Why I stopped wearing my Vintage Rolex Oyster Perpetual... 

The 34mm OP Date is the distillation of Rolex goodness.

The grit and dirt acts as a grinding paste and wears the links and pins. I bought a Datejust new in 1996 and after 20 years 24/7 daily use (I did wash the bracelet regularly particularly after swimming in the sea) the bracelet had stretched and I swapped to leather. I don't think many modern Rolex watches will wear as much, because it is now unusual for the owner to use just one watch and to wear it all the time.

I have never been a big fan of Rolex over the last 35+ years of having a huge love of watches. Too many of them are OTT, gaudy & crass for my taste. That said, the one Rolex I always loved is the Oyster Perpetual. To further clarify, the stainless steel, silver dial, understated, poor man's Rolex. The Rolex that looks like you've saved for years to have enough money to be able to afford. It's the 1.0L Panda of the Rolex range. I finally bought my first & second Rolex aged 54. I bought a 41mm Oyster Pepetual blue dial & a 41mm Datejust black dial 2 years ago. Within 6 months I'd got rid & bought the 36mm OP with a silver dial & I'm delighted I did as I love it. It's definite keeper & one I can wear walking around Glasgow without fear of being mugged :) ps the black sailcloth looks great on yours.

The links barely wear down. The issue is the pins. The parts of the links that move around the pin wear down the pins. When experts like Rolliworks rebuild bracelets, the only thing they replace are the pins. Also, this is why modern precious metal Rolexes have ceramic sleeves around the pins.

The sailcloth strap suit it very well!

Can't go wrong with a brown leather strap. Great video

My 1971 Oyster Date is on the light brown Highley and looks gorgeous 😍

@anthony just swapped my 73 6426 off the bracelet onto straps, not put it on a NATO yet but maybe tomorrow. It’s currently on a minimal stitch brown leather and looks brilliant.

Stunning watch

A cracking Oyster Perpetual Anthony. I looks forward to seeing your preferred strap options for this watch. A classic Rolex if ever there was one. I have the 41 OP in with the silver dial but to my old bloodshot eyes it looks to have a very slight champagne hue. This might be due to the gold markers and/or the sunburst dial finish. Anyway I wanted this one as opposed to the many colour options offered at the time because in my mind at least it was a classic dial for a classic watch. Oh and I'm far too old to be considered someone who has the slightest idea of fashion. Without giving my age away It would be great to get a watch at some point from the mid sixties. Anthony, Richard suggestion would be welcome. Many thanks for sharing and I look forward to the video of the AE15000 from Richard, this looks like an interesting watch indeed. I'm just as happy with a G-Shock digital or my OP, if I like and can justify a watch for me I might just try out and maybe make a purchase at some point.

5:40 rolex now uses ceramic pin sleeves to prevent the bracelets from sagging

I have a gorgeous 1501 from 1974 with a beautiful silver dial. Thinking of selling it and getting a 1601

Links get loose because with movement the pins move around and create larger holes. Therefore, the pins are not as secured as when new, have more room to move and result in the links moving way more than it should. The screwed pins help with durability and keeping it in place tighter, but it still getting loose with time. As the links have to move a bit for the bracelet to be comfortable, it results, in time, in creating gaps and becoming loose.

If I am not wrong, OP Date is 34mm diameter with lug width of 19mm, but it seems all the straps you had used fit in nicely. 19mm straps are not easy to find.

You have to embrace vintage watches for what they are, looks and feel. Jingle jangle. Part of the charm of vintage is you can’t get it anymore. Same goes for tuna can bracelets - you can’t get them anymore.

