray.

The Watch Movement

The original, high grade 28 Jewel, Calibre 2030 automatic movement is highly regarded for being very accurate, reliable and strong. As can be seen in the photographs, it is in sparkling condition and it is working perfectly following a thorough overhaul and service by our vintage Rolex specialist watchmaker. This means the movement has been completely disassembled to each of its component parts, cleaned and inspected under high magnification and then rebuilt using only original Rolex parts where required, before testing and careful calibration. The watch has just been tested and is running to within +4 seconds per day, which is outstanding for a vintage watch of this age! The movement also has a 42 hour power reserve when fully wound.

These movements are strong, accurate and very reliable making the watch appropriate for regular everyday use. This particular movement is in top condition and with regular servicing every 2 to 3 years we would fully expect this watch to run very happily for many more decades to come! We are therefore pleased to offer a 12-month warranty on this watch movement* and servicing in the future.

This dial is signed ‘Montres Rolex SA Geneva Swiss’ and ‘Twenty Eight Jewels’, the movement also carries the movement reference number 800077 and the calibre number 2030.

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

The Watch Case

The 18ct yellow gold case measures 25mm, excluding the Rolex Oyster screw-down crown, this wonderful watch also carries the beautiful fluted bezel which remains practically perfect. The case has been carefully inspected inside and out and then restored to ‘as new’ condition by very gentle cleaning and hand-polishing by our professional watch case restorer. Even though this is over 40 years old, no definition has been lost and it is therefore in superb condition with no scratches, dings or similar marks visible to the naked eye.The screw-down case-back is of full-thickness, having never been inscribed.

The inside of the case-back carries the Rolex model number 6900 with 18ct Swiss Geneva hallmarks and is signed ‘Montres Rolex SA Geneva Switzerland’. Very importantly, the case also carries its clearly defined serial number, 6312947, between the lugs at ‘6’, along with the Rolex model reference number 6917, (again) at ’12’. The case serial number confirms the date of manufacture of the watch to 1979.

Please note – although the waterproof seals have been replaced and this watch was originally specified as waterproof when new, this has not been tested and it is not guaranteed. As always, our standard advice applies: vintage watches should be kept clean and dry at all times.

The Bracelet

This stunning Rolex Oyster Perpetual carries the original president reference 8570, 18ct yellow gold bracelet is original to this watch and is of full size. The bracelet has been very lightly used with no stretch and is free from any marks or damage visible to the naked eye. This bracelet will fit a wrist size of 15.9cm.

Box and Papers

Although there are no original papers with this watch, the reference numbers, markings, signatures and hallmarks are all correct, dating this watch to 1979.

Detailed particulars will be included with our purchase receipt for your interest and security. A separate insurance valuation for the replacement value of this watch will be provided at the time of sale along with our unique ‘Lifetime Authenticity Guarantee’ which states: “If this watch proves to be anything less than 100% genuine, authentic and original, a full refund will be given at any time”.

This watch comes complete with a green suede Rolex pouch included.

Payment and Delivery

If you would like to pay by bank transfer, we will be pleased to assist you with this. 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.

Please check the import duties and any taxes your government may apply, these are different for each country and, unfortunately, out of our control.

We understand there may be some ‘loopholes’ that may help you avoid these charges; however, attempting to use these could impact our ongoing ability to serve our growing international customer base.

For those who happen to visit London on occasion, we are, of course, more than happy to store your watch until we can meet you in our offices in Kensington, London, and hand your watch directly to you there.

As with all our watches, this watch will be sold under our 14 days no-quibble sale or return policy.

In Conclusion

This is a truly first class example of a ladies 1970s vintage Rolex Oyster Perpetual datejust dress watch which is ready to wear and completely practical for everyday use. If treated with care, it will make an excellent investment or heirloom piece and even though vintage gold Rolex prices have risen markedly recently, we still feel good examples such as this are still undervalued. As each year goes by and the world market for vintage gold Rolex watches continues to expand, prices will continue to climb ever higher.

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.

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

We will also be happy to Service your watch, Repair your watch or Restore your watch, all at ‘sensible’ prices. Please see here.

If you have any questions please call us on 020 7727 7095 or if calling from overseas on +44 207 727 7095.

Please take a look at our other fine vintage gold watches.

Thank you.