An automatic, stainless steel, Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date reference 1500 model with the classic silver sunburst dial and stick hour markers with a trench like design running through them. This original dial remains untouched, and in excellent condition featuring all lume plots in tact that have a slight lemony colour. The printing of the serif text and chapter hash marks are in black, which stand out well on the dial. The classic, white gold, baton hands also contain the original luminous material, which matches the plots perfectly, and respond the same under ultraviolet light.
The watch is powered by the classic Rolex, Swiss made, twenty six jewel automatic caliber 1570. A movement that also powered the iconic sports watches of the time, such as; the Explorer and the Submariner. Technically, the 1570 is very similar to the iconic and well-known 3135. They both feature a free-sprung balance, and hairspring overcoil, however, the 3135 did feature some upgrades, one of which is the beat frequency. It was introduced all the way back in 1965, and remained in the Rolex stable of watches till about 1974. As can be seen on the dial of this watch, it did obtain COSC certification hence the dial mention being printed with the 'official chronometer certification'.
Either side of the "T SWISS T" are a flanking pair of “sigma” letters just below the 6 o’clock marker. This was a sign chosen by members of the l’Association pour la Promotion Industrielle de l’Or (APRIOR), to apply to dials in 1973, the charge was led by the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry with a clear mission: promote when gold parts were used on a watch to enhance the perceived intrinsic value of a traditional watch. One must remember the exact context of what was going on in the Swiss watch industry at the time. Mechanical watches were about to become technically obsolete as quartz movements were on the rise, in a world facing a strong economic recession, no less. And what better way to underline the deeper value of the good old mechanical watches than by mentioning their intrinsically valuable components. The ‘sum-of-the-parts’ logic here might sound twisted at first, but it becomes much less so when correlated to the skyrocketing price of gold, which almost quintupled between 1970 and 1974.
The sigma symbols were proof that the hands and indexes on a watch were made of solid gold. “A watch signed with the sigma is a durable investment,” emphasized the APRIOR in marketing campaigns. There are exceptions to the 1973 rule, as Rolex watches can be found from around 1970, but with regard to this watch, and other very high end Swiss watches from the period, this is why the addition of the sigma letter to the dial can be found.
Made circa 1974, with a serial number 3611XXX engraved between the lugs. The watch is in original condition, lightly polished over the years, and on a tight, but later production, stainless steel Oyster bracelet. The watch comes with a Foundwell one-year warranty against mechanical failure. This is a great looking, timeless piece of design that, if there is only one watch you own, it should be something as classic as this.
