Rolex Oysterquartz

[A Familiar Face]

I have it from a dealer in vintage watches that the quartz is one of the less popular models though quite rare by production numbers. I just bought one of the first produced in like new condition and paid 2500USD for it with a similar warranty. My friend told me dealers usually look to buy them at anywhere from 1500 to 2000 USD or less depending on condition, eye appeal and rarity. Enjoy your watch as I hope to enjoy mine.
Marc

[brandxbrand]

Always find it fascinating that current day wrist shots of the quartz are always of mint condition pieces. I mean, there wrists shots out there of pieces from 10 years ago that look beat to a pulp, but never the OQ.

Kudos to those who keep theirs in a1 condition.

[Noneed2000]

Actually, I have ever seen some of DJ dial 's hands without lume too. Don't know the certain criteria from Rolex to choose with or without lume.

Within same dial, I have ever seen both of them too ( with and without lume on hands)

[B-frog]

i agree, very comfy, precise, quite rare, still affordable and the best is the 5 yrs power reserve

ps : the blue jubilee dial is fantastic !

[GoyGuy]

Originally Posted by B-frog

i agree, very comfy, precise, quite rare, still affordable and the best is the 5 yrs power reserve

ps : the blue jubilee dial is fantastic !

Thanks, B-frog. A 5-year reserve? Do you get 5 years out of a battery? Anyway, who cares? Here's my recently-acquired Oysterquartz staying cool in a hot Melbourne summer...



Roll over and die...



Hey, how about some photos of yours?

Isn't this a great case design? Less is definitely more...

[77T]

How about the Rolex Oysterquartz that never was? The elusive Rolex LED described in the upcoming English translation of "Electrifying the Wristwatch" by Lucien F. Trueb, Gunther Ramm, and Peter Wenzig.

As the story goes (I read this on another forum late last year) Patrick Heiniger rejected an engineering project after 5 prototypes of a 5055 driven LED watch were made in the late '70s. There you have it, an Oysterquartz Analog LED watch that never saw the light of day - supposedly all 5 prototypes were destroyed...or were they?

Poorly scanned pic from the original German book, Die Elektrifzierung des Armbanduhr.

[B-frog]

when friends come and told about "mechanical noblesse" i laugh, of course passion is'n reason, but the OQ caliber is the most accurate ever made !

[GoyGuy]

Originally Posted by B-frog

when friends come and told about "mechanical noblesse" i laugh, of course passion is'n reason, but the OQ caliber is the most accurate ever made !

My Y1976 Air King loses 3s per day. My Y2000 Oysterquartz looks like being exactly right, or maybe losing 2s per year!

[himtfuji]

mine

[padi56]

Originally Posted by Spare201

It is the pinacle of HEQ, The first truly thermocompensating quartz movement. THe thing that is truly fascinating about this movement to me is that there is still a "escapement" The real diffrence is rather that use a electronically actuated stator mechanism they kept the pallet intact and left the escape wheel. It only took breitling until ~00 to develop and market their own (cheaper, piggy-backed fully electronic superquartz movement.)

Not quite true the first quartz wristwatch implementation of thermocompensation was achieved with the integration of a thermistor into the IC circuit was from Sieko.Now this IC application in a quartz wrist watch was first invented by Seiko in 1959.Then a few years after followed by CEH group of Switzerland (of which Rolex was one of the founding members) this was in 1962. This first appeared in 1977, in the Rolex Oysterquartz DJ. The Rolex quartz module was referred to as a VCTCXO (Voltage Compensated Temperature Compensated Crystal Oscillator).But although Rolex have never given any official figures for accuracy it was around +- 60 seconds a year but could be trimed less.While the top line Seiko Grand And around the same time as the Oysterquartz some of the selected Grand Seiko Japanese quartz model these were very accurate quartz model but very expensive even then.But not heard of much in the western world then mainy Japan and far east only.


Note 1: Seiko re-issued a limited edition of the "Astron" around 2000 that used a special version of the 9F movement that was used in the 1980s models but now rated to ± 2 seconds per year after adjustment.
Now most certainly the Japanese movement accuracy was much better than the Rolex movement
Note 2: The 9F movement is reportedly designed to run fifty plus years before it needs servicing.
Note 3: Other Grand Seiko quartz models use the 8J movement. Even less is know about this movement.
Source of information: Japanese retail sites

[Ksersoze]

Here's mine.

[pollus23]

Superb thread!!!!! I'm looking for such an informative post. I like that first blue dial Rolex Watch....

