Source: Vintagerolexforum.com

The automatic ref. 1530's steel Rolex is, among all the modeling of the House crowned one of the most atypical, unusual and rare models and products in the catalog.

Around 1975 marks the year that appeared for the first time on the market and seems to be fairly reliable sources, that this model was the answer in a Rolex bracelet with the models with large IntegratedLifelong fashion in the early 70 as the Royal Oak's Audemar-Piguet, 222 of the Vacheron & Constantin, the Nautilus Patek so that they were having so much success in international markets.
To analyze the genesis and the logic of production of this model we must take a step back that year 1962.
At that Rolex participates along with 20 other Swiss brands at the Center Horologer elettronique
to develop a movement for electronic watches, as the final result is arrived at BETA 21, a truly innovative motion, shape and performance well above the standard period.
About 16 brands this movement mounted on their models but the assembly did not allow special customizations depending on the brand that montava therefore, and in fact, what was at Rolex was the same for Bulova (with all due respect) and for all Maison other fruitici thereof.
Rolex decided to mount it on a special series limited to 1,000 numbered copies called 5100.
The series was booked and sold even before its production so as to be a real success for the Rolex, was only available in gold, yellow or white, with mineral glass, design and a marketing textbook watches were d 'elite submitted:
"At our headquarters in Geneva, there is a registrochiamato Albo d'Oro, our customers can proudly count the Rolex Quartz among their assets, they may be part of the Rolex Quartz Club, one of the most exclusive club imaginable.
Club members are welcome to Geneva. At their first visit, are invited to sign the register of gold and can enjoy a personal tour of the headquarters of Rolex Geneva. "
Although Rolex was very proud of that 5100 was an anomaly of its tradition for the fact that Rolex has built its reputation around the oyster cash but in this case had adapted to a cashier at a moving, so the 5100 was declared resistant to 'moisture' but not waterproof;
also mount a movement identical to this and 16 other Rolex Maison reduced to a position so untenable that in 1972, will retreat 'from the consortium BETA 21 and start' to design
a quartz movement.
Trends of the moment was developed at that time, the object of orologio 'article that the 1530, intended to project future movement quartz 5035 that, even today, is one of the most' best and most resistant quartz movements exist.
It was well needed 5 years to design this movement while in the meantime, in some selected markets ref was introduced with the 1530 cal. Automatic 1560.
Therefore, for a more careful and thorough, all this would seriously suppose, for the Maison, this was the likely and perhaps conclusive answer to the models offered by other houses with similar morphological characteristics.


Even the shape of its cash-type "Carre-Galba" outside of the very typical and classic round of Oyster products until then, had a dimension of 35 mm. and, as already noted, for the first time in Rolex House, a real novelty: the mineral glass! The corona charging typical of this model is the most 24/5330 'little 24/600 mounted after sull'Oysterquarz.



The dial of steel in 1530, our precision is a must because that model was produced in the steel / gold, however, referenced as 1630, far more rare because far more costly to the times in which we will talk later, it was silver-colored 'lists as the only American catalog found with this watch, while the steel / gold, and silver was champagne.
On the face of the model steel was given the "only" written Date (besides of course the canonical Oyster Perpetual) at 12 noon while at 6 o'clock, was the official chronometer certification because its size was known and tested in 1570 adjusted 5 positions. The dial was the classic form Date / Datejust but with the particularity 'to be made up of two parts namely the basic directions
hours on a runway and made an amphitheater printed with the second, for the 6 o'clock written swiss T and T, every 5 seconds less than 12 hours, a bright spot of tritium.

Continuing we describe in his bracelet and note the total atypical and profound difference with the classic oyster bracelets and / or jubilee in common use at home and characterized by Rolex Ref.96660 for steel and 96,673 for the model acc / gold
Her sweaters are in fact more massive and heavy, very different in shape and almost flat in their section to cross but, more importantly, fully integrated to carrure so as not to be able to mount, on request, any other type of bracelet and menchemeno, a leather cintolino finally the earliest models had the pins instead of screws of the bracelet.

The first version was produced 'the steel in 1530, while on the back, nell'acciao / gold or 1630, you could find the back of his successor with ref 17000.
By getting more in particular for the ref 1630 can be seen as its morphology is very similar if not identical steel differenziantesi but, of course, for "intrusion" of both gold index-quadrant of the bezel, the button charge and the three central lines ever gold bracelet on her.
Everything else was perfectly identical motion included and, as already noted, subject to the dial with gold also, this time, showing, again at 12 noon, the word "Date-Just," and not just "Date" as is the model poorest and which have the same movement that is 1570.

Information from more authoritative sources about such an "anomaly" of no written, for the real, could provide comprehensive and convincing then the most likely hypothesis lies, we believe with high accuracy, in the typical commercial Rolex believe that, has always sought to enrich and prioritize the most expensive models with specifications, Date-Just for the note, the most authoritative and important or is a new and innovative project, the lack of clarity with which the House wanted to put his kind words if Date-date or just?

The prices of these two watches that without too much exaggeration, call prototype were almost at the very challenging compared to similar models and its most common or Date.ref. 15,000 and the Datejust ref.16000.
Rolex, therefore, decided with the intent to reduce costs for both models with what is to follow the fashion of the time merely addressed the movement to "quartz" to produce them rather than with automatic movement but with much more Economic "stack".
The latter had the same references but the machines differed from those for the word "quartz" on the dial and in the case of steel / gold, the bracelet, which had only two central lines of gold and non plus three as in the case of 'Automatically.

From one point of view very much to collectors 1530 that the 1630 mechanics are certainly rarity because of their small production that was of very short duration and finally suspended in about 1977.
In conclusion it is right to point out, though nowadays the attention of collectors is most and, according to the writer, overly notes on purely technical models of Casa Rolex, and finally put to the attention of all those who wanted to provide a minimum of personal interest vintage as these two semi-prototypes for elegance, rarity and possible rivalutabilità have nothing to envy to anything and anyone.


Best Regards
Stefano

Tags: ROLEX OYSTER

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