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Rolex Oyster Perpetual Ref. 5018 - 'Bombe' Lug Bubbleback

Sale price$4,750.00

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.

Stainless Steel 1967 Automatic Dress

"As collectors themselves, Oliver and Clarke are on a mission to make buying vintage watches as painless as possible."

"The company focuses on good prices for its pieces, elite customer service and full transparency."

"The appointment-only space is inviting, with comfortable seating areas and exposed brick walls."

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.

Oliver & Clarke