So, I figured this group could really appreciate these...

[sensui]

So damn cool. Thanks for sharing. What a jewel.

[JonaG]

Some brilliant pics here and the prices! I like how the description is free of jargon - it was what it was - a tool watch.

[oldman2005]

I paid around $5K for each of the 3 Sub-LVs I bought around 2005-2006...Now you can't even walk in and buy a black Sub from AD. It's amazing how Rolex has transformed a readily available SS GMT Pepsi in the past to a watch reserved for privilege VIP customers today.

But Seiko divers has stayed very much the same over the years, incredible iconic watch for the money.

[ROLEXUS]

Just 10 years ago in Europe you could fill your bags with as many 16610 Sub dates from ADs as you want at less than 4000Euro each.... compare that to the situation now.

[chieftd]

I was on temporary duty in Frankfurt Germany back in 1983. I went to the Rhein Main Air Base exchange and saw a Pepsi GMT Master for sale at the base exchange for $620. I had just got notified of a promotion and I was looking to reward myself. At the time I was not into watches and did not realize the value of a Rolex watch. I bought a nice pocket knife that day instead. The overseas base exchange and the mail order catalog offered Rolex, Omega and other brands up until sometime in the early 90s. I always admired them, but did not get my first Rolex until 2001. :)

[Raku]

Wow, the Bulova was more expensive than the Speedmaster and the Oysterdate.

[KBM]

Affordable AND readily available. Those were the days.

[piratepress]

When I first became interested in Rolex circa 1982, I believe a new GMT was around $1,500. And to think I almost paid that in tax on my BLNR last year!

[007_Omega]

According to the inflation calculator I used it was $1300 in today's money. Obviously the modern references are better built and use more expensive materials but still that is such a massive gap in price.

Really goes to show at that time it was more about being a true high quality tool watch rather than being marketed as luxury.

[fskywalker]

Cool! So on roughly 20 years the GMT went up like 10X as they were about $2500 when I puchased my 16610 for $2430 on 1995. My sub is now about $7500 so 3X in the last 20 years


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[glamorama]

Originally Posted by BlakeA

Check out the article on ABlogtoWatch titled "How And Why Rolex Prices Have Increased Over Time". There's a chart comparing inflation to a the rise in cost of a Submariner from 1970 to 2014.

good tips, thanks

[glamorama]

Originally Posted by Etschell

also this was during the quartz revolution so automatic watches were less desirable. thus prices were depressed.

Good point on the quartz and these were tool watches after all.

[nbsheeran]

A good friend of mine in college had Pepsi GMT Master and I lusted after one for a while. They used to be in the Exchange catalog with the "must be overseas to order" red star. In 1999 my first assignment in the Air Force was overseas and one of the first things I did when I got there was get the new catalog...

BUT there were no Rolexes anymore?! Oh wait, what does this box say at the top of the Omega page...? "For the Rolex catalog, call this number..." The Exchange sent you a separate Rolex catalog and price list. I don't have the catalog anymore, but I still have the Exchange Price List:

I believe at the time (1999) GMT Master IIs retailed for about $3,500 (or $5,300 in 2018 dollars). So a 21% discount and no tax. It took about a month to arrive. Submariners were listed at $2,395 no date and $2,695 for the date version.

And the Cosmograph Daytona, refs 16523 and 16518? They were listed as "Not Available."