Rolex Oyster Perpetual

There's nothing we like more here at analog/shift than a story. 

Sometimes a watch wears its story like a badge of honor.  The case bears battle scars, the lume and dial tell tales of days spent in the sun - the owners' adventures written across the visage of the piece.  Other times, a watch presents itself in such pristine condition that it feels almost devoid of history, a relic that escaped time to find us horologists here in the future to remind us what watches of yesteryear were like when they were new. 

But once in a while we are moved by a watch that has both as-new looks and an interesting story... 

This watch came to us from the grandson of the original owner.  The story he recounted to us goes something like this:  The watch was seen in a display window by his grandfather and purchased on Christmas day in 1967.  Sadly, only a few shorts months after the purchase he passed away, leaving the watch sitting unworn in the back of a desk drawer... a drawer that would remain unexplored for about 40 years.

Now, finally unearthed, the watch has a chance to shine and take it's proper place on a loving wrist.  

With its original inner and outer boxes, hang tag, matching guarantee papers, original Contrôl de Marche, and original black Rolex lizard strap with steel buckle, this stunning Reference 1002 is an horological time capsule.  

While the Reference 1002 was never a smash hit for Rolex with two-tone Datejusts with their fluted bezels from the era getting more attention, there is something extremely alluring about this understated piece, it speaks of refined taste that has been waiting nearly 48 years to be enjoyed.  While we seen a fair number of these Oyster Perpetuals come and go, we've never been able to offer one quite like this and it's already got us thinking that it's going to be one very merry Christmas.