Details

Brand

Rolex

Model

Datejust

Reference

69173

Movement

Automatic cal. 2135

Case

26 mm

Metal

Steel and Gold

Circa

1997

Dial

Silver Pyramid

Bezel

Fluted 18ct gold

Condition

Very Good

Box/Papers

Watch only

About this watch

Band: Steel & Gold (Jublee) Clasp: Folded Steel Deployant Glass: Sapphire crystal Water Resistant: 10 Bar/100 m (Surface Swimming) The Datejust arrived in 1945 as the first self-winding wristwatch with a date shown in a window on the dial. In 1957 Rolex brought the same idea to a smaller case with the Lady-Datejust. The 69173 is the two-tone version from the 1980s and 1990s. Rolex calls this mix of stainless steel and 18 ct yellow gold Yellow Rolesor, a name the brand registered in 1933. The case measures 26mm in diameter and around 33mm lug to lug. It has a 13mm lug width and a depth of around 10.5mm. The Oyster case is rated to 10 bar (100 metres) and has a Twinlock crown. The watch is rated for surface swimming with proper care and maintenance. The ivory dial has the pyramid texture this one is named for. It is a fine embossed pattern that changes as the light moves across it. The hours are marked with applied yellow gold Roman numerals, and there is a coronet at twelve. There is a date window at three. A sapphire crystal sits over the dial, with a clever Cyclops lens above the date to magnify it. The bezel is fluted 18 ct yellow gold. The fluting started out as a way to grip and screw early bezels onto the case. It is now the Datejust’s best-known design detail. The watch is presented on a five-link Jubilee bracelet in stainless steel and 18 ct yellow gold. It secures to the wrist with a folding clasp. Inside is the Rolex Calibre 2135. It is an in-house movement, not based on an ébauche. It has a power reserve of approximately 42 hours and beats at 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour). The 2135 was the first Rolex ladies’ movement with a quickset date, so you can change the date without winding the hands through 24 hours. It has a Glucydur…