Rolex Day-Date Oysterquartz Ref. 19048 - Sapphire & Diamond String Dial with Papers
Straight Facts
The First Rule of Rolex: Rolexes Don’t Tick. (except when they do?)
It used to be that they way you knew a fake Rolex from a real one, was that Rolexes didn’t tick. They were known for that gentle perpetual sweeping motion. Surely a brand as vaunted as Rolex would never make a battery powered watch. Wrong.
The 1970’s were an interesting time for the watch industry. The Great Quartz Crisis from Japan offered the world better quality watches, that were more accurate, more reliable, and eventually more affordable. A bit of the kiss of death for mechanical watchmaking at the time - even the best of automatic watches will still lose accuracy overtime - something a quartz watch never has to contend with. Many of the great Swiss watch brands disappeared during this time. Brands like Universal Geneve, Gallet, Zodiac, and even Blancpain were wiped away some to disappear for decades. Rolex responded with their own version of the quartz watch - they called it the Oysterquartz. Housed in a more style-forward angular sports case that was desired in the 1970’s and using an in-house quartz movement … this is a real battery powered Rolex watch!
These are extremely rare - as they did not stay in the lineup for long. By the middle of the 1980s, the Swiss watch industry was able to pivot and re-establish itself as a luxury product worthy of higher prices that could justify the cost and complexity of making a mechanical watch. So this Oysterquartz is massively important in the history of Rolex representing the only time in its century of business that it was ever under siege in a truly threatening way.
That being said, the present Oysterquartz is a very up-market example, utilizing the Day-Date complication that has often been reserved for the brands most prestigious watches. As with all Day-Dates, this model is cased up in precious metal, 18K yellow gold, and to add another level to this - features a stunning and exceedingly rare Sapphire and Diamond String Dial. The dial gets its name from the thin string of diamonds (and in this case also sapphires) acting like an inner rail scale. Topping it all off is truly unprecedented condition with a fully in-tact caseback sticker, unpolished case, and punched papers. To have the Rolex that goes tick-tock - this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
*Some marks or spots on the dial are reflections or dust on the crystal and are due to high intensity strobe lighting used while photographing. They are not actually on the watch or visible in natural lighting
Watch + Condition Details
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Shipping, Returns, & Warranty
At Oliver & Clarke, domestic shipping is on us! If you are international and require a quote – please feel free to reach out to us at info@oliverandclarke.com so we can get you squared away.
Returns (accepted within 3 days of initial delivery of your purchase) must be sent overnight or by priority international delivery, fully insured and paid for by the customer. For payments via Credit Card, a 5% restocking fee will be in place for any returns or cancellations in order to cover our processing fee. Of course, watches must be returned in the same condition as initially shipped.
If you happen to trade a watch with us, which we welcome, trades are final, except of course if the watch is grossly misdescribed or misrepresented.
We back each Oliver & Clarke timepiece with a one-year mechanical warranty starting at the date of first delivery. We service or perform necessary maintenance to the extent necessary to all of our watches, unless otherwise noted. All watches are listed and sold running and functioning as intended.
*Please note that due to the vintage or antique nature of many of our watches, these machines may not run as accurately as they did when new, nor will any mechanical timepiece keep time as accurately as a quartz or electronic device.
We do not guarantee water resistance, thus do not warranty against moisture incursion or water damage.
*We also do not recommend deliberate exposure to water or worse - steam!
Our warranty is voided under the following circumstances:
- Internal or external damage caused by an accident, mishandling, abuse, modification, or handling/service performed by a third party individual other than one of our own.
Our warranty is non-transferable.
The Oliver & Clarke Guarantee
Through rigorous vetting of each watch offered, we’re able to guarantee authenticity of our pieces. Ultimately, your satisfaction is our mission, as is helping you get YOUR perfect watch. If you have any questions at all, we will get back to you ASAP.
Each of our timepieces are vetted, evaluated, authenticated, and approved by our experienced team prior to sale. We guarantee the period-correctness of all components unless otherwise disclosed. We guarantee the authenticity of each watch in perpetuity.
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From Rolex & Patek Philippe, to Cartier & Audemars Piguet. As collectors first, we love the small details that separate the Submariner from Daytona and Calatrava from Royal Oak. This is why you'll find our curated assortment spans decades of generations of models and brands. We believe that watches don't just tell time, they tell history - and life is too short to wear a boring watch.
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