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Rolex 1002 Oyster Perpetual

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Revision as of 03:03, 29 September 2026 by Klaudiusz (talk | contribs) (Deep correctness and anti-slop audit: qualify 1002 certification and case markings, fix table syntax and image placement, add footer gallery)
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Oyster Perpetual › 1002

Steel 1002 with the plain polished bezel that defines the reference, silvered dial, caliber 1570, circa 1970
Steel 1002 with the plain polished bezel that defines the reference, silvered dial, caliber 1570, circa 1970

The 1002 is a smooth-bezel, no-date Oyster Perpetual reference in the four-digit 34mm group. The cited examples share the case size, 19mm lugs, screw-down Oyster components, acrylic crystal, and automatic movements associated with related references such as the engine-turned 1007 and fluted 1005. The 1002 is identified by its smooth fixed bezel and by the case and movement evidence on the individual watch.

The 1002 marking can identify a case-middle shared with related watches. Auction catalogues have applied 1002 to Air-King and Explorer-dial watches, and a case marking should therefore be read with the bezel, dial, movement, and provenance. The reference number alone does not identify the complete watch.

Core facts

detail value
reference 1002
family Oyster Perpetual
production late 1950s into the 1980s in the cited records
case diameter 34mm
lug width 19mm
thickness c.12mm
case material documented steel, 14K and 18K yellow gold, 18K pink gold, British 9K examples, and steel cases with gold bezels
bezel smooth polished, fixed
crystal acrylic
movement Cal. 1560 and 1570 are the standard published fitments; Cal. 1530 appears in some auction descriptions and requires watch-level verification
certification chronometer dials and certificates are documented on many examples; verify the individual watch
date complication none
bracelet 7205 rivet Oyster on 57 end links, 78350 folded Oyster on 557 end links, Jubilee; gold and two-tone equivalents
caseback screw-down; caseback and case-middle stamps vary by material and example, with date codes on some cases
sibling references 1003 / 1006 / 1007 / 1008 (engine-turned), 1005 (fluted gold)
oversized relative 1018, the 36mm case

Where it sits in the line

The four-digit no-date Oyster Perpetual group shares a 34mm case family, but bezel, material, dial, and movement fitment vary by reference and year. The 1002 has a smooth fixed bezel; related references use engine-turned or fluted bezels. The cited cases share drilled 19mm lugs, screw-down Oyster components, acrylic crystals, and automatic movements.

Two neighbours matter more than the siblings. The 5500 Air-King shares case dimensions and some case tooling but uses a non-chronometer movement and Air-King dial text. The 1018 is a related 36mm case. Caseback stamps can overlap between references, so the complete watch must be assessed.

Production outline

Rolex production figures and a dated introduction page were not located. The cited histories place the 1002 in the late 1950s onward. Artcurial catalogued case 487,864 with conflicting dates in two sales; that discrepancy remains unresolved rather than establishing a serial rule.

Dated auction records include a 1962 example with a Cal. 1530 description, cases 1,047,802 and 1,354,811 dated around 1964 and 1966, a 1968 chronometer certificate for case 1,678,569, and later caseback or catalogue dates around 1970–1972. These are individual anchors, not a complete serial chart.

Later records include cases dated around 1976, 1977–1978, and 1983. Sotheby’s catalogued one L-prefix case as circa 1989, an outlier against the other records. The article leaves that date as a catalogue discrepancy.

Movement notes

Cal. 1560 and 1570 are the standard published 1002 fitments. Bonhams and other auction records also use Cal. 1530 descriptions on individual examples, while some caliber tables omit that pairing. Treat Cal. 1530 as a catalogue or watch-level question until the movement is inspected.

Cal. 1560 is documented at 18,000 vph and Cal. 1570 at 19,800 vph in the cited movement references. Jewel counts, balance details, hacking dates, and rotor changes should be checked against the individual movement. The chronometer wording belongs to the dial and certification record; it does not remove the need to inspect a serviced watch. See the movement reference for the wider lineage.

Dial map

The 1002 record includes silvered, white, grey, blue, champagne, gilt, black, Arabic, and special-signed dials. The auction sample is not a complete factory catalogue, and unusual dials require provenance and originality checks.

