Rolex Oyster Perpetual 1023

The 1023 is a mid-size, no-date Oyster Perpetual. Colin A. White lists a fluted bezel and leaves the caliber field blank. Auction and dealer records describe gold cases and several bezel finishes. They identify Cal. 1560 on one circa-1964 watch and Cal. 1570 on other examples; the records do not establish when either caliber entered the reference.

Core facts

detail	value
reference	1023
family	Oyster Perpetual, no date
size	White classifies it as mid-size; several listings report 34 mm
case material	Records describe 14K and 18K gold examples; the usual alloy is not established
bezel	White lists fluted; catalogues and sellers variously describe bark, Florentine, paille/straw, or textured finishes
movement	Cal. 1560 appears in one circa-1964 catalogue; Cal. 1570 appears in other catalogue and photo records. Sequence unknown
crystal	Acrylic is reported in listings; a parts supplier lists Tropic 25-12
date	None

Where it sits in the line

White lists the 1023 as mid-size with a fluted bezel; he leaves its caliber field blank. Sale and dealer records add examples described with other bezel finishes and two caliber numbers. The listings describe individual watches, not a complete factory specification.

Production outline

The sale records located so far date individual watches to around 1964, 1966, and 1969. ART Jewellery & Watches’ production-year table lists refs. 1023/9 and 1023/83 for 1964–1971; it gives no dating basis, so treat that range as a guide rather than a factory record. Gardiner Houlgate dates a ref. 1023 with partial serial 1136xxx and Cal. 1560 to circa 1964. Waddington’s gives the same approximate date for a Cal. 1570 watch, serial 902827. Pergola’s unofficial chart places 902827 in its 1962 band, so the catalogue date and chart estimate disagree. Hess dates serial 1,382,519 to 1966; its photographed guarantee appears to carry a handwritten date of 1/6/68, whose format and relation to manufacture are unclear. Kaplans dates serial 2,186,841 to circa 1969, within Pergola’s 1969 band. Watch.de gives only the masked serial 2186xxx; its case number 1005, caliber, gold case, and leather strap overlap Kaplans’ listing, so the two records likely describe the same watch. Heritage’s 2007 catalogue labels serial 933953 a circa-1986 ref. 1023, a date that conflicts with the reference-year guide and serial-chart estimates; the record is not enough to extend the run into the 1980s. These dates apply to individual listings and do not set the reference’s production limits. Serial-number dating explains the limits of estimates from serial charts.

Movement notes

Gardiner Houlgate identifies Cal. 1560 on a circa-1964 ref. 1023. Waddington’s, Hess, Watch.de, and Kaplans identify Cal. 1570 on other listings; a 2022 Rolex Forums photograph shows a rotor marked 1570 inside an outer case stamped 1023. Time Connection II’s replacement-parts index lists both calibers for the reference. Kaplans’ full serial, 2,186,841, falls within Watch.de’s masked 2186xxx number; its other matching details make a repeat listing likely, so it is not counted as a separate watch here. White leaves the caliber field blank. The records show both numbers but establish no sequence or changeover. The movement reference records Cal. 1560 and 1570 examples across the Rolex line.

Dial map

Hess’s 2025 photographs show a silver dial with baton markers. Watch.de’s listing, likely the same watch later catalogued by Kaplans, shows a champagne-colored dial; Kaplans describes its dial and hands as restored. Gardiner Houlgate describes a gilt dial with dagger markers. These records document three catalogue descriptions, not a complete dial range or original dial configuration.

Case, bezel, crystal, and crown notes

Listings describe both 14K and 18K gold cases. Hess catalogues a 14K example; Gardiner Houlgate, Waddington’s, and Watch.de describe 18K cases. Several records give a diameter of 34 mm; White classifies the watch only as mid-size. These catalogue descriptions do not establish a standard alloy.

Bezel descriptions vary. White calls it fluted; Gardiner Houlgate says milled, Hess says textured, Waddington’s says Florentine-finished, and Watch.de uses “Rindengravur” (bark engraving). A 2020 Reddit post attributes the term “paille” (straw) for one pictured 1023 bezel to Rolex Forums member crowncollection. The sources do not map these terms to factory options or give Rolex’s own names for the finishes.

Hess specifies an acrylic crystal, and Watch.de describes Plexiglas. Time Connection II lists acrylic Tropic 25-12, crown 24-530, and tube 24-5320 under ref. 1023 in its replacement-parts table. This is parts guidance, not a Rolex factory fitment record, and the table does not describe the crown's appearance.

Rolex Forums photographs show outer ref. 1023 and inner caseback 1005; Gardiner Houlgate also reports inside caseback no. 1005 on a 1023. Kaplans lists case no. 1005 for serial 2,186,841, likely the watch in Watch.de’s archived listing, whose masked number is 2186xxx. These records identify 1005 as an inner or case number on more than one 1023 listing, but do not explain the numbering relationship.

Hess Fine Auctions, lot 12570.

Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes

Gardiner Houlgate describes an 18 ct textured brick bracelet on its 1023. Hess photographs a 14K brick-link bracelet and folding clasp; a Rolex Forums seller describes a separate 14K example on a riveted Oyster bracelet. Watch.de’s 18K watch, later listed by Kaplans, was on leather. These are sale-time configurations. The Hess lot’s box and papers were sold with the watch, but the catalogue does not establish whether they were its original set.

Gold brick-link bracelet and folding clasp shown with a Rolex Oyster Perpetual 1023 — Hess Fine Auctions, lot 12570.

Auction record

sale date	record	catalogued watch	result
12 June 2018	Waddington’s Toronto, lot 134	1023/8B, serial 902827, 18K gold, Cal. 1570; the catalogue calls the bezel Florentine-finished	Result not available in the mirrored record
2 October 2021	Kaplans Auktioner, item 1 778 671	1023, serial 2186841, 18K gold, Cal. 1570; case no. 1005; catalogue estimate circa 1969	SEK 34,500 hammer
20 May 2025	Gardiner Houlgate, lot 73	1023, partial serial 1136xxx, 18K gold, Cal. 1560; catalogue estimate circa 1964	—
6 December 2025	Hess Fine Auctions, lot 12570	1023, serial 1382519, 14K gold, Cal. 1570, brick-link bracelet, box and papers; catalogue date 1966	US$8,450 hammer; EveryWatch reports US$10,309 including the 22% buyer’s premium

Hess’s photographs show the outside of the caseback only. The 1005 inner-caseback evidence comes from other listings and does not belong to the Hess lot.