The term “rare” is often overused in the world of vintage luxury watch collecting, especially when it comes to vintage Rolex watches. However, there are some pieces that can only be described as such because they are not only rarely seen, but few people have ever heard of them. The Rolex Spacewalker is a perfect example of this. The Spacewalker is so rare that few people have ever seen one in person, and its story is not documented on the brand’s website like many other Rolex replica watches.
Although the Spacewalker was not popular enough in its day to warrant full production, today it is one of the most elusive vintage fake Rolex watches ever made. Learn more about this enigmatic vintage ’60s sports watch in our ultimate guide to the Rolex Space-Dweller. The world has always been fascinated by explorers, pioneers who ventured into the unknown, paving the way for us little people to tame the wilderness and break new ground. In the past, these intrepid souls were celebrated in myths and legends as pioneers who went to the extremes of the earth for fame, glory, fortune or – in the case of Everest – simply “because it was there”.
The Rolex Spacewalker is actually an explorer-type watch. 1016, equipped with a special dial. However, the dial does not bear the name “Explorer”. The Rolex Space-Dweller was produced in small numbers and sold only in Japan as a test piece. Although the Mercury mission returnees received a rock star reception in Japan, the watch designed to capitalize on their achievement failed to gain decisive recognition among the Japanese public and sales were tepid. Since the Rolex Space-Dweller never took off, the idea was abandoned only a few years after its debut.
Fittingly, the Space-Dweller was retired before it began, leaving us with one of those pieces that redefined the term “rare”. The lack of popularity may have been unfortunate for Rolex, but for today’s vintage collectors, it means that the Space-Dweller is an ultra-rare model to seek out. For those fortunate few who own the Space-Dweller, they are the holders of a truly rare and fascinating piece of fake Rolex history – a watch originally made to celebrate the greatest achievements on Earth, redesigned to celebrate our first steps into the infinite realm of space exploration.