Tropical 1976 Rolex Oyster-Perpetual Date (Ref. 1530)

 In the late 1970s and early 1980s, quartz timepieces were dominating the market and yes even Rolex was affected by what is now known as the "Quartz Crisis" of the late 1970s and of the early 1980s. These Rolex models produced in this era referred to as "Oysterquartz" and were only produced in the Oyster-Perpetual Date, Datejust, and Day-Date models. However, in this time period, Rolex still had a demand for automatic mechanical timepieces. Thus creating the crossover production of Rolex mechanical movements in the new "Oysterquartz" designed cases. This occurrence was rare from the beginning making production numbers of these timepieces extremely low, making their rarity even more so today.

The angular case design, integrated bracelet, with sapphire crystal give this watch impeccable presence on the wrist. This watch is extremely comfortable to wear and, while still being under the radar, adds a much different stylistic flavor from the traditional design. These Oyster Perpetual Date's are rare in their own right, but it's even more uncommon to find them with such vibrant tropical dials.