dial case documented example
sunburst silvered, gilt baton markers steel Bonhams March 2024 lot 27, caliber 1530, purchased September 1962
sunburst silvered, applied gilt batons steel Bonhams New York July 2021 lot 87, case 1,750,342, c.1967
sunburst grey, applied polished batons steel Bonhams London September 2019 lot 164, c.1964
silvered, applied hour markers steel Sotheby's New York June 2020 lot 213, case 1,678,569, c.1968
silvered "sigma", applied white-gold indexes steel Tajan Paris July 2020 lot 60, case 2,981,934, c.1972
blue steel Antiquorum New York April 2015 lot 213, case 2,668,283, made 1970
white, applied batons steel Sotheby's Hong Kong November 2020 lot 114, case L962520
white, painted Roman numerals steel Aguttes Paris November 2014 lot 146, case 7,459,438, c.1970; Artcurial Paris December 2014 lot 577, case 8,024,591, c.1983
black, 3-6-9 markers and Mercedes hands steel Bonhams London February 2021 lot 41, caseback stamped II.62
black gloss, applied brushed gilt batons 18k yellow gold Bonhams Paris November 2021 lot 27, case 2,044,863, c.1968
champagne 18k yellow gold Sotheby's Geneva June 2020 lot 262, retailed by Astrua, c.1969
gilt, applied baton indexes 18k pink gold Artcurial Monte-Carlo May 2021 lot 79, case 487,864
blue 14k yellow gold Antiquorum Hong Kong October 2019 lot 318, ref 1002/1005, c.1977–78
silvered, Arabic owner's signature steel Christie's Dubai October 2021 lot 62, c.1967
silvered, Coca-Cola 25 Years Service 14k yellow gold Christie's Dubai December 2019 lot 6, ref 1002/1005, c.1966

The black 3-6-9 example was offered by Bonhams and remained unsold in the cited sales. That lot does not establish a factory Explorer-dial 1002. Antiquorum also recorded a loose dial catalogued for the 1002/1008 case group; no complete Zephyr-dial 1002 is established here.

Unusual colour or printing should be compared with documented examples. A single unusual dial is evidence to investigate, not proof of a factory variant or a repaint.

  • Black gloss dial with applied brushed gilt batons on an 18k gold 1002, circa 1968, on its 7205 gold rivet bracelet
    Black gloss dial with applied brushed gilt batons on an 18k gold 1002, circa 1968, on its 7205 gold rivet bracelet
  • Black 3-6-9 dial with Mercedes hands in a 34mm case catalogued as a 1002; unsold at Bonhams in 2020 and again in 2021
    Black 3-6-9 dial with Mercedes hands in a 34mm case catalogued as a 1002; unsold at Bonhams in 2020 and again in 2021
  • Blue dial on a steel 1002, Antiquorum New York April 2015 lot 213, case 2,668,283, made 1970
    Blue dial on a steel 1002, Antiquorum New York April 2015 lot 213, case 2,668,283, made 1970
  • Champagne dial on an 18k gold 1002, Sotheby's Geneva June 2020 lot 262, retailed by Astrua, c.1969
    Champagne dial on an 18k gold 1002, Sotheby's Geneva June 2020 lot 262, retailed by Astrua, c.1969


Case, bezel, crystal, and crown

The 1002 is a small Oyster case with drilled 19mm lugs, screw-down components, and a smooth bezel. Auction measurements range from roughly 33 to 35.5mm, so record the method and the individual measurement rather than treating 34mm as exact.

The bezel is a fixed smooth band. Documented cases include steel, yellow and pink gold, British 9-carat examples, and steel cases with gold bezels. Metal and paired-reference markings should be confirmed from hallmarks and the case itself.

Caseback and between-lug markings can refer to the reference, case-middle, material, or paired designation. The cited lots show 1002, 1005, 1002/1005, and related combinations. Record the marks, hallmarks, date code, movement, and dial together; do not infer the complete watch from one stamp.

British-market 9k gold case catalogued under the paired designation 1002/8, circa 1965, on a 9k gold bracelet
British-market 9k gold case catalogued under the paired designation 1002/8, circa 1965, on a 9k gold bracelet


Bracelets, end links, and clasps

The cited examples include 7205 rivet, 78350 folded-link, Jubilee, gold, and leather fitments. One 1967 example left the factory on a 7205 and later appeared on a 78350 with a 1989 Rolex invoice documenting replacement. Bracelet and clasp evidence belongs to the bracelet, not automatically to the watch head.

A clasp date code dates the bracelet and nothing else. Sixty years of servicing has separated most 1002 heads from what they left on, and a later clasp stamp under an earlier case is ordinary wear history. One Bonhams lot carries a caseback stamped II.62 under a clasp stamped 1 64, which is exactly the kind of small mismatch that is normal rather than suspicious. The cross-family detail sits on the bracelet and clasp guide.

Special branches

The Al-Sabah dial

Christie’s sold a steel 1002 with Sheikh Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah’s signature in 2021. The lot provides a documented Gulf-market personalized dial with its own papers and service history. Antiquorum also recorded an Arabic-dial steel 1002 in 2017. These lots do not establish a complete regional-dial program.

