Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date 15000

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date 15000 Honda Bowl 1985 Award Watch

Launched in 1962, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date was Rolex's entry-level watch at the time and was designed for daily use. Most often cased in stainless steel, these watches were true workhorses with their flat steel bezel and rugged design providing protection from daily wear and tear. Similarly specced to the Datejust models of its time, the ref. 1500 featured the same automatic movement, and so boasted a date function and cyclops lens like its more expensive sibling. However, the main point of distinction was that the OP was housed within a slightly smaller 34mm case, as opposed to the Datejust’s 36mm case. Eventually the ref. 1500 would then be replaced by the ref. 15000, which is what we have here. A smaller watch by today’s standards but filled with a unique charm, the ref. 15000 was undeterred by its svelte proportions and instead buoyed by the robustness of its design and functionality of its movement, with both elements combining to create a timepiece that will still fit the bill as a daily wearer even for a modern collector to this day. Offered with a multitude of dial variants and often used by companies as the perfect watch to commission Rolex to stamp with their logo, these co-signed Dates reflect one of the most interesting niches within Rolex collecting and this example boasts the Honda logo at 6 o’clock, a logo that isn’t seen all that often of Rolex dials. Given as a sales award by Honda North America in the mid-1980s, very few examples of these Honda dial ref. 15000s are known to the market. Brand : Rolex Dimensions : 34mm Model : Oyster Perpetual Date Movement : Automatic cal. 3035 Reference : 15000 Bracelet : Stainless steel Jubilee bracelet Year : 1982 Condition : Excellent Material : Stainess steel Included : Watch only Dial Color : Silver THE DIAL Fitted with a rare co-signed dial, this ref. 15000 features a silver dial that has aged to include a champagne patina that allows its red Honda logo to clearly stand out and add a burst of color to the display. THE CONSTRUCTION Svelte in its sizing, the 34mm Date married the Oyster Perpetual's construction with the Datejust's functionality to produce a watch that hit the perfect middle ground for a lot of collectors, something it still does to this day. TIMING MACHINE READOUT This reading was taken (crown down) with a ONEOF Accuracy Boutique Edition timing machine at time of cataloging. It is provided as a courtesy only, and shall not be construed as a warranty or guarantee of any kind. Please refer to our terms and conditions of sale for more information.