Zephyr — named after Zephyrus, the Greek god and personification of the west wind — was always a bit of an outlier in the Rolex catalogue. Although most Rolex Zephyr models used the familiar Oyster case that helped make the brand what it is today, they looked very different from the Oyster Perpetuals, GMT-Masters, Datejusts, Day-Dates, and so on. The first generation featured a faceted, machined bezel, a SWISS-only marking at six o’clock, and a rather unusual (for Rolex) crosshair dial design paired with dauphine hands. The second generation — references 1008 and 1009 from the 1960s onward — introduced finer alpha-style hands and continued the use of that distinctive machined bezel. At some point, Rolex even produced ladies’ Zephyrs as well as pocket watch versions. At hand we have a second-generation reference 1009 in 18k yellow gold, with a striking Florentine finish on the case. The case remains in lovely condition, with strong, well-preserved lines in the hand-applied finish — and the bezel is equally sharp. The caseback features a charming hand-engraved inscription: “J.M.D. 6-15-69” — a small personal detail we always enjoy discovering. The dial is silver with a soleil finish, black printed text, and a super-fine crosshair design. Dauphine hands and cream-coloured lume plots complete the look — and they really pop. The watch is paired with a new old stock, original Rolex leather strap with a plaque Rolex buckle. This cool Zephyr has been checked and regulated by our watchmaker. Still a bit under appreciated today, these watches are, in our view, sophisticated, refined, and seriously cool. Ready to let a little West Wind onto your wrist? Drop us a message and make this Zephyr yours. Specifications: Rolex Oyster Perpetual “Zephyr “ Reference 1009 34mm yellow gold case with Florentine finish Serial 1128xxx dating to 1965 Zephyr silver crosshair dial , dauphine hands Rolex leather strap with Plaque Rolex buckle fitted Caseback engraved “J.M.D. 6-15-69” Fully checked and regulated by our watchmaker One-year mechanical warranty Free worldwide Fedex Priority shipping