Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date model in solid fourteen carat yellow gold. This watch is avery unique piece in superb condition and complete in ever way. The watch itself is a classic, all solid gold with a gold dial. A configuration that is seen in many Date, Datejust and Day Date Rolex models. The rarity with this watch can be found engraved into the case-back, and found printed on the original Rolex paperwork. This watch was a commissioned order direct through Rolex of New York by the Buick Motor Company. Over the years we have been lucky enough to have watches gifted by Chevrolet and Ford Motor Company, but this is the first Buick watch we have seen.

Buick is one of the oldest surviving names in American motoring, tracing its beginnings to David Dunbar Buick, a Scottish-born inventor who began experimenting with gasoline engines at the turn of the twentieth century. The Buick Motor Company was formally incorporated in 1903, with its early reputation built around the innovative overhead-valve, or “valve-in-head,” engine. The first Buick offered for sale, the Model B, appeared in 1904.

The company’s fortunes changed dramatically when William C. “Billy” Durant took control in 1904. A gifted salesman and promoter, Durant transformed Buick into one of America’s leading automobile manufacturers. By 1908, Buick production had surpassed Ford and Cadillac combined, and its success provided Durant with the foundation upon which he established General Motors that same year. Buick consequently became one of the cornerstone marques of the new corporation.

Through the twentieth century, Buick occupied a distinctive position in the American market, offering cars that combined comfort, engineering and restrained luxury without quite entering Cadillac territory. From the elegant pre-war automobiles of the 1920s and 1930s to the great Roadmasters, Rivieras and performance-oriented models of the post-war period, Buick became particularly associated with a confident and distinctly American interpretation of luxury motoring. More than a century after its founding, it remains one of the longest continuously operating automobile marques in the United States

This dial is work of art for so many reasons; the base colour of the dial is a stunning, and very rare, deep coppery bronze metallic colour that transforms in bright light to this rich bronze colour, and returning to an almost deep charcoal under low light, or evening. The aforementioned extended minute markers are beautiful against the bronze dial being that they are a printed in a gilt colour.  The same goes for all the text on the dial, which looks stunning against the dial backdrop. The gold hour markers are not simply baton shaped, but coffin shaped. The original Tritium lume colour has aged beautifully into a light latte color. The original baton hand set is also complete with the original colour matched lume. Finally, the dial is in perfect condition.

The watch is powered by the classic Rolex Swiss made twenty six jewel automatic calibre 3035.Introduced in 1977, the Rolex caliber 3035 arrived at an interesting point in the company’s history. It replaced the venerable caliber 1575, a movement that had served Rolex exceptionally well for more than a decade, and became the bridge between the classic post-war Rolex movements and the modern calibers that followed.

The architecture remained unmistakably Rolex, robust, relatively simple and designed with long-term serviceability in mind, but there were meaningful improvements. The beat rate increased from 19,800 to 28,800 vibrations per hour, while the addition of a quick-set date made the watch considerably easier to live with. The movement retained Rolex’s free-sprung balance and efficient automatic winding system, with a power reserve of approximately 48 hours.

The 3035 would power many of the most familiar Rolex watches of the period, including the Date, Datejust and Submariner Date. Its production was relatively short by Rolex standards, lasting little more than a decade before the caliber 3135 arrived in 1988 making this watch one of the last Rolex models to use this older caliber. This makes the 3035 an important transitional movement, retaining much of the character and construction of the earlier Rolex calibers while introducing the higher frequency and practicality that would become standard for the generation that followed.

This particular case and bracelet remains untouched by the polishing wheel. The condition of the watch is what is often described as "new old stock". Quite often we find presentation watches like this rarely worn. Perhaps the award was very precious to the recipient that they were afraid to wear the watches, and often would admire them instead. This is the great benefit to the new owner who will get to enjoy a watch that is over thity five years old, but is like new.

Not only is the watch presented in this condition, it is also a "full set". It has the original outer card box with Rolex sticker on the outside with correct information, inner plastic box, "Your Rolex Oyster" and "Date" brochures, serial number hang tag, Rolex wax tag, and, most importantly, paperwork from Rolex, having been sold at Rolex New York in 1989.

Overall, this is perhaps one of the best looking, and most unusual Rolex Date models we have come across. It is a size that is very comfortable to wear, and a history that is hard to match.