SIGNED ROLEX, OYSTERQUARTZ MODEL, REF. 17000, CASE NO. 7'559'184, CIRCA 1983

Launched in 1977, the Rolex Oysterquartz reference 1700 was intended to satisfy the demand for quartz watches. Very different from any others of the firm's models, the watch has a highly attractive design matched the fashion of the period. Such as the Nautilus or the Royal Oak, the Oysterquartz has an intagrated bracelet.

In May 1978, Reinhold Messmer has been the human to climb the Mount Everest without the use of supplemental oxygen - on his wrist a Rolex Oysterquartz reference 17000 which defied the daunting conditions and worked flawlessly at over 8'000 meters and in icy cold.