Rolex Oysterquartz 18K White Gold
Rolex Oysterquartz 18K White Gold
1 Year Warranty
Your watch comes with a full covered One-year warranty.
- Free worldwide shipping
- Exchange anytime
- Carbon neutral
- Secure payments
- Low stock - 1 item left
A long-lost Rolex Subline
Picked for you by Marc
Model: Oysterquartz 18K
Collection: Oysterquartz
Reference: 17014
Year: 1980
Scope of Delivery: Original Box with Service Guarantee and digital Asset
Glass: Saphire Crystal
Case Material: Stainless Steel
Bezel Material: 18ct. Solid White Gold
Case Back Material: Stainless Steel
Features: Date
Indexes: Print and Applied
Dial Handstyle: Obélisque Hands
Caliber: 5035
Number of Stones: 11
Clasp Type: Fold Over Clasp
Clasp Material: Rolex Stainless Steel
About the Watch
Rolex embarked on its journey into electronic timekeeping as early as the 1950s, long before the "Quartz crisis" of the 1970s. In 1952, they were granted their inaugural patent for an electro-mechanical watch design. The first quartz watch offered by Rolex for commercial sale was the Quartz Date 5100, introduced in 1970. This timepiece featured the Beta 21 movement, a collaborative effort by Rolex and 20 other Swiss watchmaking brands. Notably, other Swiss companies such as Omega and Enicar also adopted this movement, leading to a total of 16 Swiss watchmakers branding their watches with the Beta 21 quartz unit. Rolex's production of the Quartz Date 5100 was limited to just 1000 pieces before they initiated their own quartz movement development, ultimately leading to the creation of the Oysterquartz. In 1977, after five years of meticulous design, development, and rigorous testing, Rolex unveiled their first entirely in-house quartz movements. These movements, the 5035 and 5055, represented cutting-edge technology and boasted exceptional craftsmanship and precision. With 11 jewels, these movements incorporated state-of-the-art CMOS circuitry, a 32kHz oscillator, and analog thermo-compensation. Remarkably, their finishing and attention to detail surpassed even Rolex's mechanical movements, a fact that becomes evident upon closer inspection. A distinctive feature of the 5035 and 5055 quartz movements was the inclusion of Geneva stripes, a feature typically reserved for high-end mechanical movements. In terms of both craftsmanship and aesthetics, no other quartz movement could rival them. It is estimated that fewer than 25,000 Oysterquartz watches were ever manufactured. The last appearance of the Reference 17000 in the Rolex catalog was in 2001, coinciding with the last year Rolex received chronometer certificates for quartz movements from the COSC (Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute). This suggests that 2001 marked the likely conclusion of Oysterquartz watch production. The steel and gold dual-tone models and all-gold models remained available in the Rolex catalog until 2003, at which point the remaining stock of these models was exhausted.
About the Brand
Known the world over, Rolex is a benchmark for prestige and quality in watchmaking. Since its creation, the brand has placed the reliability of its products uppermost. It submits virtually its entire movement production for testing by the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres to obtain COSC certification. Rolex is also renowned for its after-sales service which is performed by staff who have been specially trained, often in Rolex's own schools in countries around the globe, including the United States and Japan. Rolex was founded by Hans Wilsdorf. A Bavarian watchmaker who emigrated to Switzerland, he immediately put his natural flair for products and business acumen at the service of a brand that would soon forge an international reputation. He was succeeded in 1963 by André Heiniger, whose son Patrick took over at the helm in 1992. Bruno Meier in 2009 then Gian Riccardo Marini in 2011 were successively appointed at the head of the business, a limited company (société anonyme) that is wholly owned by the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation. In 2014, Jean-Frédéric Dufour, previously Chief Executive of Zenith, was named as the new CEO. Such a reputation hasn't gone unnoticed among collectors, as recent auction results demonstrate. At a 2013 sale in Geneva, for example, a Daytona Chronograph in steel achieved an absolute record price of US$ 1.1 million. The brand hones its image through associations with prominent and well-respected personalities chosen from the arts and sports. Also, in 1976 Rolex launched its Awards for Enterprise which each year single out innovative projects that promote sustainable development. The Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative gives young artists a privileged opportunity to benefit from the experience of masters in their field.
