Manufacturer: Rolex Year: Circa 1972 Reference No: 1501 Movement No: D103394 Case No: 3'557'846 Model Name: DateJust Material: 18k pink gold Calibre: Automatic, 1570, 26 jewels Bracelet/Strap: 18k pink gold Rolex Oyster bracelet, 180 mm. maximum length Clasp/Buckle: 18k pink gold Rolex folding deployant clasp Dimensions: 34.5 mm. diameter Signed:Case, dial and movement signed Literature: For another example of a reference 1501, please see Collecting Rolex Wristwatches by Oswaldo Patrizzi, page 178.
Catalogue Essay
The DateJust was first introduced in the mid-1940s and is still in production over 60 years later. The Datejust has evolved alongside the trends of when it was being manufactured. The present watch is a rare variant and is fitted with a rare linen dial and pink graphics to match its 18k pink gold case and bracelet. The watch is further presented in very original and attractive condition.
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.