Rolex Datejust 36mm Two Tone Champagne Roman Dial Jubilee 16233 Circa 1995
By Rolex
Located in New York, NY
This watch has been professionally polished, serviced and is in excellent overall condition. There are absolutely no visible scratches or blemishes. Model features quick-set movement...
Gold, Stainless Steel
Rolex Datejust 36mm Two Tone White Arabic Dial Jubilee 16233 Circa 2000
By Rolex
Located in New York, NY
This watch has been professionally polished, serviced and is in excellent overall condition. There are absolutely no visible scratches or blemishes. Model features quick-set movement...
Gold, Stainless Steel
Rolex Datejust 36mm Two Tone White Roman Dial Jubilee 16233 Circa 1997
By Rolex
Located in New York, NY
This watch has been professionally polished, serviced and is in excellent overall condition. There are absolutely no visible scratches or blemishes. Model features quick-set movement...
Gold, Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel Oyster Perpetual Date With Custom Finished Orange Dial circa, 1960s
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Date / Reference 1500 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1960's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: 42mm x 35mm M...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Stainless Steel Oyster Perpetual Date with Original Machined Bezel, 1970's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Date / Reference 1501 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1970's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 42mm ...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel Oyster Perpetual Datejust with Custom Finished Purple Dial, 1970's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Datejust / Reference 1601 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1970's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 4...
White Gold, Steel
Rolex Steel Datejust with Original Silvered Dial And Papers circa, 1970's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Datejust / Reference 1601 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel and White Gold Bezel CIRCA / YEAR: 1970's DIMENSI...
White Gold, Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel Oyster Perpetual Date with Custom Orange Dial Diamond Markers 1970's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Date / Reference 1500 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1970's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 43mm X...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel Oyster Perpetual Datejust with Custom Yellow Dial and Strap 1970s
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Datejust / Reference 1603 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1970's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 43...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Stainless Steel Oyster Perpetual Air-King with Custom Purple Dial 1960s
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Air-King / Reference 5500 / 1002 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1960's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Le...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Gold Shell Oyster Perpetual Very Rare Deepsea From 1954 / 55 Original Dial
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual / Reference 6332 METAL / MATERIAL: Gold Shell CIRCA / YEAR: 1954 / 55 DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 41mm X Diamet...
Gold
Rolex Stainless Steel Air King Custom Finished Powder Blue Dial, 1970's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Air King / Reference 5500 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA: 1970's DIMENSIONS: Length 39mm X Diameter 35mm MOVEMENT /...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel Oyster Perpetual Datejust with Rare Original Black Dial 1980's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Datejust / Reference 16030 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1980's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length ...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Stainless Steel Early Oysterdate with Rare Super Oyster Crown, circa 1951
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Super Oysterdate / Reference 6094 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel DIMENSIONS: Length 40mm X Diameter 33mm CIRCA: 1951 MOVEM...
Rolex Datejust 36 2tone 116233 Diamond Bezel Black Sunburst Dial Jubilee Band
By Rolex
Located in New York, NY
This watch has been professionally polished, serviced and is in excellent overall condition. There are absolutely no visible scratches or blemishes. Authenticity guaranteed! Diamond ...
Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel
Rolex Stainless Steel Oyster Perpetual Datejust with Original Silver Dial 1970's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Datejust / Reference 1603 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1970's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 43...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Stainless Steel Air King with Custom Red Dial, Early 1970's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Co. STYLE / REFERENCE: Air King / Reference 5500 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1970 / 1971 DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 39mm x Diameter 34...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel Datejust with Original Navy Blue Dial and Thunderbird Bezel 1979
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Datejust / Reference 16250 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1979 DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 44mm X Diameter 37mm...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel Oyster Perpetual Date with Original Black Dial circa 1960's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Date / Reference 1501 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1960's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 41mm X...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust With Rare Factory Original Silver Dial 1980's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Datejust / Reference 16000 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel & White Gold Bezel CIRCA / YEAR: 1980's DIMENSIO...
White Gold, Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel Oyster Datejust, circa 1970 with Custom Carbonized Case and Bracelet
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Datejust / Reference 1601 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel / Solid Gold Bezel CIRCA: 1970's DIMENSIONS: Length 43mm X Diamete...
Rolex Stainless Steel Rare Datejust Reference 6605 with Original Dial from 1957
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Datejust / Reference 6605 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1957 / 58 DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 44mm X Diameter ...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Two Tone Steel and Gold Datejust "Thunderbird" from 1964 all Original
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Datejust "Thunderbird" / Reference 1675 METAL / MATERIAL: Two Tone Stainless Steel and 14Kt. Gold CIRCA / YEAR: 1964 DIMENSIO...
