Rolex Oyster Perpetual 1022

A checked version of this page, approved on 5 October 2026, was based on this revision.

The 1022 is a 34 mm, no-date Oyster Perpetual documented in gold by auction catalogues from about 1961 to 1964. Auction catalogues identify Cal. 1560 in several examples; Tajan describes its example only as automatic. The catalogued watches differ in dial and case finish: records describe silvered, champagne, and gilt dials, plus Florentine, textured, and fluted cases. These are features of individual watches; the available records do not establish production phases or factory options.

Core facts

detail	value
reference	1022, identified by auction and dealer records as an Oyster Perpetual
family	Oyster Perpetual, no date
documented dates	Individual catalogues date examples circa 1961–1964; production endpoints are not established
movement	Cal. 1560 in Bonhams, Pandolfini, Adams, and HODINKEE records; Tajan names no caliber
case size	34 mm in all five records
case material	Documented examples in 18K yellow gold; no other material is established in the sources here
case finishes / bezels	Florentine, textured, satin-and-polished, and fluted descriptions apply to specific examples
crystal	Plastic or Plexiglas in the records that identify it
date	None

Where it sits in the line

Auction houses classify the 1022 as a four-digit, no-date Oyster Perpetual. The documented watches here have gold cases with several surface treatments. The auction records place it among the four-digit no-date models, alongside references such as the 1002, 1003, 1005, 1007, 1008, 1009, and 1018. The records identify the 1022 from the case reference; two also report “1005” inside the caseback. That stamp is recorded below as an observed detail, not used to rename the watches.

Production outline

The dated sample is narrow. Bonhams and Pandolfini catalogue separate watches with case numbers 692570 and 692564 as circa 1961; Adams dates case 768587 to 1961; HODINKEE dates case 856369 to 1963; and Tajan dates case 1,060,089 to circa 1964. The two case numbers are six apart. Both auction houses list separate watches; the narrow gap alone says little about their production order. Production start and end dates remain undocumented.

The case numbers also line up with the unofficial Pergola chart transcribed on the serial-number guide. The three 1961 numbers fall in its 1961 band, while Tajan's 1,060,089 falls in its 1964 band. HODINKEE dates case 856369 to 1963, one year later than the chart's band. This is a useful cross-check on individual catalogue dates, not a production chronology.

Movement notes

Bonhams, Pandolfini, and Adams identify Cal. 1560. The HODINKEE Shop archive also lists that caliber on its 1963 example. Adams and Bonhams describe a 25-jewel movement; Adams gives 18,000 vph and adjustment to five positions and temperature. The Adams lot photograph shows the movement opened, with “1560” on the bridge. Tajan calls its watch automatic but does not name a caliber. No source in this set documents a change to Cal. 1570 on the 1022, so a changeover should not be inferred from the broader 15xx timeline.

Movement photographed for Adams' 2025 lot 33.

Dial map

These descriptions come from separate sale records, not a dated factory sequence.

catalogued watch	dial description	source
case 768587, circa 1961	Silvered sunburst; baton markers with luminous dots and luminous inserts in the hands; printed “Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified”	Adams, 2025, lot 33
case 692570, circa 1961	Champagne sunburst with gilt baton markers, black outer minute divisions, and faceted gilt hands with luminous inserts	Bonhams, April 2015, lot 315
case 692564, circa 1961	Silvered dial with applied baton and arrowhead markers; Dauphine hands with luminous inserts	Pandolfini, 2014, lot 432
case 1,060,089, circa 1964	Gilt dial with applied baton markers, Dauphine hands, and center seconds	Tajan, 2014, lot 32

The descriptions support several dial executions. They do not show when a style began or ended, or whether every dial remains original to its case.

Case, bezel, crystal, and crown notes

Every cited record gives a diameter of 34 mm. Case descriptions vary. Adams calls its yellow-gold case Florentine-finished across the bezel, lugs, and caseband; Bonhams calls its case and bezel textured; Pandolfini describes satin and polished surfaces with satin-finished lugs; and Tajan records a fluted yellow-gold bezel. The terms should stay attached to their respective watches. The evidence does not establish a standard finish or a factory finish sequence.

Tajan and Pandolfini describe screw-down casebacks and crowns. Bonhams also describes a screw-down Oyster back and crown. Tajan and Pandolfini call the crystal plastic; HODINKEE specifies Plexiglas and gives its example a thickness of 11 mm and lug width of 19 mm. Adams' caseback photograph clearly shows “1005” stamped inside. HODINKEE reports the same inner stamp on a separate 1022. Adams' exterior case photograph shows 1022 between the lugs. The available evidence establishes that those two stamps occur on catalogued 1022 watches; it does not explain Rolex's numbering practice for the inner back.

Adams lot 33, exterior case reference 1022 between the lugs.
The same watch's inside caseback, stamped 1005.

Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes

Tajan records a riveted yellow-gold Rolex Oyster bracelet with deployant clasp. Bonhams lists a black crocodile strap and gold-plated buckle; Pandolfini lists a leather strap and Rolex gold-plated buckle; Adams shows a dark-blue leather strap with a Rolex gilt buckle. The catalogues record each strap or bracelet on the sale watch; original delivery and factory fitment remain unestablished. No source here identifies end-link or clasp codes, or a package specific to the 1022.

Special branches

The reviewed catalogues describe commercial Oyster Perpetual watches; their records do not identify a retailer-signed or military 1022 branch.

Historical market and auction record

sale date	record	catalogued watch	result
27 May 2014	Pandolfini, lot 432	circa 1961, gold, case 692564, Cal. 1560	Result not shown in the accessible record
29 July 2014	Tajan, lot 32	circa 1964, yellow gold, case 1,060,089, riveted gold Oyster bracelet	€4,976 displayed result
April 2015	Bonhams, lot 315	circa 1961, 18K gold, case 692570, Cal. 1560	Estimate shown in catalogue; result not verified
3 December 2025	Adams, lot 33	1961, 18K yellow gold, Florentine finish, case 768587, Cal. 1560	€5,500 hammer

HODINKEE's 1963 listing is a dealer archive, not an auction result; its asking price is omitted here.

Gallery

Adams, 2025, lot 33: 1961 18K yellow-gold watch with a silvered sunburst dial and Florentine finish.
Exterior between the lugs; the case reference reads 1022.
Opened Cal. 1560 from the Adams lot.
Inside caseback from the Adams lot; the stamp reads 1005.