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

[Gerry.GEG]

...my sister was in Japan in the early '70's with her AF Husband. I remember her buying all sorts of things and sending them back to my mom, dad, and me who was 18 years younger.

I came across her 1973 Army/Air Force Exchange Catalog and quickly opened it to see if one could buy Rolexes.

Bingo!

Also note the price of a Speedmaster. Seems like such a bargain and in many ways it was but, those prices weren't give-aways for 1973. Especially, the GMT.

Enjoy.

[Onequik135i]

$221 for a GMT ! Thanks for sharing.

[THC]

Oh my gosh, I have seen some old ads, I do not remember any GMTs this low... awesome post

[kaien]

Thanks for sharing!

I got a kick out of the Bulova listed right under the GMT selling at about half the price. Give me Rolex all day long...

[Gerry.GEG]

Originally Posted by kaien

Thanks for sharing!

I got a kick out of the Bulova listed right under the GMT selling at about half the price. Give me Rolex all day long...

Hey, keep in mind that Bulova had a state of the art tuning fork, lol.

Yep, Rolex all the way! I'd sure hate to be the guy who passed a GMT 45 years ago for that Bulova (cool as it was at the time).

[CRM114]

Originally Posted by Gerry.GEG

Hey, keep in mind that Bulova had a state of the art tuning fork, lol.

Yep, Rolex all the way! I'd sure hate to be the guy who passed a GMT 45 years ago for that Bulova (cool as it was at the time).

No reason to laugh at the tech. Bulova Accutron tuning fork/transistorized timekeepers (clocks/watches) were state of the art. Far more accurate than anything mechanical.

That's why the tuning fork Accutrons were the primary timer/clocks for all the earliest satellites, missiles, and manned spacecraft beginning with Gemini through Apollo. Accutron watches were the choice of X-15 pilots and a few of the first astronauts. The later stipulation for a mechanical-movement, manually-wound watch for astronauts (Speedy) fo extra-orbital travel through space and EVA-ing on the moon was because it satisfied the concept of having complete independent system-reduncancy for time-keeping in the event of all primary system failures, not because mechanical timers or watches were more accurate.

I have vintage Rolex GMTs but also have vintage Bulova Astronaut and Spaceview. Rolexes are of course are worth far, far more but the Bulovas are just as cool as far as I'm concerned. Maybe cooler, because they represent such an amazing period in exploration and the advancement of science in our history when it was being done with slide-rules and computers the size of a house, taking spacecraft/satellite-timing tech and putting it in a watch. Rolex never did that.

[Gerry.GEG]

Originally Posted by CRM114

No reason to laugh at the tech. Bulova Accutron tuning fork/transistorized timekeepers (clocks/watches) were state of the art. Far more accurate than anything mechanical.

That's why the tuning fork Accutrons were the primary timer/clocks for all the earliest satellites, missiles, and manned spacecraft beginning with Gemini through Apollo. Accutron watches were the choice of X-15 pilots and a few of the first astronauts. The later stipulation for a mechanical-movement, manually-wound watch for astronauts (Speedy) fo extra-orbital travel through space and EVA-ing on the moon was because it satisfied the concept of having complete independent system-reduncancy for time-keeping in the event of all primary system failures, not because mechanical timers or watches were more accurate.

I have vintage Rolex GMTs but also have vintage Bulova Astronaut and Spaceview. Rolexes are of course are worth far, far more but the Bulovas are just as cool as far as I'm concerned. Maybe cooler, because they represent such an amazing period in exploration and the advancement of science in our history when it was being done with slide-rules and computers the size of a house, taking spacecraft/satellite-timing tech and putting it in a watch. Rolex never did that.

I know the tech was an important step and Bulova was an important company in Horological development. More of a joke than serious. ;)

[glamorama]

Tried to calculate what that would be in todays money but doesn't seem correct. According to https://www.usinflationcalculator.com 221USD in 1973 would be 1255 today.

[Gerry.GEG]

Originally Posted by glamorama

Tried to calculate what that would be in todays money but doesn't seem correct. According to https://www.usinflationcalculator.com 221USD in 1973 would be 1255 today.

It seems like it would be more than $1255 although, below shows it was about five times the original cost.

someone did the calc. on a Seiko I found and said it would be $250ish. Which, seems about right.

[returntorolex]

What was the average price of a car in 1973? About $3,500. Average annual salary in 1973 was about $12k.

What is average car today? $30k plus

The $221 was also mil pricing. What was MSRP? What is a new GMT? $10k?

[BlakeA]

Originally Posted by glamorama

Tried to calculate what that would be in todays money but doesn't seem correct. According to https://www.usinflationcalculator.com 221USD in 1973 would be 1255 today.

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.

[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

[WatchGuy1966]

Revolving "Rim"

[Rolex.c6]

Cool! Those prices are incredible!