Gold, Stainless Steel
Rolex 18Kt Solid Gold Ladies Datejust with Gold Filled Clasp and Diamond Markers
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Datejust / Reference 6900 METAL / MATERIAL: 18Kt Solid Gold CIRCA / YEAR: 1978 DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 32mm X Diameter 26mm ...
18k Gold
Rolex Cellini 18K White Gold Cellissima 26mm Dial Diamond Bezel 6671 Watch
By Rolex
Located in New York, NY
Rolex Cellini 18K White Gold Cellissima 26mm Dial Diamond Bezel 6671 Watch – a masterpiece that seamlessly fuses elegance and precision. This exquisite timepiece showcases a luxuriou...
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
Rolex Stainless Steel Datejust with Custom Mother of Pearl Dial circa, 1970's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Datejust / Reference 1601 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1970's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 43mm X Diameter 36m...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel Datejust with Rare Black Dial from 1960's Custom Diamond Bezel
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Datejust / Reference 1601 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1960's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 43mm X Diameter 36m...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Stainless Steel Oyster Perpetual Date with Original Bracelet circa 1960's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Date / Reference 1501 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1960's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 42mm...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel Oyster Perpetual Date with Custom Lavender Dial, circa 1960's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Date / Reference 1500's METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: Late 1960's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Stainless Oyster Perpetual Date with Original Factory Silver Dial 1960's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Date / Reference 1500 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: late 1960's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 3...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Datejust 26 Silver Index Dial Diamond Bezel Oyster Band Steel Watch 179160
By Rolex
Located in New York, NY
Brand: Rolex Series: Datejust Model: 179160 Case Diameter: 26 mm Bracelet: Oyster band; stainless steel Bezel: Custom diamond set Dial: Silver Index Carat Weight: 1.20 carats in tota...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel Oyster Perpetual Air King with Custom Orange Dial, Early 1970s
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Air King/ Reference 1003 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: Early 1970's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: 40mm...
Steel, Stainless Steel
Rolex Cellini Ladies, Diamond Case, 18K MOP Dial and Box and Papers Croco Band
By Rolex
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Description: ROLEX CELLINI CELLINI, REFERENCE # 6621 A YELLOW GOLD AND DIAMOND-SET WRISTWATCH, CIRCA 1990 Dial: Mother of Pearl Dial Caliber: Quartz, jeweled Rolex Movement...
Diamond, 18k Gold
Rolex Steel Oyster Perpetual Date With Custom Mother of Pearl Dial and Bezel
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Date / Reference 1500 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel with Custom Bezel Black and White Diamonds CIRCA / YE...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Yacht-Master PVD / DLC Coated Stainless Steel and Platinum Watch 116622
By Rolex
Located in New York, NY
Rolex Yacht-Master 40mm PVD/DLC Coated Stainless Steel and Platinum Watch 116622. This watch has been professionally polished. Coating has been applied to a clean watch. After PVD/DL...
Platinum, Steel, Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel Perpetual Date With Custom Mother of Pearl Dial and Custom Bezel
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Date / Reference 1500 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel with Custom Bezel Black and White Diamonds CIRCA / YE...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel Oyster Perpetual Date With Custom Mother of Pearl Dial and Bezel
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Date / Reference 1500 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel with Custom Diamond Bezel CIRCA / YEAR: 1970's DIMENS...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel Oyster Perpetual Date With Custom Mother of Pearl Dial and Bezel
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Date / Reference 1500 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel with Custom Bezel Black and White Diamonds CIRCA / YE...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel Datejust with Custom Blue Dial circa, 1960's Patent Leather Strap
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Datejust / Reference 1601 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1960's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 43...
Stainless Steel
Rolex GMT Master II 126710BLNR 40mm Stainless Steel Batgirl Box Papers New 2023
By Rolex
Located in New York, NY
This Swiss-made watch is perfect for the modern man who values both style and function.
Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel Oyster Perpetual Date with Custom Red Dial and Engine Turned Bezel
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Date / Reference 1501 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1970's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 42mm X...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Stainless Steel Datejust with Custom Blue Roman Numeral Dial circa, 1960's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Datejust / Reference 1601 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel / Solid White Gold Bezel CIRCA / YEAR: 1960's DI...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel Datejust with Custom Diamond Bezel and Original Dial from 1970's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Datejust / Reference 1601 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1970's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 43mm x Diameter 36...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Stainless Steel Datejust with Custom Mother of Pearl Dial circa, 1960's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Datejust / Reference 1603 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1960's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 43...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Datejust 31mm Factory White Mother of Pearl Dial 78274 Jubilee Band 1999
By Rolex
Located in New York, NY
This watch has been professionally polished, serviced and is in excellent overall condition. There are absolutely no visible scratches or blemishes. It is a genuine Rolex which has b...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel Air King with Black Finish and Custom Made Dial circa 1960's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual / Reference 1002 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1960's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 39mm x Diam...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel Air King with Black Finish and Custom Made Dial circa 1960's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual / Reference 1002 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1960's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 39mm x Diam...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Stainless Steel Datejust with Custom Made Sage Green Dial 1960s or 70s
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Datejust / Reference 1601 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1960's / 70's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 43mm X Diame...
Rolex Datejust 36 Gold & Steel 116233 Champagne Diamond Dial Jubilee Watch B/P
By Rolex
Located in New York, NY
This watch has been professionally polished, serviced and is in excellent overall condition. There are absolutely no visible scratches or blemishes. Authenticity guaranteed! The sale...
Gold, Steel
Vintage Rolex DateJust Model 69178 18 Karat Yellow Gold Rare Chevrolet Dial Box
By Rolex
Located in New York, NY
Vintage Rolex Model 69178 DateJust 18k Yellow Gold, 26mm Rare Chevrolet Dial made for Jubilee Anniversary, Automatic Movement, Made in Switzerland with Original Box and Booklet c.198...
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Rolex Stainless Steel Datejust with Custom Made Mother of Pearl Dial 1970's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Datejust / Reference 1601 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel & White Gold CIRCA / YEAR: 1970's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 43mm X...
White Gold, Stainless Steel
Rolex Stainless Steel Air King with Custom Orange Dial circa, circa 1970's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Air King / Reference 5500/1002 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1970's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 39mm X Diamete...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Datejust 31mm Champagne Dial Stainless Steel/Yellow Gold Watch Circa 1993
By Rolex
Located in New York, NY
This watch has been professionally polished, serviced and is in excellent overall condition. There are absolutely no visible scratches or blemishes. Authenticity guaranteed! The watc...
Rolex Stainless Steel Oyster Perpetual Date with Custom Green Dial circa 1970's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Date / Reference 1500 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1970's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 42mm X...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Stainless Steel Oyster Perpetual With Custom Sage Green Dial circa, 1980's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual / Reference 1002 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1980's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 39mm X Diam...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Stainless Steel Oyster Perpetual Date with Custom Green Dial circa 1970's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual Date / Reference 1500 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1970's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 42mm X...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Stainless Steel Air King with Custom Finished Sage Green Dial circa 1960's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Air King / Reference 5500-1002 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1960's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 39mm "Lug Tip ...
Stainless Steel
Rolex Steel Oyster Perpetual with Rare, Bulls Eye Dial from 1958 Caliber 1060
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Oyster Perpetual / Reference 6552 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1958 DIMENSIONS / SIZE: 40mm Length X Diamet...
Stainless Steel
Vintage Ladies Rolex Precision 18K Ref. #2604 1950's Champagne Dial, Cal. # 1400
By Rolex
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Vintage Ladies Rolex Precision 18K Ref. # 2604, 1950's Champagne Dial, Cal. # 1400 Description / Condition: All watches have been professionally scrutinized and serviced prior to be...
18k Gold
Rolex Steel Air King with Rare Original Satin Grained Silver Dial, 1970's
By Rolex
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Rolex Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Air King / Reference 5500 METAL / MATERIAL: Stainless Steel CIRCA / YEAR: 1970's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 39mm X Diameter 34m...
While the rise in popularity of vintage Rolex watches is of no surprise to aficionados, collectors and industry experts, when it comes to contemporary luxury wristwatches, Rolex is also often the first brand that springs to mind. Not only is the company revered for its precision timekeeping and impeccable craftsmanship, but its name was designed to be memorable.
Rolex's enviable worldwide recognition can be credited in part to the genius of company founder Hans Wilsdorf. When the German-born watch dealer and his brother-in-law, Alfred Davis, set up their London enterprise, in 1905, they called it Wilsdorf & Davis, according to the traditional formula.
But Wilsdorf was determined to come up with another name that was short, would look good on a watch dial and was easy to say and remember in several languages. In 1908, he trademarked the name Rolex, and by 1920, he had moved the company to Geneva and redubbed it as Montres Rolex S.A.
But the main reasons for the brand’s success are its aforementioned commitment to precision and unflagging pursuit of innovation. In 1926, the company introduced the aptly named Oyster model. With a screw-down crown and case back, both fitted with rubber gaskets, this was the first truly waterproof watch.
