REDUCED: Vintage Rolex ref. 1601 Datejust w/Rare & Pristine BLACK Lacquer Dial

[tomvox1]

Up for sale is this all-time classic Rolex ref. 1601 Oyster Perpetual Certified Chronometer Datejust with steel case and fluted White Gold bezel. Making this circa 1973 Datejust even more special is the very rare black lacquer dial, essentially a black Stella dial for all intents and purposes. Datejusts of this era with black dials are rare enough but one with a glossy dial in this kind of outstanding condition is a pretty special find. This dial is absolutely Near Mint+ and overall the watch is in Excellent vintage condition. It also comes on a very long round-link Rolex USA Jubilee bracelet. To put the cherry on top of the sundae, the great Rolex cal. 1575 under the hood has just been fully overhauled and will come with a 6-month movement guarantee for all normal, non-abusive use.

The asking price for this scarce and sexy 1601 Datejust with very rare dial is now REDUCED to $2750 USD OBRO, which includes fully insured shipping worldwide. Payment by Bank Wire or Paypal eCheck preferred. Payment by standard Paypal instant transfer also OK with split fees (+2% to the buyer). Other payment options upon application. Payment must be made in US DOLLARS. Watch will ship upon full clearance of the funds, as well as any necessary bank vetting.

Click Here for Large Dial Scan

































CASE: The classic 36mm stainless steel Oyster case has just been lightly buffed and detailed by my watchmaker--lightly being the key word--and the lugs are sharp and fat, with only faint traces of a few residual nicks on the underside lip of the case. So the case is in solidly Excellent+ overall condition and more like Near Mint on the wrist. The correct model # 1601 & case SN of 3.5 million are also perfectly legible between their respective lugs.

CASEBACK: The outer caseback has some superficial scratches and some residual marks to the polished part, Excellent cosmetic condition overall. The inner caseback shows no corrosion and bears the correct "1601" reference. There is no date code and while it is possible that the caseback has been replaced at some point, I am more inclined to believe that this watch was produced in 1973, the year that Rolex stopped stamping date/quarter stamps inside their backs. The case SN of 3.53 mil is in the ballpark for both 1972 and 1973.

DIAL & HANDS: Absolutely stunning and Near Mint glossy black lacquer pie-pan dial with white print and sloped faceted white gold bar markers. The only thing keeping this beautiful dial from being Mint by my strict standards is some degradation to the lume dot at "11". All the other original Tritium luminous dots are intact and bright, however, and the dial has no scratches. Overall, the dial really looks as if it were brand new and not 40-years-old. Classic Tritium-filled stick hands are Near Mint with no corrosion and only some minor signs of aging. The original silver date wheel has acquired a cool semi-golden color that compliments the bezel perfectly. All in all, a fantastic and rare Datejust dial in top condition!

CROWN: The signed steel Rolex Twinlock crown shows only minor wear and screws down properly and pulls out to the winding and time-setting positions easily.

CRYSTAL: The high-sided, small bevel acrylic Cyclops crystal is scratch & chip free, easily Near Mint.

BEZEL: Lovely classic fluted white gold bezel is model-correct and has acquired a striking warm and faintly golden patina most likely due to the Rhodium plating beginning to be worn away. This gives this already cool watch unmistakable vintage appeal. It has not been overpolished and does show some minor wear, so Very Good to Excellent condition on this original gold bezel.

MOVEMENT: This 1601 features Rolex's legendary cal. 1575 26-jewel automatic Chronometer-grade movement with hacking feature. As stated above, this iconic Rolex movement has just been fully overhauled by my NYC Master Watchmaker for years more of faithful service. It is running strong, keeping great time with patented instantaneous shutter-like date change, of course, and it is guaranteed against any problems for 6-months of normal, non-abusive use.

BRACELET: This great Datejust comes on a Rolex USA-made round link Jubilee date coded 2-70. It is certainly possible that it's original to the watch despite the earlier production date but obviously there's no way to know for sure either way. The bracelet ends are reference # 50s, which is correct for a USA Jubilee. This bracelet has negligible stretch and has been lightly detailed along with the watch, bringing it up to easily Excellent+ original condition. Note also the very sharp and distinctive coronet clasp, which is only found in the early-mid 70s and in limited numbers. It is also quite long with 3 removable links--it is currently at the smallest micro-adjustment to fit my 7 1/4" wrist and should fit up to a nearly 8" wrist at full length.

I make NO guarantees for the water resistance of this watch as I have opened the watch to take pictures. Please take it to your local watchmaker and have him screw it down professionally & then have it pressure tested.

This classic Rolex 1601 Datejust is offered with a 3-day inspection period from the date of receipt and may be returned for a full refund (less any shipping costs incurred by the buyer). This refund is unconditional and once I get back the watch in exactly the same condition as it was sent to you, your money will be refunded. Of course, once the 3 days are over the sale will be considered FINAL.

Thanks for looking,
T.
[email protected]