[cosmoliu]

My family visited Geneva in 1966. At 14, I had saved some money with the intention of buying a Swiss watch. At the time, I could not afford the $100 it would take for a Rolex. I don't remember precisely, but it was probably something like the Oysterdate pictured above. So, I settled on a $25 Bucherer branded watch from the Bucherer boutique. I wore it daily but shattered the crystal crossing a creek on my way to college classes about 8 years later. At the time, I didn't know to take it in immediately for a service. And was a poor college student, after all.

Anyway, I was just recently wondering if I had remembered the $100 figure correctly, so the OP is good validation of my powers of recall. That was then, and this is now. However, it was interesting to run an online calculation just now of what $100 would be worth today- and that figure would be about $800. Anyone see an $800 reference listed anywhere in Rolex's current catalog?

[Gerry.GEG]

Originally Posted by cosmoliu

My family visited Geneva in 1966. At 14, I had saved some money with the intention of buying a Swiss watch. At the time, I could not afford the $100 it would take for a Rolex. I don't remember precisely, but it was probably something like the Oysterdate pictured above. So, I settled on a $25 Bucherer branded watch from the Bucherer boutique. I wore it daily but shattered the crystal crossing a creek on my way to college classes about 8 years later. At the time, I didn't know to take it in immediately for a service. And was a poor college student, after all.

Anyway, I was just recently wondering if I had remembered the $100 figure correctly, so the OP is good validation of my powers of recall. That was then, and this is now. However, it was interesting to run an online calculation just now of what $100 would be worth today- and that figure would be about $800. Anyone see an $800 reference listed anywhere in Rolex's current catalog?

When I was in the Air Force (1983-1987), I looked at a Sub at Ben Bridge in Memphis. It was $860 which I remember quite clearly as I kick myself for not putting it on lay-away and buying the damn thing! I was led to believe that I should wait until I finished college and buy it then. Of course, things went sideways after the 80's and it took me until 2006 to afford a used one.

Such is life.

[Wcdhtwn]

$221 for the GMT, wow. I was 3 in 1973 so no idea how far $221 dollars went. But it seems like the $9000+ for a BLRO would go much further today than $221 did back then. Rolex inflation I guess...

[Etschell]

Originally Posted by Wcdhtwn

$221 for the GMT, wow. I was 3 in 1973 so no idea how far $221 dollars went. But it seems like the $9000+ for a BLRO would go much further today than $221 did back then. Rolex inflation I guess...

1300 bucks. but it is more complex than that. we werent fully off the gold standard. there was way less money in the system so it was no small amount.

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

[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.

[uniqueMR]

Wow :)

[Gordonhurst]

If only I could get the time machine to work!


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[gt0279a]

How could you pass up a Speedy in those days with its ‘armoured crystal’ and ‘tachyproductometer’?

[SG56]

Oh wow!! Nice find!

[DLRIDES]

Thanks for posting !

[mineral]

Originally Posted by Gerry.GEG

...my sister was in Japan in the early '70's with her AF Husband. I remember her buying all sorts of things and sending them back to my mom, dad, and me who was 18 years younger.



I came across her 1973 Army/Air Force Exchange Catalog and quickly opened it to see if one could buy Rolexes.



Bingo!



Also note the price of a Speedmaster. Seems like such a bargain and in many ways it was but, those prices weren't give-aways for 1973. Especially, the GMT.



Enjoy.

Hi thanks for posting this.

Just to share about my 1675 Gmt. I considered myself lucky as I bought the Gmt from the seller which he bought the watch from the original owner. The owner bought it from the Switzerland shop in 1973 too and paid around $344. The watch still come with original sales receipt from 1973 and rest of other documents as follows,





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[Gerry.GEG]

I'm in the same boat as far as spending $3100 in 2006 for my 2002 Sub. Likely to keep appreciating and only 12 years later I feel I got a pretty good deal. Guys will be dumbfounded someday that I only paid that much. Time keeps marching on for Rolex.

Originally Posted by mineral

Hi thanks for posting this.

Just to share about my 1675 Gmt. I considered myself lucky as I bought the Gmt from the seller which he bought the watch from the original owner. The owner bought it from the Switzerland shop in 1973 too and paid around $344. The watch still come with original sales receipt from 1973 and rest of other documents as follows,






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mineral]

Originally Posted by Gerry.GEG

I'm in the same boat as far as spending $3100 in 2006 for my 2002 Sub. Likely to keep appreciating and only 12 years later I feel I got a pretty good deal. Guys will be dumbfounded someday that I only paid that much. Time keeps marching on for Rolex.

Hi here are some shots of the original sales receipt and document of the purchase. I have problem to upload the photos earlier on. Wish I have purchased more Gmt in 1973!

And enjoy your sub too :)




And of course the watch



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[GreatScott]

You could probably actually get one back then as well.

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[T01]

Crazy! Mail order!

[handsfull]

1997: I remember being in Germany and checking out the PX before leaving for home. Vividly remember the GMT and Sub being $3450 and $3100.