Rolex had been aware of quartz since 1970, when it joined the CEH consortium alongside around twenty Swiss manufacturers to develop the Beta 21. After leaving the group in 1972, the Maison spent five years developing its own movement, the 5035, which was introduced in 1977 in the steel ref. 17000. The two-tone 17013 was its most lavish interpretation.
The Oysterquartz remained in the catalogue for around twenty-five years, with no more than 25,000 examples produced across the Datejust and Day-Date ranges—a very low number by Rolex standards. It was the Maison’s last major technical venture outside of mechanical watchmaking and is now considered one of the most underrated models among collectors.
In 1977, while the Swiss watch industry struggled to respond to Japanese quartz, Rolex chose its own path: not to chase electronics, but to dress them in Rolex attire. The Oysterquartz is the result, an angular, almost architectural watch that resembles very few others in the Maison's catalog and still seems to come from a future imagined in the 1970s.
This specimen, in steel and 18-karat yellow gold, is ref. 17013, the two-tone version of the Datejust Oysterquartz. The 36 mm angular case blends with the integrated bracelet of alternating steel and gold links, while the gold fluted bezel softens its profile. The silver sunray dial features applied gold hour markers, gold hands, and a thin central seconds hand, with the date at 3 o'clock under the cyclops lens. The case back features the engravings “Stainless Steel” and “Registered Design”, along with reference 17013 and serial number 9187867, which dates the watch to around 1985-1986. The bracelet bears the code 17013 B, and the clasp is stamped Rolex and “Steelinox”.
The heart is the caliber 5035, a quartz movement, certified chronometer, temperature-compensated and built with an architecture that borrows heavily from the mechanical world: gears, anchor, and escape wheel advance the seconds hand with the sharp, clearly audible beat that makes the Oysterquartz so recognizable. Water resistance is up to 100 meters.
The watch was serviced by Rolex in October 2026 and still retains the protective films applied to the case and case back.
