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Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date ref. 1501

Details

The Story

Here's a vintage Rolex 1501 Oyster Perpetual Date automatic with a clean white roman numeral dial from the 70s. Keeps great time and is fully functional. Measurements include a 34mm oyster case and 19mm lug width. It's on a hard oyster bracelet that fits up to a 7.5 inch wrist. Time and non-quick date function at 3 a clock. White roman numeral dial. Steel engined turn bezel. Lume in both the hands and lume plots developed a nice yellow patina. Steel case and caseback. Drilled lug holes. Both the dial and crystal are free from any scratches or marks. All parts are original including the signed Rolex crown, caseback, dial, and movement. Both the dial and case are in great cosmetic, untouched condition.

Key Specs
History

The Oyster case — waterproof, screw-down crown, winding stem sealed against moisture — was Rolex's founding innovation, patented in 1926. Add a self-winding rotor mechanism from 1931, a date window, and you have the Oyster Perpetual Date: a workhorse that has anchored the Rolex lineup for decades.

The Oysterdate references — particularly the long-running 6694 — use a manual-wind movement in the familiar 34mm Oyster case. Produced from the early 1960s through the 1980s, the 6694 is one of the most collected entry-level vintage Rolex references: honest, unpretentious, and wildly durable. Dial variations across its production run include silver sunburst, champagne, blue, and a range of patina colors that develop naturally over decades.

The automatic counterparts — references 1500, 1501, 1503, 15000, and 15037 — span the 1960s through the 1980s in steel and 14-karat yellow gold, offering the same proportions with the convenience of self-winding. These watches were made to be worn every day, and the best vintage examples wear every day of that history on their dials.