Rolex Oyster Perpetual 1025

A checked version of this page, approved on 17 October 2026, was based on this revision.

The Vintage Rolex Field Manual lists the 1025 as a no-date Oyster Perpetual with a smooth bezel and Cal. 1570. Auction and specialist records also attribute Cal. 1560 to individual watches. Meticulous Watches reports a 1025 engraving between the lugs and inside the caseback on a silver underline-dial example. Its published text reports both marks; the photographs show neither. Other catalogues disagree about the date display, bezel, or case material.

Core facts

detail	value
reference	1025
family	Oyster Perpetual, no date
documented dates	dealer and auction dates for individual watches range from circa 1961 to the late 1960s; later catalogue dates remain disputed
case diameter	33.5–34 mm in located examples
case material	Listings describe gold shell, gold-filled, gold-plated, or gold-capped steel; the terminology varies by source
bezel	Smooth in the Field Manual and several auction listings; triangle, faceted, pyramid, and fluted bezels appear in conflicting dealer or auction attributions
crystal	Auction records leave it unidentified; a parts retailer lists Tropic 12 acrylic
movements	Cal. 1560 and Cal. 1570 reported on individual watches
date	None
bracelet	Rivet-expansion and folded Oyster bracelets, plated Oyster bracelet, or leather strap in individual records; original delivery is unproven

Where it sits in the line

The 1025 sits in the four-digit, time-only Oyster Perpetual line. Auction records for ref. 1024 also report an interior 1025 stamp, so the outside case reference matters when identifying a watch. The photos in those auction records leave the between-lug number unconfirmed; see the 1024 page.

Production outline

Meticulous Watches dates its partial serial 673XXX to circa 1961. The Pergola chart discussed in Serial-numbers places that number in 1960/61, but published charts disagree on duplicate numeric ranges. Treat circa 1961 as the seller's estimate, not an independent date. Freeman's and Hindman dates serial 947479 to circa 1963, Aste Bolaffi dates serial 1,812,604 to circa 1968, and Antiquorum gives a late-1960s estimate without a serial. L o'clock lists serial 960962 as a 1960s watch. Each date belongs to an individual example.

Vintage & Prestige dates a watch with partial serial 401*** to 1974. The published charts place that number in much earlier bands. Antiquorum's 2011 date-display watch and Christie's circa-1973 fluted, solid-gold watch have unconfirmed reference engravings in the available photographs. Their dates describe those catalogue lots; neither establishes the 1025's production span.

Movement notes

Freeman's and Hindman identifies a 26-jewel Cal. 1560; Meticulous Watches and L o'clock also report that caliber in 1025 listings. Aste Bolaffi and Antiquorum identify Cal. 1570 in other examples. Both calibers appear in attributed examples; the 1025 changeover year remains unknown. See Movements for the wider 15xx family.

Dial map

Auction records show champagne and silver dials. Meticulous Watches describes a silver underline dial; Laurent Fine Watches and Vintage & Prestige describe grey dials. A 2019 Rolex Forums seller calls its champagne dial tritium. That lume description is the seller's claim.

Case, bezel, crystal, and crown notes

The listed case diameters are 33.5 or 34 mm. Antiquorum describes a three-body case with a screw-down back and crown; Aste Bolaffi specifies a steel screwback and Twinlock crown. Catalogues call the case gold-plated steel, gold-filled, gold shell over steel, or gold-capped. The available photographs leave the relationship between these descriptions unresolved.

The Field Manual and several auction descriptions list a smooth bezel. Meticulous Watches also describes one, while L o'clock, Eguchi, and other sellers attribute faceted or triangle-cut bezels to separate 1025 examples. Factory fitment remains unverified (see Reported variants and outliers). Auction descriptions leave the crystal unidentified. Time Connection II lists a Tropic 12 acrylic crystal; the original specification remains unknown.

Exterior caseback on Freeman's and Hindman lot 71; the image does not show the interior reference stamp.

Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes

Freeman's and Hindman shows an Oyster rivet-expansion bracelet with 585 marks. The short description calls it 18K; the detailed field says 14K, matching the stamps. The catalogue reports no assay. Antiquorum describes a gold-plated Oyster bracelet. Forum and dealer listings show leather straps or a folded two-tone bracelet. Original delivery and a 1025-specific end-link map remain undocumented. A 2019 forum seller lists a box, warranty, booklet, and receipt; that is one seller's account, not a packaging standard.

Rear view of the bracelet and case on Freeman's and Hindman lot 71.

Reported variants and outliers

source attribution	reported configuration	evidence status
Antiquorum Hong Kong, 2011, lot 292	Date display, Cyclops, multi-faceted bezel, gold shell over steel, Cal. 1570	Disagrees with the no-date model in the Field Manual; photos leave the reference mark unconfirmed
Christie's, 2021, lot 55	Circa 1973, 33 mm, solid 18k yellow gold, time-only, fluted bezel	Catalogue attribution; photos leave the reference mark unconfirmed
Meticulous Watches listing	Silver underline dial; smooth bezel; steel case with gold bezel and cap	Dealer reports 1025 marks inside and outside; photographs show neither
L o'clock listing	Triangle-cut bezel; vertical-brush dial; Cal. 1560	Dealer attribution; photos show the movement but not the case-reference mark; crystal reported replaced
Eguchi, European Watch Company, and Vintage & Prestige listings	Triangle-cut, faceted, or pyramid bezel	Seller attributions; factory fitment remains unverified

The located examples show individual configurations, but do not establish separate factory branches. No retailer-signed or military example appears in the sources listed here.

Sale and auction records

sale record	date assigned to watch	recorded details
Freeman's and Hindman, lot 71	circa 1963	serial 947479; Cal. 1560; champagne dial; gold-plated steel; 34 mm
Aste Bolaffi, lot 167	circa 1968	serial 1,812,604; Cal. 1570; silver dial; gold-filled case with steel screwback; 34 mm
Antiquorum New York, lot 100	late 1960s	Cal. 1570; champagne dial; gold shell over steel; 34 mm
Vintage & Prestige archive, item W1210	seller states 1974	serial 401*** conflicts with the published serial charts; grey dial; triangle/pyramid bezel; folded two-tone bracelet; 34 mm
Antiquorum Hong Kong, lot 292	catalogue dates it circa 1966	calls case 2,115,163 ref. 1025; describes a date, Cyclops, multi-faceted bezel, gold shell over steel, and Cal. 1570; attribution disputed
Christie's, lot 55	catalogue dates it circa 1973	calls serial 3,218,701 ref. 1025; 33 mm, solid 18k yellow gold, time only; photos show a fluted bezel; no readable reference marking
Meticulous Watches archive	circa 1961	serial 673XXX; seller reports 1025 marks between the lugs and inside the back; Cal. 1560; silver underline dial; smooth bezel; gold cap over steel
L o'clock archive, item 2505-4678	1960s	serial 960962; Cal. 1560; 34 mm; triangle-cut bezel; vertical-brush dial; replacement crystal

The auction catalogues identify their lots as ref. 1025; their photographs leave the between-lug engraving unconfirmed. Meticulous Watches is the only reviewed seller that reports both outside and inside reference marks, though its photographs show neither. The 1974 date in Vintage & Prestige's archive conflicts with its partial serial.

Freeman's and Hindman, lot 71, front three-quarter view
Freeman's and Hindman, lot 71, bracelet and case
Freeman's and Hindman, lot 71, exterior caseback

Sources