once this item comes back in stock
Excellent: Very slight signs of wear.
Very Good: Light to normal wear.
Good: Wearable, with visible signs of wear.
Vintage: Typically 30+ years old; condition varies.
Note: All watches are 100% authentic. They are polished as needed but may still have minor scratches.
This Explorer is in overall great vintage condition consistent with its age. The case is in good condition with some scratches and normal signs of wear. The caseback is stamped "1016." The serial and reference numbers are clearly visible. The bezel has some scratches and nicks. The dial is in attractive condition and the lume has developed light patina and the lume has remained white. When looking closely, the entire dial has developed a fine speckled patina throughout. The hands have developed light patina; the lume on the hands match the color of the lume on the dial. This has a no. 7830 Oyster bracelet with 11 links and no. 580 end links. The back of the clasp is stamped "M5" indicating it is from 1988. The bracelet is in overall good, honest condition with some wear and stretch between the links which is not uncommon for this style bracelet. The clasp has some scratches and wear, but the crown is still clearly visible.
Rolex introduced the 1016 Explorer in 1959 and it was in production until 1989 making it one of the longest running produced references from the brand. At the beginning of the run Rolex made the dials glossy and then switched to the matte style around 1966. Collectors have identified 5 different dial variations for the matte dial 1016s. This example is circa 1988 and features a Mark 3 dial. We see two different runs of Mark 3 dials, one in the mid 1970s and ones in the late 1980s. Collectors have also noticed that the Mark 3 dials from the mid-1970s tend to have a more yellow colored patina on the lume whereas the ones from the late 1980s are typically more white in color. This example being the latter has the white colored lume which makes sense. We see collectors gravitate towards end-of-production 1016s and Mark 3 dials, so these are a great combination! If you are in the market for a 1016, this is worth considering.
This vintage Rolex Explorer is absolutely gorgeous. Love the look, feel, and history.
Nice watch! As per described
I have been searching for this model with the Jubilee bracelet for a long time. Bob's had the right watch at the right price. Purchased online. No issues and received quickly.
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