Rolex Oyster Perpetual Ref. 5018 - 'Bombe' Lug Bubbleback
Straight Facts
If you boil Rolex down to its purest form, what do you get?
The Rolex Oyster Perpetual. This is truly the genesis for the entire Rolex brand. The very first Rolex models were called ‘Oysters’ which was owed to their innovative three part case that all screwed into each-other. This watch represents an evolution of that, when these were still semi-bubble back watches.
The Oyster Perpetual eventually became the introductory model for Rolex after the 36mm Datejust was introduced in 1945 - but it never went away and is still in the Rolex catalog. This reference 5018 is one of the rarest Oyster Perpetuals made. These feature beautiful and elegant twisted and flamed ‘bombe’ lugs and dial has aged to an eggshell color with applied arrow indices and elegant alpha hands. The radium has aged evenly throughout with a deep orangish color.
Despite being ‘entry-level’ these offer a ton of character and remain an overlooked part of the important history of Rolex on their journey to the powerhouse brand that they are today.
*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.
About the brand
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Shipping & Returns
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 always love, trades are final, except of course if the watch is grossly misdescribed or misrepresented.
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