The Rolex Oysterquartz has now been discontinued for almost 10 years. For almost 26 years this iconic reference was produced in stainless steel, stainless steel and white gold, stainless steel and yellow gold and 18K yellow gold. It has been estimated that in all close to 25,000 Oysterquartz watches were ever produced by Rolex. The Oysterquartz was officially launched in 1977 and discontinued in 2003.
The Oysterquartz was launched during an era where quartz movements were increasingly becoming more important and in order to meet the demands of consumers, Rolex decided to venture into the quartz world with one of the most beautiful watch designs ever created.
The beating heart of this fantastic reference is one of those things that you can't hardly miss. If you've owned an Oysterquartz, you know what we are talking about. The ticking sound of this movement is so loud that you can hear it whenever you are in a quite area. Most Oysterquartz owners will make reference to this particular characteristic of this watch.
Evoking the looks of the Vacheron Constantin 222, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, the Patek Philippe Nautilus and the IWC Ingenieur SL, with its flat top case, the Rolex Oyterquartz could not pass the test of time and maintain a spot in the current Rolex line-up.
This beautiful reference now forgotten by most watch collectors, was not only one of the first Rolex models to be fitted with a sapphire crystal at the time but also the only Rolex model to be supplied with a solid link integrated bracelet with no end links nor link removable screws.
Long live the Rolex Oysterquartz ref. 17000.
