Rolex Oyster Perpetual Ref. 1500

General overview

Model: Oyster Perpetual Date, smooth‑bezel 34 mm. Introduced c. 1962. Produced through the late 1970s. Stainless steel was standard; related refs cover other bezels/metals. Millenary Watches
Production period: c. 1962–late 1970s (serials present into 1978–79). oysterworld.de
Key specs
- Case: 34 mm steel Oyster, Twinlock screw‑down crown, 19 mm lugs. Approx. 11.5–12 mm thick. 100 m (10 ATM) period rating. Acrylic Cyclops crystal. Smooth bezel. Millenary Watches+2Zeit Vintage Watch+2
- Movement: Rolex Cal. 1565 (early) then 1570/1575 family (date variant), automatic, no quick‑set; hacking added early 1970s. Beckertime, LLC+2Millenary Watches+2
- Bracelet: Oyster rivet 7205 (19 mm), folded 7835 (19 mm), later solid 78350 (19 mm); Jubilee options existed. Rolex Forums+3eBay+3Chrono24+3
Why it matters: The ref. 1500 is the archetypal mid‑size chronometer Date using the robust 15xx calibres, often the most accessible entry to COSC‑rated vintage Rolex. Bobswatches.com

Serial numbers / production eras

Era	Approx. serials (Rolex overall)	Movement in 1500	Notes
1962–1964	~763k–1.195m	1565	Early dials, some black gilt; non‑hacking; 18,000 vph. oysterworld.de+2Antique Watch Co+2
1965–1970	~1.193m–2.959m	1570/1575	19,800 vph; still non‑hacking; date set by 24‑hour advance. oysterworld.de+2Millenary Watches+2
1971–1977	~2.728m–5.368m	1570/1575 (hacking)	Hacking seconds from ~1971/72; sigma‑dial period begins. oysterworld.de+2gmtmasterhistory.com+2
1978–1979	~5.238m–6.122m	1570/1575	Late tritium matte dials; service parts common. oysterworld.de+1

Serials are approximate model‑agnostic ranges used to date cases; 1500 assembly can lag case‑back stampings. oysterworld.de+1

External components breakdown

Component	Correct types / part refs	Notes
Case	Ref. 1500 steel Oyster, 19 mm lugs	“1500” stamped between lugs; smooth bezel (polished). Millenary Watches
Case back	Inside stamped “1500”; quarter‑year date codes to 1972 (e.g., I.66)	Case‑back codes date the back itself, not always the finished watch. rolexhaven.com
Crystal	Acrylic Cyclops 25‑117 (“Tropic 117”)	Factory/service part used across 34 mm Date 1500 family. timeconnectioninc.com+1
Crown / tube	Twinlock 24‑600‑0 crown; tube 24‑6000 (service 24‑6020)	Period‑correct 6 mm Twinlock set used on OP/Date family. chrono-shop.net+1
Bezel	Smooth stainless steel (press‑fit)	Engine‑turned/fluted belong to sibling refs (see below). Millenary Watches
Bracelets	Oyster 7205 riveted + 57 end‑links (19 mm); Oyster 7835 folded + 357 ends; Oyster 78350 solid + 557 ends; Jubilee 6251H (19 mm) with 50/74 ends found	Many 1500s shipped on Oyster; Jubilee seen period‑correct on 19 mm cases. Verify end‑link codes. chrono-shop.net+3eBay+3Chrono24+3
Clasp	Date codes inside clasp (letters = year, digits = month)	Useful to cross‑check bracelet age. oysterworld.de

Authenticity flags: mismatched end‑links (e.g., 20 mm codes on 19 mm case), aftermarket crystals not marked 25‑117, modern service crowns (different coronet depth). Chrono24+1

Dial variations (chronology)

Period	“Mark” / traits	Lume line	Notes
c. 1962–63	Early gloss black gilt, “SWISS” only	Radium on earliest; transitional to tritium	Scarcer on 1500; seen with arrow/“diamond” markers and dauphine hands. Antique Watch Co+1
1963 (transitional)	Underline dials; some still “SWISS”	Early tritium underlined	Industry‑wide move off radium. rolexpassionreport.com
1964–67	Gloss, “T SWISS T” or “SWISS T<25”	Tritium	Standard baton markers. “Hook‑7” date wheels appear mid‑60s. Millenary Watches+1
1968–mid‑70s	Matte finishes; σ T SWISS T σ on some	Tritium	Sigma marks indicate gold hands/markers; appear early 1970s. Hodinkee+1
Service (late 1990s→)	“SWISS” only (1998–99) then “SWISS MADE”	Luminova/Super‑Luminova	Some service dials exist with “T” text but Luminova (“tritinova”). Watch Chest+1

Known co‑brandings include Serpico y Laino and UAE crests on 1500. sothebys.com+1

Bezel / insert / external variants (same case family)

