There’s little doubt in my mind that the Rolex Datejust Oysterquartz 17000 will always be an exception. After all, it’s a Rolex that ticks. Much like the rules of reading or arithmetic, we are taught that a Rolex simply doesn’t tick. These days, though, the Oysterquartz is all the rage perhaps because of its rebellious nature. Is it worth owning one of these replica watches UK, or is it better suited for a cabinet of curiosities? Let’s examine this oddball watch further.
Much has been said or written about the Oysterquartz. It has been featured in several articles here on Fratello, and our own Brandon wrote a lengthy article about its history and why the watch is so likable. I will spend a cursory amount of time on the history of this watch with more on why my feelings turned positive to the point that I acquired one. I think you’ll enjoy the backstory as well. Finally, is this watch worth the fierce praise it receives from its advocates? We shall see.
I probably first became aware of the Oysterquatz in the late ’80s. My uncle was a successful businessman and always wore a gold watch. Upon his passing more than 20 years ago, I was fortunate enough to receive his early ’60s gold Seamaster. He was an interesting guy and worked primarily in the boating business. Whether it was office work or accompanying current or potential clients on fishing trips, he wore his Omega daily and put a lot of trust in its water resistance. At some point, before I even knew him, the rolex replica watches must have leaked. I know this because my aunt had it restored before gifting it to me.
I don’t know when my uncle decided to put the Omega aside, but he chose a more modern and robust watch as its replacement. That watch was the Rolex Oysterquartz Day-Date 19018 in 18K yellow gold. Just like with the Omega, he wore the watch daily. I can still remember my dad joking with my uncle about his quartz Rolex and, frankly, looking down upon it versus mechanical versions. To be fair, my uncle wasn’t a “watch guy.” I think he simply found a quartz Rolex to be a no-fuss everyday watch with all the finery of a regular Day-Date. When my uncle passed away, this watch was sold to a jeweler and, frankly, wasn’t worth a whole lot at the time. With that story in mind, I grew up with little love for quartz and especially the thought of a quartz Rolex.
It doesn’t take a lot of effort to hear the endless crowing about the Datejust Oysterquartz. Gerard has one, RJ has one, Balazs has one, and Brandon praised the watch heavily. And honestly, those plaudits are only what I am hearing from within Fratello’s four walls. Others also love these high quality fake Rolex watches, and it was due to one such admirer that my feelings changed. On one of my trips to Wind Vintage in Palm Beach, Florida, Eric had a lovely silver-dialed Oysterquartz 17000. I purposely sought it out and was seriously impressed by how different the case was from a typical Oyster. Yet, somehow, the watch still looked and felt like a Rolex. It was tempting, but I chose a mechanical Rolex that day. Nevertheless, the idea of buying an Oysterquartz was beginning to take on the form of a slow burn.
Now, I’ve been into Swiss Rolex clone watches long enough that my passive desires for a piece often do not result in any action. That said, serendipity is a funny thing, and recently, it came in the form of a Datejust Oysterquartz. I had just moved to London, and it turned out that a watch contact lived in the area. Nick Boon — the subject of a 2020 Speedy Tuesday article — and I got in touch. To make the story even wilder, I had come across Nick because he randomly played golf with one of my best friends who has absolutely nothing to do with watches. In any case, we began meeting up for ale sessions and talked about watches and everything else.
One day, I noticed a black-dialed Datejust Oysterquartz on Nick’s Instagram feed, and I may have even commented that I liked the watch. During the next session, he randomly brought up the watch when pointing out a local watchmaker’s shop. It was at this point that Nick informed me that the watch was owned by a really good friend of his…sort of. You see, Nick’s friend had received the Rolex nearly a decade before as collateral on a £1,500 loan to another good friend. That friend had since retired and hadn’t paid back the debt. Plus, the Rolex had stopped working. A quick service at the local dealer comprised cleaning the battery contact and checking the movement. This brought the Oysterquartz back to life. Afterward, the retired gentleman asked Nick’s friend to sell the watch. The friend would then send the proceeds to his retired friend less the £1,500.
While we were at the pub, Nick’s wife brought along the watch and sat down for a drink. They were the very cool, honest fake watches, and better yet, it had the original hang tag, box, and a load of paperwork. With a story like this and the watch in worn but unpolished condition, I told Nick that I was interested. Within a week, I had been in touch with Nick’s friend, agreed on a price, wired the money, and took delivery of the Datejust Oysterquartz.
One day, I noticed a black-dialed Datejust Oysterquartz on Nick’s Instagram feed, and I may have even commented that I liked the watch. During the next session, he randomly brought up the watch when pointing out a local watchmaker’s shop. It was at this point that Nick informed me that the watch was owned by a really good friend of his…sort of. You see, Nick’s friend had received the Rolex nearly a decade before as collateral on a £1,500 loan to another good friend. That friend had since retired and hadn’t paid back the debt. Plus, the Rolex had stopped working. A quick service at the local dealer comprised cleaning the battery contact and checking the movement. This brought the Oysterquartz back to life. Afterward, the retired gentleman asked Nick’s friend to sell the watch. The friend would then send the proceeds to his retired friend less the £1,500.
While we were at the pub, Nick’s wife brought along the watch and sat down for a drink. It was a very cool, honest watch, and better yet, it had the original hang tag, box, and a load of paperwork. With a story like this and the watch in worn but unpolished condition, I told Nick that I was interested. Within a week, I had been in touch with Nick’s friend, agreed on a price, wired the money, and took delivery of the Datejust Oysterquartz.
So, is it worth owning an Oysterquartz Datejust? I think so for several reasons. It’s a Rolex, and it feels like one, which means it’s well built, comfortable, and reliable. Next, it’s different than 99.9% of the AAA+ Rolex copy watches you’re likely to encounter, which is seriously fun. There’s also the fact that it’s such an easy watch to grab at a moment’s notice. Finally, I like it because it’s weird and feels like a time-warp watch, though it was at the absolute top of its game when it debuted. With all of that said, I still do tend toward mechanical watches all day, every day, and twice on Sundays.
