Latest Vintage Piece

1976 9315/380 20mm Rolex Oyster bracelet with FlipLock & Diver’s extension 12 links. $4,000.00 CAD 505-00552

Before Rolex became one of the world’s most recognized luxury brands, they were simply one of many high quality Swiss made watch manufacturers. Historically speaking, they were most well know for being very reliable and robust. They were often purchased by professionals who needed a durable watch that could be counted on to be accurate and dependable under all conditions. The familiar look of the classic Oyster bracelet has changed very little in the close to 50 years since this one was made in the mid 1970s. The Submariner or Sea-Dweller it was originally fitted to likely only cost around $300.00 when it was new. Rolex were never inexpensive watches but they’ve certainly changed from being simply a high quality watch to a luxury item. They have done a remarkable job marketing the brand as a lifestyle statement for people who recognize there is a lot more to a Rolex than a high quality mechanical timekeeping tool. Today Rolex produces all the components that go into the production of their watches, but that was not always the case. Almost all the high end Swiss brands purchased various parts from other specialty suppliers. From dials and hands, right through to springs and complete movements, many parts and assemblies were outsourced to other companies. Although this bracelet is stamped “Rolex” in no less than 4 places and the famous Coronet logo another 5 times, it was manufactured by Gay Frères in Switzerland. Gay Frères produced bracelets and components for other watchmakers such as Heuer, Vacheron Constantin, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Heuer, and others. They employed over 500 at the height of their production in the 1907s. This all came to an end in the late 1990s when Rolex purchased the company as they became more vertically integrated, freeing themselves from the limitations imposed from outside suppliers. The look of this bracelet may be familiar but this old school design is made completely from stamped sections of stainless steel. Each link is fashioned from 2 separate pieces of sheet stainless that have been folded 6 times under extreme pressure. Simple, effective, and lightweight, this was how Rolex did things for many years. The hollow centre sections make make a jingling noise that is music to the ears of collectors and those who like their vintage Rolex original looking and sounding. Bracelets back then routinely wore out every 10 years or so and were replaced with newer semi-solid designs secured by heavy and long lasting screws. It is very rare to encounter an original folded link bracelet in the kind of condition our latest estate example is. This bracelet measures 20mm at the lugs and tapers to 15.5mm at the buckle. The last link is stamped with the model number 9315 with 380 end pieces. This bracelet will fit a vintage 5512, 5513, 1680 Submariner, 1675 GMT-Master, 1665 Sea-Dweller, or a 1655 Explorer II. It measures over 6 3/4 inches in length with 12 links (not including the diver’s extension). Including the watch it should fit a wrist size of up to 8 1/2 inches. If you need an original extra link, they are not too hard to locate online. A first generation screw link from a 93150 Oyster bracelet can easily be fit into these vintage bracelets too. Its hard to kill a Rolex watch if you service them every 10 years or so; original vintage bracelets are becoming more rare every day. This one was likely taken off decades ago and is ready to be united with your 1970s professional Rolex. $4,000.00 may be a lot of money for a Rolex bracelet that is close to 50 years old, but on the correct watch it adds far more value than that. It is in very good condition and has been refinished at some point. The embossed Coronet Rolex logo still stands off the surface nicely with excellent detail. There is only a tiny amount of stretch and some sag. These almost never show up in any condition let alone one this nice. It is estate priced at $4,000.00 CAD. Stock #505-00552.

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