1500: smooth steel bezel (this dossier). 1501: steel engine‑turned. 1503: 14 k fluted. 1505: two‑tone engine‑turned. 1507: 18 k fluted. Rare: 1502 (Florentine), 1504 (geometric). Millenary Watches+1

Counterfeit risk: swapping 1501 engine‑turned bezels onto 1500; verify reference between lugs and bezel type. Millenary Watches

Hands, movement & technical features

Hands: Baton with tritium; early 1960 examples documented with dauphine/arrow furniture. Date discs with open 6/9 and “hook‑7” seen mid‑60s. vintagewatchcentre.com+1
Cal. 1565 (early): 26 j, 18,000 vph, free‑sprung balance with overcoil, instantaneous date, non‑hacking. Beckertime, LLC+1
Cal. 1570/1575 (date variant): 19,800 vph, 25–26 j, Microstella free‑sprung, ~48 h reserve, hacking added ~1971/72; no quick‑set. Some plates stamped “1570” though functionally 1575 with date. Millenary Watches+2Millenary Watches+2
Water resistance: Oyster case era rating 100 m; treat vintage examples cautiously. Chrono24

Part numbers (collector‑relevant)

Movements used: 1565 (early); 1570/1575 date family. In‑house Rolex 15xx series. Beckertime, LLC+1
Case: Ref. 1500 (smooth bezel). Case‑back inside “1500” with quarter‑year stamp through 1972. rolexhaven.com
Crystal: 25‑117 acrylic Cyclops (Tropic 117). timeconnectioninc.com
Crown / tube: 24‑600‑0 Twinlock crown; tube 24‑6000 (service 24‑6020). chrono-shop.net+1
Bracelets: Oyster 7205 (rivet, 19 mm, end‑link 57); 7835 (folded, 19 mm, 357); 78350 (solid, 19 mm, 557). Jubilee 6251H 19 mm with 50 or 74 end‑links seen. chrono-shop.net+3eBay+3Chrono24+3

Authentication & restoration checklist

Originality checks

Between lugs: “1500” at 12, serial at 6; inspect font and corrosion. qualitytyme.net
Case‑back: Inside ref and quarter‑year code pre‑1972; mismatches are common but note plausibility. rolexhaven.com
Movement: Correct 15xx bridge engravings; era‑correct (1565 early, 1570/1575 later). Hacking behavior consistent with c. 1971/72 onward. Beckertime, LLC+1
Dial: Lume line vs era (“SWISS”→“T SWISS T/SWISS T<25”; σ‑dials early 1970s). Watch for Luminova service dials marked “SWISS” (1998–99) or “SWISS MADE.” rolexpassionreport.com+2Hodinkee+2
Date wheel: Period fonts (open 6/9, hook‑7 mid‑60s). watchclub.com
Bracelet: 19 mm width; verify bracelet ref, end‑link code (57/357/557) and clasp date vs case serial. eBay+2Chrono24+2

Common red flags

Engine‑turned/fluted bezels on a case stamped 1500. Millenary Watches
20 mm end‑links on 19 mm lugs; aftermarket crystal not 25‑117; modern crowns mis‑matched. Chrono24+1
Tritium dial relume with Luminova without “Swiss”/“Swiss Made” change. Watch Chest

Restoration guidance

Sympathetic: Light case refresh only; retain chamfers and lug holes. Use OEM 25‑117 crystal and period‑correct hands if replaced. timeconnectioninc.com
Bracelets: Period‑matching 7205/7835/78350 or 6251H with correct 19 mm ends. eBay+2Chrono24+2
Service interval: Regular service for 15xx (~5–10 years) to preserve chronometer performance; avoid pressure testing to modern specs on original crowns/tubes. (General practice; confirm with your watchmaker.)
Provenance: Note co‑signed dials (Serpico y Laino; UAE crests); keep clasp/dial/movement photos and any RSC paperwork. sothebys.com+1

Summary

Ref. 1500 combines the classic 34 mm Oyster case with Rolex’s 15xx automatic architecture. Early pieces carry Cal. 1565; later watches use 1570/1575 with hacking from ~1971/72. Dials transition from early gilt/“SWISS” to tritium “T SWISS T,” with sigma dials in the 1970s. Correct crystals (25‑117), 19 mm bracelets and end‑links (57/357/557), and period fonts on the date wheel are key tells. It is a durable, chronometer‑rated vintage Rolex with broad parts support and strong collector liquidity. Chrono24+4Beckertime, LLC+4Millenary Watches+4

Verification notes (conflicts resolved)

Hacking start: Sources cite 1971–72. For dating, treat 2.59–3.05 M serials (1971–72) as the changeover window. gmtmasterhistory.com+1
1570 vs 1575 stamping: Some “1570” bridges power date models; functionally this is the 1575 variant. Cross‑check by calendar works and case period. Millenary Watches