Correct Box for 16233 (Late '80s)?

[Jaltaire]

I recently purchased a reference 16233 piece via my Rolex AD who enrolled in Rolex CPO. Piece looks great and came with original papers, but no box. I would like to source an original box for this piece, primarily to have somewhere to store the papers.

Serial number begins with R89, so I believe the piece was produced in 1988. My AD listed the piece as 1989 (so perhaps some small variation there), though worth noting that the papers themselves are undated. Also to note, the watch was sold in the U.S.

I see some discussion on another thread as to which box would be appropriate (moon crater vs. green rocks), though it seems there were some disagreements over which box would be appropriate for a given country of sale.

Any insight here would be much appreciated. Many thanks!

[swish77]

Here's what my (former) R serial DJ came with, originally bought in the Caribbean in 1988.

[TuRo]

Many variances tbh. This list/table at bottom of thread is often useful ballpark identifier.
https://omegaforums.net/threads/how-...m-1973.139867/

[Jaltaire]

Originally Posted by swish77

Here's what my (former) R serial DJ came with, originally bought in the Caribbean in 1988.

Would you mind sharing (a) in which country specifically you purchased the Datejust and (b) the model number of the box inscribed on the bottom?

[swish77]

Originally Posted by Jaltaire

Would you mind sharing (a) in which country specifically you purchased the Datejust and (b) the model number of the box inscribed on the bottom?

Purchased in the Bahamas, but I no longer own the watch/set, so not sure about the box number.

[Jaltaire]

Originally Posted by swish77

Purchased in the Bahamas, but I no longer own the watch/set, so not sure about the box number.

Thanks for that.

I think the question becomes what would the correct set have been for the USA at that time. It seems from discussions here that the moon crater box was not used in the USA...?

[springer]

Originally Posted by swish77

Here's what my (former) R serial DJ came with, originally bought in the Caribbean in 1988.

A USA Bufkor box is correct for a watch sold in the USA during 1988/89. Sorry, Aaron, but the Caribbean is outside the USA - and while your moon crater box is correct for where you purchased it in the Caribbean, it is not correct for the USA watches from the 1980s.

To the OP, the correct box for you would be the third generation Bufkor box with the green smooth-grain cowhide texture with the bottom of the outer box colored gold. Below re a couple examples of this box. Use this box for a circa 1988 USA watch.

[springer]

Originally Posted by TuRo

Many variances tbh. This list/table at bottom of thread is often useful ballpark identifier.
https://omegaforums.net/threads/how-...m-1973.139867/

The Bufkor boxes were exclusive to the USA watches from the late 1970s until the late 1980s.

[MuchMoore]

Originally Posted by TuRo

Many variances tbh. This list/table at bottom of thread is often useful ballpark identifier.

I've been looking for a reference table for boxes like that for months, thank you!

[TuRo]

Seen US Style Bufkor boxes with watches from Puerto Rico and the three major territories of the U.S. Virgin Islands (St. John, St. Thomas, and St. Croix).

My 'John Bull Jewellers' Nassau watch that I bought like Aaron had same green/grey too with the Norcros/Sato style price gun sticker on the end. Quite a weird purchasing experience.

It was 1994 (toward the end of that Box style btw), and the Manager said the previous day whatever you do get here well before 2.00pm as it gets busy after that.

AN UNDERSTATEMENT.

I got there at 1pm and overran by 15 mins and suddenly a huge commotion erupted as something like 300 to 400 very excitable people (from a huge Cruise Ship) turned up at exactly the same time and I watched in horror as their entire Rolex stock was cleaned out like a field of locusts in 20 mins... the poor staff were run ragged !

[springer]

Originally Posted by TuRo

Seen US Style Bufkor boxes with watches from Puerto Rico and the three major territories of the U.S. Virgin Islands (St. John, St. Thomas, and St. Croix).

My 'John Bull Jewellers' Nassau watch that I bought like Aaron had same green/grey too with the Norcros/Sato style price gun sticker on the end. Quite a weird purchasing experience.

It was 1994 (toward the end of that Box style btw), and the Manager said the previous day whatever you do get here well before 2.00pm as it gets busy after that.

AN UNDERSTATEMENT.

I got there at 1pm and overran by 15 mins and suddenly a huge commotion erupted as something like 300 to 400 very excitable people (from a huge Cruise Ship) turned up at exactly the same time and I watched in horror as their entire Rolex stock was cleaned out like a field of locusts in 20 mins... the poor staff were run ragged !

I've owned a few watches from the islands (Bahamas, Jamaica and non U.S. territories) and none ever came with Bufkor boxes. Many island buyers from the USA did not bring their boxes back to the USA due to the fear that U.S. Customs would figure out about that their watch was purchased in the islands and charge them import taxes.

When I lived in Miami during the 1980s and '90s, there was a dealer in the jewelry district where I would frequent that had all kinds of Rolex boxes and manuals stacked up on a shelf. He told me that he had a dealer contact in the Bahamas where he would purchase the boxes/booklets which were left with the dealer after the customer purchase due to the purchase being made by a foreigner on vacation. No one wanted to pay any import taxes back then, not a bit unlike today.!!!

The watch boxes from Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and some of the other areas mentioned are U.S. territories and might have very well come with USA Bufkor boxes.

The box set depicted by Swish is correct in my opinion, as mentioned in my previous post, for a Rolex purchase in the Bahamas.

[doyall]

FWIW, this is my 16203 Datejust box, USA purchased new in 1992 bearing an "L" model number (suggesting 89-90 manufacture?). (Pillow is the green leatherette but has crumbled, hence the cloth cover.)

Rolex box.jpg

[springer]

Originally Posted by doyall

FWIW, this is my 16203 Datejust box, USA purchased new in 1992 bearing an "L" model number (suggesting 89-90 manufacture?). (Pillow is the green leatherette but has crumbled, hence the cloth cover.)

Attachment 1423089

That would be the correct box indeed for your Datejust. It was used for approximately three or four years from circa 1989 to 1992 and preceded the granite style box. The green, vinyl coated pillow within this box was notorious for cracking and flaking off the pillow.

[Jaltaire]

Originally Posted by springer

That would be the correct box indeed for your Datejust. It was used for approximately three or four years from circa 1989 to 1992 and preceded the granite style box. The green, vinyl coated pillow within this box was notorious for cracking and flaking off the pillow.

@springer, To this end, do you think my USA '89 Datejust could therefore have come either with the green pillow box or the Bufkor box?

I will lean toward the Bufkor if it's a "six of one, half a dozen of the other" situation, just to avoid the flakey pillow.

[springer]

Originally Posted by Jaltaire

@springer, To this end, do you think my USA '89 Datejust could therefore have come either with the green pillow box or the Bufkor box?

I will lean toward the Bufkor if it's a "six of one, half a dozen of the other" situation, just to avoid the flakey pillow.

It could have come either way. The green box you are referring to is the world map box I presume.