From SwissWatchExpo… Spotlight on: The Rolex Oysterquartz. 5 Things
to Know about Rolex’s quartz timepiece.
Rolex is world famous for its precise and reliable mechanical movements, but at one
point in time, they also became part of the quartz craze.
During the well-documented ‘quartz crisis’ of the 1970s, less expensive but more precise
quartz watches from Japan and the United States threatened the Swiss watchmaking industry.
Rolex, despite their hesitation, joined other watch brands in launching their own quartz
watches – and the Rolex Oysterquartz was born. Here are 5 important facts about it.
It took over 5 years for Rolex to develop their own quartz movement.
As quartz watches took over the market in the early 70s, Rolex and other major Swiss
watch players formed Centre Electronique Horloger (CEH). CEH’s mission was to form a quartz
movement that can rival the competition.
The group eventually came up with the Beta 21 movement, which made way for Rolex’s
prototype quartz watch – the reference 5100 Beta 21. While it was commercially successful,
it presented a few problems for Rolex.
First, it was too large to be fitted in the famed Oyster case. Second, the movement was
also being used by its direct rival’s watches. Rolex withdrew from CEH and developed their
own quartz movement instead.
In 1977, after 5 years of conceptualization, design and testing, the brand introduced the
Rolex Oysterquartz. With 11 jewels and a 32khz oscillator, the new in-house quartz movements
became a standard for others to follow.
The Oysterquartz was produced within two iconic families in the Rolex portfolio – the Datejust
and the Day-Date.
Each model had its own quartz movement: the Rolex Oysterquartz Day-Date had caliber 5055.
And as the premier family of the brand, was offered only in yellow gold, or white gold.
The Rolex Oysterquartz Datejust ran on caliber 5035, and had more variety in metals. It was
available in full stainless steel, and Rolesor. Or stainless steel with yellow or white gold.
The Oysterquartz also has a design that is very reminiscent of its time.
A little known fact about the Rolex Oysterquartz, is that its design was based on Rolex reference
5100 Beta 21. The watch was designed by Gerald Genta – the designer responsible for the
iconic Audemars Piguet Royal Oak.
The design is archetypally 70s. With flat and angular surfaces and an integrated three-link
bracelet. Rolex made sure that the Oysterquartz still stood out within the Datejust and Day-Date
ranges.
Although the Rolex Oysterquartz was produced from 1977 to 2001, only 25,000 pieces were
produced – a very low number in the realm of Rolex manufacturing.
This makes the Oysterquartz a less common Rolex watch, and one that is increasingly
sought after among collectors today.
While Rolex watches with mechanical movements will always be more popular and coveted, the
Oysterquartz represents a significant period during Rolex’s history; and in the Swiss
watch industry as a whole.
Even if the so-called ‘quartz crisis’ was a dark period for Swiss watchmakers, the
Rolex Oysterquartz, showed Rolex’s ability to not just adapt to trends, but to make it
their own.
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