The signature of Sheikh Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah printed below the centre, above the chronometer line
The signature of Sheikh Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah printed below the centre, above the chronometer line


Coca-Cola service awards

Christie’s records a 14K gold 1002/1005 with Coca-Cola “25 Years Service” text and a named caseback engraving. Related 100x references have similar award examples; the cited lots do not establish the full program scope. On the 1002 the configuration is a 14k yellow gold case under the paired designation 1002/1005, a silvered dial printed with the Coca-Cola script and the 25 Years Service line, and a caseback engraved with the recipient's name. Christie's Dubai sold one in December 2019 engraved "L. Penasse, April 21, 1966" with its guarantee, a bulletin de marche dated 30 June 1966 and its box; Sotheby's Geneva had sold the same watch, case number 1,354,811, five years earlier. The 1003 and the 1005 carry their own versions of the same award.

American Heritage

Christie’s catalogued a steel 1002 with an American Heritage logo and “$3000” dial text. The catalogue interprets that figure as an award threshold, not a market price; the lot is one corporate-dial example.

Retailer signatures

Astrua, the Turin retailer, signed a champagne-dial 18k gold 1002 that Sotheby's sold in Geneva in June 2020 with its Rolex guarantee and COSC certificate. Tiffany & Co. and Serpico y Laino signatures are documented on related gold 100x references; the 1002 retailer sample cited here is limited to the Astrua example.

Air-King dials in 1002 cases

Bonhams catalogued a steel watch with an Air-King dial and a 1002 case marking. The lot illustrates shared case tooling; the dial, movement, and provenance determine whether the complete watch is an Air-King or Oyster Perpetual.

An Air-King dial in a 1002 case
An Air-King dial in the shared case, catalogued by Bonhams as ref 1002, circa 1976



Auction record

The table spans different metals, dials, papers, currencies, and sale conditions. Those differences make a single price rule unreliable; the dated lots should be compared individually.

date house configuration result
Oct 2021 Christie's Dubai, Watches Online: The Dubai Edit, lot 62 steel, silver dial signed by Sheikh Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, cal 1570, c.1967 USD 17,500 (est. USD 10,000–15,000)
Oct 2019 Antiquorum Hong Kong, lot 318 14k yellow gold, blue dial, ref 1002/1005, case 5,218,806, c.1977–78 HKD 68,750 (est. HKD 45,000–65,000)
Dec 2022 Bonhams Hong Kong, Hong Kong Watches, lot 939 9k yellow gold, ref 1002/8, case 1,124,624, c.1965 HKD 51,000
Mar 2021 Sotheby's New York, Fine Watches, lot 137 14k yellow gold, silvered dial, gold Jubilee, case 736,275, c.1961 USD 7,560 (est. USD 5,000–7,000)
Nov 2021 Bonhams Paris, lot 27 18k gold, black gloss dial, 7205 gold rivet bracelet, case 2,044,863, c.1968 EUR 6,375
Mar 2021 Sotheby's Hong Kong, Fine Watches, lot 8044 steel, silvered dial, cal 1570, case 2,190,998, c.1970 HKD 27,720 (est. HKD 20,000–40,000)
Sep 2024 Bonhams, Weekly Watches, lot 2013 steel, Air-King dial, Jubilee bracelet, case 4,710,813, c.1976 USD 3,328
May 2021 Artcurial Monte-Carlo, Modern & Vintage Watches Online, lot 79 18k pink gold, gilt dial, cal 1560 butterfly rotor, case 487,864 EUR 3,900 (est. EUR 2,000–3,000)
Mar 2024 Bonhams, Watches Online, lot 27 steel, cal 1530, sunburst silvered dial, full set, purchased September 1962 USD 2,816
Jul 2021 Bonhams New York, Watches Online, lot 87 steel, sunburst silvered dial, cal 1570, case 1,750,342, c.1967 USD 1,785
Feb 2021 Bonhams London, Watches and Wristwatches, lot 41 steel, black 3-6-9 dial with Mercedes hands, caseback II.62 not sold (est. EUR 4,000–6,000)

Related references

See also the Oyster Perpetual family index, movement reference, bracelet & clasp guide, and serial numbers by year.

  • Steel 1002 with smooth bezel and silvered dial
    Steel 1002 with smooth bezel and silvered dial
  • 18k gold 1002 with black gloss dial
    18k gold 1002 with black gloss dial
  • 1002 case with catalogued Explorer dial
    1002 case with catalogued Explorer dial
  • Steel 1002 blue dial example
    Steel 1002 blue dial example
  • 18k gold 1002 champagne dial
    18k gold 1002 champagne dial
  • British 9-carat 1002/8 example
    British 9-carat 1002/8 example
  • Al-Sabah signed 1002 dial
    Al-Sabah signed 1002 dial
  • Air-King dial in a 1002 case
    Air-King dial in a 1002 case

Sources

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