First vintage piece - a 1974 root beer

[HiBoost]

Without question, love at first site . I got this from Ben at The Watch Buyers Group in Pasadena, and he held my hand through my many first time vintage buyer questions. Great experience overall. The movement is freshly serviced and RolliWorks overhauled the bracelet. Seems to be a one owner piece that had a pretty easy life. I was seeking out a watch with more of a NOS look than a heavy patina look, so when I came across this I had to jump.

Let me know what you guys think. Would love to learn any obscure trivia about the model that you might be able to share as well.

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[myclue]

shes a beauty!

[dimag333]

thats the one to get!

steve

[drockadam]

What a gorgeous GMT! Root Beer on a TT Jubilee always gets me. Huge congratulations

[Jackie Daytona]

Love that brown nipple dial. Great looking watch.

[tix99us]

Beautiful watch!!!

[BigBlue1]

Such a beautiful watch. I miss mine. Always looks good on the wrist. Enjoy.

[bradleyt09]

That’s a beauty! Enjoy it and wear in good health.

[onefishtaco]

That's gorgeous, congratulations! I've always wanted to buy vintage rolex, like you, I'd prefer a NOS look to add my own dings on it and get that "new" feeling. I suspect as my appreciation for vintage evolves this will change.

[Dr.Smellody]

Love it. Congratulations.

[TimeLord2]

Great looking watch and the oval link bracelet looks to be in great shape along with the rest of it. What are the first few numbers of the serial?

[HiBoost]

Originally Posted by TimeLord2

Great looking watch and the oval link bracelet looks to be in great shape along with the rest of it. What are the first few numbers of the serial?

423xxxx. I know the serial to date conversion isn't black and white, but I'm comfortable it's relatively close to my age.

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[MorningTundra]

Very nice! Well bought, as they say

[springer]

Looks like you have found a very nice "root beer" GMT. Enjoy your watch and congratulations.

[SDREW22]

Nice!

[Rafabond]

Some more photographs of the dial and the bracelet would be appreciated, the watch looks great, what reference and year do you mark on the bracelet? the bezel is for service, in my Root Beer I also have it for service, I have saved the original bezel but I don't like to wear it so worn, the service one suits it better.

[HiBoost]

Originally Posted by Rafabond

Some more photographs of the dial and the bracelet would be appreciated, the watch looks great, what reference and year do you mark on the bracelet? the bezel is for service, in my Root Beer I also have it for service, I have saved the original bezel but I don't like to wear it so worn, the service one suits it better.

Are you saying the bezel insert on mine is a service insert? And if so, are you saying that because the top of the 8 is round and not oval, or are you looking at something else? I have seen that discussion for the pepsi inserts but never saw it discussed anywhere for the root beer ones.

The bracelet doesn't have a date code, but from what I have read those didn't start until 1976 and mine is supposed to be from 1974.

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[Tom1675]

Nice!

Congrats.

[TimeLord2]

I believe the oval link American bracelets never had date codes, just the Swiss counterparts.

[Sherbie]

USA oval links did come with date codes

Here is one from a 1968 Datejust




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[Sublovin]

Very nice. I like this model a lot, and it has aged well. Enjoy

[HiBoost]

Originally Posted by Sherbie

USA oval links did come with date codes

Mine has nothing in that location so maybe not all of them were marked as such?

[TimeLord2]

Originally Posted by Sherbie

USA oval links did come with date codes

Here is one from a 1968 Datejust

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Mine does not have a date code. I'm always learning something new on this forum!

[Rafabond]

Originally Posted by HiBoost

Are you saying the bezel insert on mine is a service insert? And if so, are you saying that because the top of the 8 is round and not oval, or are you looking at something else? I have seen that discussion for the pepsi inserts but never saw it discussed anywhere for the root beer ones.

The bracelet doesn't have a date code, but from what I have read those didn't start until 1976 and mine is supposed to be from 1974.

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the bezels of the 1675 matt dial models had the bezel with the 8 flattened and not completely round. then the reference 16753, the later model from the 80's was round like the service ones. the 1675/3 originals were gold on the rear and the service ones were red. but I insist, I keep my original bezel with the flattened 8 and gold back, but I have the service that they put me at Rolex when doing maintenance. it looks much better. think the bezels on a 1675/3 don't have the stratospheric value of 1675 pepsi either.

originally they came like this

[Rafabond]

also your bezel has taken on a magnificent patina, it is discolored and it looks very good. It is a multi-year bezel.

And speaking of the dial, you have a perfect dial, very clean and the hands seem to be the original ones that match the patina of the perfect dial nipple indices!

[HiBoost]

Originally Posted by Rafabond

also your bezel has taken on a magnificent patina, it is discolored and it looks very good. It is a multi-year bezel.

Thank you! So is my dial considered the matte dial? I wasn't clear if all nipple dials are matte or if there are other versions.

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[Rafabond]

this is mine with the bezel like yours.



and in this photograph an enlarged detail of my original bezel from 1976, I prefer the service bezel, it has the brightest and most vivid colors

[Rafabond]

Originally Posted by HiBoost

Thank you! So is my dial considered the matte dial? I wasn't clear if all nipple dials are matte or if there are other versions.

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your dial is matte, perfect for the 1675. from the 80 ’they were not matte, they had sun rays. also the Rolex crown on the dial is gold is not stamped. so were the matte dials of the time.

you have a very good watch! but I insist that it is from 1976, but it doesn't matter, from 74 ’, 75’, 76 ’, they have the same value. and your watch is very honest.

[HiBoost]

Yours looks great, I love it on the oyster bracelet as well!

I do notice that your bezel insert and mine have some differences. So if they are both service inserts, then there must be more than one version of service insert. The 8s look different and the spacing between the 1 (in 18) and the color change line is different. Mine is on the left, yours on the right:

[Rafabond]

But to be more specific, rather than a service bezel, I would say better that it is the bezel that corresponded to the 16753, from the 80's. better still than the service one.

In this photograph of a 16753 from the 80's you will see a bezel like yours,