Original vintage 1960s Rolex Oyster Perpetual watch advertisement - "If you were racing here tomorrow, you'd wear a Rolex."
Dimensions: Approx. 8.25 inches wide by 10.75 inches high.
"One of the traditional awards for winning the 500 is a Rolex. So you could expect to see it worn by former winners. But you'll also spot this bold tough watch among drivers who know that the best equipment can get them to the checkered flag first. The speedway is no place for machines and instruments that can't take abuse. Many drivers wear a Rolex Oyster Perpetual, because it's the toughest watch in the world. They depend on the watch that doesn't depend on anything. Any Rolex Oyster can take a Sunday punch, a douse in a grease can, or a steam bath. And the selfwinding 26-jewel movement still delivers chronometer precision."
The Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a 500-mile-long (805 km) NASCAR Cup Series motor race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. The first of two Cup races held every year at Daytona (the second being the Coke Zero Sugar 400), and one of three held in Florida, with the annual Straight Talk Wireless 400 being held at Homestead south of Miami.
The inaugural Daytona 500 was held in 1959 - the same year Rolex introduced the Ref. 1005 at the focus of this advert - coinciding with the opening of the speedway and since 1982, it has been the season-opening race of the Cup Series.
The Daytona 500 is regarded as the most important and prestigious race on the NASCAR calendar, carrying by far the largest purse. Championship points awarded are equal to that of any other NASCAR Cup Series race. It is also the series' first race of the year; this phenomenon is unique in sports, which tend to have championships or other major events at the end of the season rather than the start.
The Rolex Oyster-Perpetual Reference 1005
For Rolex, the name of the watch line in catalogs often comes down to "Rolex Oyster ______" or "Rolex Oyster Perpetual ______" - Rolex Oyster and Oyster Perpetual are generic names and not specific product lines, except for a few exceptions. The Rolex Oyster Perpetual watch is a direct descendant of the original watertight Rolex Oyster watch created in 1926.
Within the Oyster Perpetual lineup, there are three different movements; the 39 features the Calibre 3132 movement (the Oyster Perpetual 39 is a variant of the Rolex Explorer 39mm, sharing the same case, bracelet and clasp, bezel, and movement, with a different dial and different hands), while the 34 and 36 models have the Caliber 3130, and the smallest 28 and 31 models have Calibre 2231. The Oyster Perpetual Date 34 (or simply Date 34) adds a date display and date movement, plus the options of a white gold fluted bezel and diamonds on the dial.
Rolex’s Oyster Perpetual series, the longest-established name still in production in the brand’s history, sits comfortably with the likes of the Datejust and Day-Date as something of a crossover; not one of the all-conquering tool watches, but not an out-and-out dress model either, such as you would find in the Cellini range.
Although today the modern Oyster Perpetual is seen as the entry level piece in Rolex’s portfolio, there is no doubt that it is actually the most important group of watches the company has ever built. In fact, they are the bedrock upon which the rest of their output has been based since the 1930s.
It takes its name from the two groundbreaking revolutions for which Rolex were responsible in their formative years; the waterproof Oyster case and the self-winding Perpetual movement. Together, they transformed the image of the wristwatch from a woman’s fragile accessory into a tough and vital addition to any man’s wardrobe.
Launched in 1933, the watch soon were the number one choice for some of the 20th century’s greatest adventurers, with the likes of Sir Malcolm Campbell and test pilot Chuck Yeager trusting on nothing else as they broke successive speed records, both on land and in the air. Oyster Perpetuals also accompanied Hillary and Tenzing as they conquered Everest, with the result that Rolex would go on to release the Oyster Perpetual Explorer as a celebration of the triumph.
But through it all there has always been the basic Oyster Perpetual—a stubbornly simple, minimalistic three-handed everyman of a watch, the ideal model for just about any occasion.
The ref. 100X series started life in 1959 with the introduction of the second generation of Cal. 1500 group of calibers, and would go on right up until the late 80s.
