The One Time Rolex Tried to Follow a Trend

In this video, we talk about the one time in their existence that Rolex tried to follow a trend.

February 24, 2021

Rolex is known much more for starting trends than for following them. And yet, at one very specific moment, they attempted to follow one very specific trend: The quartz movement. The result was the Rolex Oysterquartz, a line that came in both Datejust and Day-Date models, and today, we’re going to dive a bit deeper.

In the 70s, quartz movements were the new man about town in the watch industry, and in the face of that, makers of mechanical movement powered watches panicked. Many folded, others completely changed their brand philosophy, and then there was Rolex, who decided to integrate the quartz movement in a way that remained fundamentally true to who the brand is, but also did so with a wholly new design that still echoed what made them great. Making them available in precious metals was a start, for sure, alongside steel. It gave the watches that premium, “Rolex” feeling despite the new technology inside.

The bracelet on the gold model, while flattened and more industrial, is still fundamentally the President bracelet we all know and love. The dials are straight off their Oyster case counterparts. And of course, the build quality and finishing is insane. All in all, what we have are some incredibly rare, sought after, and fascinating examples of a little known slice of Rolex history.