Pre-Owned Spotlight: Rolex Watches With Integrated Bracelets
Okay, we have all seen those grainy, allegedly leaked Rolex images, right? Could we see a return of Rolex watches with integrated bracelets this spring? Who knows? We haven’t engaged too much since we cannot possibly confirm anything anyway. Time will tell. However, that doesn’t stop us from enjoying the idea.
So, how about a little shopping spree for Rolex watches with integrated bracelets? I have dug up current sales listings for three cool Rolex models, all with different styles of integrated bracelets. Join me for a closer look!
Image: Mokum Watches
Rolex watches with integrated bracelets: Oysterquartz Datejust ref. 17014
The first of these Rolex watches with integrated bracelets is the obvious choice, an Oysterquartz Datejust. Rolex was quite early to the battery-powered game with the Date ref. 5100. That watch was powered by the caliber Beta 21, a joint effort between more than 20 Swiss watch brands. However, the quartz watch that stuck in our collective memory was the 1977 Oysterquartz.
Image: Mokum Watches
The 1987 ref. 17014 you see here runs on the Rolex quartz caliber 5035. For the longest time, people looked down their noses at these. Only recently did enthusiasts start to appreciate these watches for their seriously high-end quartz movements and unique designs. If you ask me, that attention is well deserved!
You get the classic 36mm Datejust with a fluted bezel and a Cyclops over the eponymous date window. The case, however, is more brutalist and stern than your average DJ. This example comes on the integrated version of the famous Jubilee bracelet. Note how the links are flattened for a much sleeker and more modern look. This example is currently for sale in the Netherlands for a negotiable €7,250. Yes, that is a hell of a lot more than what they commanded a mere few years ago.
Image: Luwatra
Rolex watches with integrated bracelets: Date ref. 1530
Now, what if you love the Oysterquartz’s brutal design but simply don’t want batteries in your watches? Well, you can chase the illusive Date ref. 1530. This looks every bit like an Oysterquartz, but inside it ticks the trusty old automatic caliber 1570.
Image: Luwatra
This is an odd watch. The Rolex Date is famously a 34mm alternative to the Datejust. This one, however, has a 36mm diameter, so why Rolex did not market it as a Datejust doesn’t make much sense to me. Regardless, this watch is extremely cool. The specimen I found in Germany comes on an integrated Oyster bracelet. This is probably my favorite style for Rolex watches with integrated bracelets. I love the super-broad and thin links on this interpretation of the classic Oyster.
Image: Luwatra
This watch from Germany commands €14,990. That’s a lot for a Date, but it is worth noting that only an estimated 1,500 of these exist. Hey, you wanted something special…
Image: Watch Deals
Rolex watches with integrated bracelets: Oysterquartz Date-Date ref. 19018
I am turning up the heat a bit for the last of my pre-owned Rolex watches with integrated bracelets. This is the Oysterquartz Day-Date ref. 19018. And it’s not just any old Oysterquartz Day-Date but one with a burlwood dial to boot!
Image: Watch Deals
If you ask me, the classic Day-Date looks darn good on a flattened, integrated President-style bracelet. It looks cleaner and leaner. The one I found in the Netherlands has been polished a fair bit, but the flair hasn’t been ground off at all.
This one dates back to 1979, and it commands €12,750. Frankly, I find that very accessible for a full-gold Rolex with a wooden dial. Speaking of the dial, it is advertised as a spider dial. This means the top coat of the lacquer cracked, forming fine lines hovering over the wood. As always, one person’s decay is another’s patina; I quite like it.
Image: Mokum Watches
Closing thoughts
There you have it — three Rolex watches with integrated bracelets in a few different metals and driven by different power sources. They share a slightly more formal appeal, more suitable for the land-dwelling watch enthusiasts among you than those with a taste for high waters. Still, any of these three watches will set you apart from the masses of Rolex owners out there. I would classify them as the connoisseur’s choice!
What are your favorite Rolex watches with integrated bracelets? Let us know in the comments section below!
Header image: Mokum Watches