Five years later, Rolex upped the ante with the Oyster Perpetual. That model’s patented Perpetual movement contained a rotor mechanism enabling it to self-wind. In another trendsetting move, in 1945, the brand debuted the Datejust, with a date window prominently displayed on the dial.
The company’s two most iconic models are sports watches. Although the Submariner, which debuted in 1953, was developed as a dive watch, its waterproof case, solid construction and good looks made it a favorite of adventurers and urbanites alike, including James Bond, who wore it in classics like Dr. No and Goldfinger. The Daytona, the racing chronograph made famous by Paul Newman, is especially sought after by collectors. Newman’s personal Daytona, which hit the auction block in 2017, sold for $17.8 million.
Find vintage Rolex watches, bracelets and more on 1stDibs.
Rooted in centuries of history of adornment dating back to the ancient world, modern jewelry reimagines traditional techniques, forms and materials for expressive new pieces. As opposed to contemporary jewelry, which responds to the moment in which it was created, modern jewelry often describes designs from the 20th to 21st centuries that reflect movements and trends in visual culture.
Modern jewelry emerged from the 19th-century shift away from jewelry indicating rank or social status. The Industrial Revolution allowed machine-made jewelry using electric gold plating, metal alloys and imitation stones, making beautiful jewelry widely accessible. Although mass production deemphasized the materials of the jewelry, the vision of the designer remained important, something that would be furthered in the 1960s with what’s known as the “critique of preciousness.”
A design fair called the “Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes” brought global attention to the Art Deco style in 1925 and gathered a mix of jewelry artists alongside master jewelers like Van Cleef & Arpels, Mauboussin and Boucheron. Art Deco designs from Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels unconventionally mixed gemstones like placing rock crystals next to diamonds while borrowing motifs from eclectic sources including Asian lacquer and Persian carpets. Among Cartier’s foremost design preoccupations at the time were high-contrast color combinations and crisp, geometric forms and patterns. In the early 20th century, modernist jewelers like Margaret De Patta and artists such as Alexander Calder — who is better known for his kinetic sculptures than his provocative jewelry — explored sculptural metalwork in which geometric shapes and lines were preferred over elaborate ornamentation.
Many of the innovations in modern jewelry were propelled by women designers such as Wendy Ramshaw, who used paper to craft her accessories in the 1960s. During the 1970s, Elsa Peretti created day-to-night pieces for Tiffany & Co. while designers like Lea Stein experimented with layering plastic, a material that had been employed in jewelry since the mid-19th century and had expanded into Bakelite, acrylics and other unique materials.
Find a collection of modern watches, bracelets, engagement rings, necklaces, earrings and other jewelry on 1stDibs.
Antique, vintage and luxury wristwatches have captured the hearts and minds of all manner of watch collectors as well as the watchmakers themselves — it's time you found your own.
Certain vintage watches for men and iconic watch designs for women are sought after not only because of their graceful proportions or innovative materials but also because of the illustrious histories of the houses that created them, histories that they stylishly embody.
Bulgari’s legendary Serpenti watch was on everyone’s list after the collection’s bold bracelet, which technically debuted after the timepiece, graced the wrist of actress Elizabeth Taylor. If anything, elaborately crafted timepieces — the unmistakably boxy silhouette of Cartier Tank watches, the elegant and minimal Calatrava designed by legendary Swiss house Patek Philippe — are even more effective than the shape we associate with traditional wristwatches.
Form watches — the all-encompassing moniker bestowed upon non-round watches — are making headlines and completing contemporary fashionable ensembles the world over. At the same time, both casual fans and careful collectors are drawn to the unbeatable charm of vintage styles, such as the icons designed by Omega that even James Bond can’t resist.
In the early days of watchmaking, watches were fragile enough that they necessitated protection from the elements. Now, wristwatches made of gold and steel can withstand the harshest climates — even 100 meters underwater, in the case of Rolex’s Submariner. Designer Gérald Genta, whose range of clients included Rolex, created for Audemars Piguet the first luxury sports timepiece to be made from stainless steel. First introduced in 1972, the Royal Oak was a perfect choice for blending the form and function that are now synonymous with sports watches.
Are you shopping for a wristwatch? It’s good to keep your needs as well as your specific personal style in mind: A smaller, subtle timepiece is a good fit for small wrists. When will you be wearing your new accessory? There’s a versatile model out there for everyday wear, while a rugged, feature-heavy watch is a safe bet if you’re prone to embarking on all-weather activities in the great outdoors.
Find antique, vintage and luxury wristwatches for sale on 1stDibs.