Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date 1502

Yellow-gold Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date listed as ref. 1502, front view — SwissOnly product 1006; the seller dates this example to 1963.

Ref. 1502 is a gold Oyster Perpetual Date. Some examples have a crosshatched case top, variously called Florentine, bark, or chased.

Core facts

detail	value
reference	1502
model	Oyster Perpetual Date
dated examples	circa 1952; circa 1961 for Antiquorum's jointly attributed 1502/1503 lot; 1963
documented case materials	18K yellow gold in three catalogue records; 14K yellow gold in one Heritage listing
reported diameter	34 or 35 mm
bezel finish	Textured examples described as Florentine, bark, or chased, depending on the source
movement records	Ineichen and Bertolami say Cal. 1560; Antiquorum's combined 1502/1503 lot also says 1560; Heritage lists Cal. 1601; parts references list 1565 and 1575 for ref. 1502
dial examples	Gilt; champagne baton; argenté baton; silver stick; champagne with arrowhead markers; a 1502/8 listing with wedge markers at 1, 5, 6, 7 and 11
crystal parts listing	Westphal lists Cyclop 117 acrylic for the ref. 1502 Oyster Perpetual Date group

Where it sits in the line

One Rolex Forums chart assigns the Florentine finish to ref. 1502 and a fluted bezel to ref. 1503. Auction catalogues call crosshatched examples “bark” or “chased.” These are collector and auction terms; Rolex’s factory name for the finish remains unconfirmed.

Production outline

Current records place the documented examples between circa 1952 and 1963; the production endpoints remain undated. Antiquorum’s circa-1961 watch carries a joint 1502/1503 attribution.

Movement notes

Ineichen and Bertolami identify their 1502 examples as Cal. 1560. Antiquorum gives that caliber for its jointly attributed 1502/1503 watch. A photograph in the dealer listing for item 37212 shows a movement bridge marked “1560.” Rolex’s Cal. 1565 parts catalogue also includes date-movement bridge parts marked 1560; Time Connection’s replacement-parts table groups ref. 1502 under Cal. 1565 and 1575.

Heritage attributes Cal. 1601 to its 14K example, without a movement photograph. Parts catalogues also group ref. 1502 with Cal. 1565 and 1575. A caliber-by-year sequence remains unresolved.

Dial map

Recorded dial variants include gilt, champagne with baton markers, argenté with baton markers, and silver with stick markers. Photographs in 25 Dials’ listing show a champagne dial with arrowhead markers. EVANCE’s 1502/8 listing shows wedge markers at 1, 5, 6, 7, and 11.

Case, bezel, crystal, and crown notes

Auction catalogues measure the cases at 34 or 35 mm. Ineichen, Antiquorum, and Bertolami list 18K gold; Heritage lists 14K.

Sources use different names for the crosshatching: a Rolex Forums chart says “Florentine,” Bertolami says “bark,” and Ineichen says “chased.” Photographs show the pattern on both case and bracelet; factory origin is unverified.

Ernst Westphal's parts catalogue lists Cyclop 117 acrylic for ref. 1502. Time Connection's replacement-parts table lists acrylic Cyclops part 25-117. Neither source specifies a crown.

SwissOnly, product 1006, angled view
SwissOnly, product 1006, caseback

Bracelets, clasps, and packaging notes

Antiquorum describes a gold Jubilee bracelet. Bertolami and SwissOnly show textured gold bracelets. The listings document sale configurations; the original delivery bracelet remains unknown. SwissOnly’s case number begins 93, matching the visible prefix in Catawiki lot 22367307 and dealer item 37212; the listings may show the same watch.

SwissOnly lists its watch with a box, booklets, and plastic tag. Heritage describes its example on a leather strap.

Gold clasp on the bracelet shown with the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date listed as ref. 1502 — SwissOnly product 1006, clasp.

Auction-record examples

watch date	sale	catalogue description
circa 1952	Ineichen, Auction 158, 23 November 2013, lot 254	Case 860,243; 18K gold; 35 mm; Cal. 1560 no. D10.329; gilt dial; case top described as chased
circa 1961	Antiquorum, New York, 12 June 2012, lot 71	Case 967,478; 34 mm; Cal. 1560; champagne baton dial; gold Jubilee bracelet; catalogued as “1502/1503”
1963	Bertolami, sale 276, 28 November 2023, lot 234	Case 935,999; 34 mm; 18K gold; Cal. 1560; argenté baton dial; described as bark finished
date not stated	Heritage, lot 54160, 2025	Case 1,771,287; 14K gold; 34 mm; silver stick dial; Cal. 1601 attribution without a movement photo

Sources