[votepresident]

Note to self: search the forum before opening a thread of my own ^o^

thanks a lot guys, for all the info and the pics

I think my first Rolex will be an OQ :-D

[boxbrownie]

My faithful OQ......as accurate as my £45 Seiko???? Actually the Seiko keeps about dot on each year, the OQ gains about 2 seconds.....so I never complain, its a cracker.
[IMG][/IMG]

Of course the Seiko is only a couple of years old, my OQ from 1977 gives it a good run for its money, just look at the quality of the hands.......wonderfull

[mikkibarry]

Very very pretty watch. I really like the OQs

[pyiyha]

My first Rolex is OQ 17014 in mint condition...
I will be receiving it this weekend and I can't wait and I can't get the smile off my face.

Here're some of the seller's pics...

[Cru Jones]

Originally Posted by pyiyha

My first Rolex is OQ 17014 in mint condition...
I will be receiving it this weekend and I can't wait and I can't get the smile off my face.

Here're some of the seller's pics...

this is EXACTLY the OQ i would want (or the blue dial). congrats!!

[DMB4020]

Originally Posted by pyiyha

My first Rolex is OQ 17014 in mint condition...
I will be receiving it this weekend and I can't wait and I can't get the smile off my face.

Here're some of the seller's pics...

Gorgeous watch, would love to add a 17014 to my 17000.

[Old Expat Beast]

Looks great, as an OQ should look! Congratulations.

[jackpine89salem]

Can anyone tell me what is the correct battery style for 17013?
The data shows UCAR 357. Besides this style number, what other battery I can purchase and use on 17013?

Thanks

[Old Expat Beast]

Not sure, but many RSCs still honour the free replacement battery installation service that was promised by Rolex to buyers of new OQs. Have you tried in Taipei?

[jackpine89salem]

Hi Adam;
Thanks! I think Taipei RSC still offer the free battery replacement service.
Someone says the correct one is SR344.

However, if we check the battery chart on the google, the SR44W is equivalent‎ to UCAR 357. I have no any clue but confuse. Hope someone can give me the answer.

Thanks

[bobridley]

Originally Posted by jackpine89salem

Hi Adam;
Thanks! I think Taipei RSC still offer the free battery replacement service.
Someone says the correct one is SR344.

However, if we check the battery chart on the google, the SR44W is equivalent‎ to UCAR 357. I have no any clue but confuse. Hope someone can give me the answer.

Thanks

Power cells 357,303, or SR44W will support the 5035 Caliber needs.
As an aside, there were a few quartz watch movements I enjoyed working with. My personnel favorites were the Accutron tuning fork movements and the Rolex Oyster quartz movements.

[jackpine89salem]

Originally Posted by bobridley

Power cells 357,303, or SR44W will support the 5035 Caliber needs.
As an aside, there were a few quartz watch movements I enjoyed working with. My personnel favorites were the Accutron tuning fork movements and the Rolex Oyster quartz movements.

Hi Bob;
Thank you for your useful information

[joseluu]

Congrats pyiyha, that is some watch.

[Old Expat Beast]

Forgot to add mine here. It's a 5.2 mill serial, which is the earliest OQ serial I have come across.

[Cru Jones]

question for the OQ fans....does the OQ bracelet seem more scratch-prone compared to the oyster bracelet?

i ask because it seems like each individual link has more surface area.

[Old Expat Beast]

Originally Posted by Cru Jones

question for the OQ fans....does the OQ bracelet seem more scratch-prone compared to the oyster bracelet?

i ask because it seems like each individual link has more surface area.

I haven't had mine long enough to say, really, but for a 37 year old bracelet it is in very good condition, and perhaps more importantly, still very tight. Comfortable, too.

[GTS Dean]

Originally Posted by Cru Jones

question for the OQ fans....does the OQ bracelet seem more scratch-prone compared to the oyster bracelet?

i ask because it seems like each individual link has more surface area.

I would agree that it's more scratch prone, but BECAUSE it is flat, it's much easier to restore the finish on. Whether or not they have more surface area is debatable. Relative to a rounded Jubilee - maybe. Relative to an Oyster - I would disagree.

____________________________
TT OysterQuartz
SS/Black "U" Daytona
TT GMT II-C
DD OysterQuartz
Breitling Aero
Omega Speedmaster Pro

[KZZN]

Originally Posted by Cru Jones

question for the OQ fans....does the OQ bracelet seem more scratch-prone compared to the oyster bracelet?

i ask because it seems like each individual link has more surface area.

Hi,

I'd say no to that, I think. I owned an Oyster Petpetual Datejust in yellow Rolesor with a Jubilee bracelet for about four years, and have now owned an Oysterquartz Datejust in white Rolesor with the Jubilee-type integral bracelet for about a year and a half. And in that time, the OQ has collected almost no scratches, whereas the OP definitely was building up a fine patina (mainly on the polished lugs and centre links) by then. The all-brushed nature of the case and bracelet of the OQ definitely helps I think. Normal daily scratches either seem not to happen, or are so small that they blend in with the brushed case and aren't really visible.