Rolex Datejust 1601 "No Lume" Steel & White Gold 1973
Rolex Datejust 1601 "No Lume" Steel & White Gold 1973
The Rolex Datejust was first introduced in 1945 and has been one of the world's most iconic and quintessential models ever since. This particular reference, the 1603, was introduced by Rolex in 1959 and was produced up until the late 1970s. The 1601 reference denotes a stainless steel Datejust with a white gold fluted bezel, as opposed to its counterpart, the 1603, which featured a milled steel bezel.
This sharp example dates to 1973, and is a relatively rare "no lume" variant, meaning that no luminous material has been used on the dial or hands. In the 1970s Rolex came up with a creative solution to overcome challenges exporting watches to the Asian market, with there being stringent import/export laws in place regarding chemical or radioactive goods. As such Rolex decided to produce watches without Tritium luminous in order to continue selling to the large Asian market. The watch is in stainless steel with its solid white gold fluted bezel, and is twinned to a vintage black leather strap with steel Rolex pin buckle.
This watch is an excellent, sharp and very clean example particularly when considering being around 50 years old. The dial is in superb condition, as is the crisp case and bezel. Rarely does one see a vintage Datejust as well-preserved such as this.
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Questions?
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