Manufacturer: Rolex Year: Circa 1978 Reference No: 1500 Movement No: 5’782’466 Model Name: Oyster Perpetual Date Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Automatic, cal. 1570, 26 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet stamped "78350", endlinks stamped "557", max length 185mm Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Rolex Oyster deployant clasp Dimensions: 34mm diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement, bracelet and clasp signed Accessories: Accompanied by Rolex guarantee stamped Yoshikawa Shoten, Tokyo dated 26 July 1980, product literature, wallet, hang tags, presentation box and outer packaging.
Catalogue Essay
Introduced in 1955, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date remains a timeless and classic model in the Rolex lineup, embodying the spirit of the Oyster Perpetual, the first self-winding waterproof wristwatch invented by Rolex, with an added Cyclops lens date window for ease of reading.
The present ref. 1500 from circa 1980 is a beautifully preserved "new-old-stock" Oyster Perpetual Date that has aged to an attractive character. Featuring a timeless silver dial, the watch is exceedingly simplistic yet elegant. Suitable for any occasion, the timepiece exhibits a near-pristine case with crisp lugs, and the case back is accompanied by its original factory sticker. It is further accompanied by its original complete set of accessories, guarantee and presentation box.
Founded in 1905 England by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis as Wilsdorf & Davis, it soon became known as the Rolex Watch Company in 1915, moving its headquarters to Geneva in 1919. Like no other company, the success of the wristwatch can be attributed to many of Rolex's innovations that made them one of the most respected and well-known of all luxury brands. These innovations include their famous "Oyster" case — the world's first water resistant and dustproof watch case, invented in 1926 — and their "Perpetual" — the first reliable self-winding movement for wristwatches launched in 1933. They would form the foundation for Rolex's Datejust and Day-Date, respectively introduced in 1945 and 1956, but also importantly for their sports watches, such as the Explorer, Submariner and GMT-Master launched in the mid-1950s.
One of its most famous models is the Cosmograph Daytona. Launched in 1963, these chronographs are without any doubt amongst the most iconic and coveted of all collectible wristwatches. Other key collectible models include their most complicated vintage watches, including references 8171 and 6062 with triple calendar and moon phase, "Jean Claude Killy" triple date chronograph models and the Submariner, including early "big-crown" models and military-issued variants.