I have an OP Date 34 Precision with same bracelet qualities. To my understanding from jewelers and watchmakers, factors that enable the bracelet's stretch-sagging appearances are because of accumulated constant wear conditions by multiple varied tensions with frictions between metal parts and our multiple regular wrist rolls or simply put, Wear Regularity Fatigue Frequencies. With constant temperature and stress wear fluctuations under use, these changes would alter the bracelet's form strength to fatigue conditions by stretches and bendings. Back then, Rolex bracelets were made lighter with lesser materials for comfort qualities and after sales service purposes in mind, akin like any automobile vehicle's service warranty today. Current contemporary Rolex bracelets are built solidly with varied and more materials for robust with perceived expensive luxury qualities in mind, just like luxury automobile vehicle's qualities today. Best regards. 👑⌚👍

Don't worry it won't break. I used my daily same strap. BUT you may use the nato straps.

The responses that other people made regarding the cleaning of a metal watch band with soap and water are correct. Also, wear it not as a loose bracelet - your oyster chronometer is NOT jewelry but an instrument made to help navigate you to anywhere on earth at any time to the second. The silver dial that you show is not discolored patina but how Rolex made them up to the early ‘90s, which gave them a pearl-like luminance. The later dials are of a cold steel effect…. Your ouster bracelet is of a 316 surgical grade steel as opposed to the 904L of today. You may consider getting it re-pinned or replace it with the more comfortable Junbilee. Your crystal is made of Rolex acurlite that they used back them. Upon servicing it by Rolex now, you will get a much better more scratch resistant crystal. Wear your vintage Rolex as I wear one just like yours for over forty years - just serviced by Rolex New York, and though unnecessary, treated it to a new Jubilee bracelet - in return my DATE model still keeps about -6 seconds per month.

I think the vintage brown leather strap looks the best.

I love my Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date 1501 that I believe was made in 1964 (based on the serial number)! I replaced the bracelet with a new one from Rolex. Wasn't cheap.

The metal wears away. My circa 1960 bracelet links literally disintegrated from wear.

You can get the bracelet tightened by a watchmaker.

i love the loose bracelet

As loose as it looks, it will probably not fail. But I see you’ve bent some of those links which was not caused by wear, but extreme impact. I’ve worn old folded link bracelets and yes they’re loose-goosy but never had one actually break apart from normal wear…

The metal literally wears away. The links disintegrate. Been there, done that. Rolex 1018 (36 mm) Oyster Perpetual from circa 1960, worn as a daily in the surf, pool, etc... Time for a new old stock 5 digit Rolex bracelet.

I only own modern Rolex . But have to admit I much prefer the aesthetic of vintage or neo vintage pieces. But when you try them on the wrist they are so flimsy and feel cheap

5:40 lol, it is wearing away... hate to break it to u!

I wish I could have one but I'm 😢

Addressing the band stretch in your oyster bracelet is the very reason why Rolex insists that you wash your watch and bracelet with soap and water - you can have the links re-pinned, yet Rolex is reluctant to perform the task as I wanted a bent Jubilee link reformed near the 12'o'clock position during my recent service of my beloved 15210 c.1981 - I opted by treating the watch to a brand-new Jubilee bracelet at an extra $1,450 with Rolex allowing me to keep the original moderately stretched Jubilee - and not for sale. I do not see why you do not get a new Oyster bracelet though you will find the Jubilee much more comfortable - being in England take it to Rolex St. James Square, London. I am sure they will let you keep your original bracelet. My New York-serviced Rolex is re-certified waterproof for salt water swimming and regulated to -0.6 second per day, also the plastic crystal is far better than the original. Advice - never polish any watch for the lost metal you will never get back. Also, by looking at cream-silver dial I see no patina to it as it holds its original creamy non-oxidized texture - which brings another issue - keep your winding button (crown) closed to keep out the slightest of humidity that over the decades will discolour and pit your dial, numbers, and hands - that means setting your watch in an air-conditioned room.

Have a watchmaker repin the bracelet , all good .

Go for leather… 100%

Here's a video on how to fix the bracelet: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-rlttvqNHHnY.html

Poor

Grown men making videos about what they are wearing and why. No wonder the West is conquered.