once this item comes back in stock
This Rolex Explorer is in overall great vintage condition consistent with its age. The case is in good condition with normal signs of wear. The numbers are clearly visible between the lugs. The inside caseback is stamped "1016 II.64". The underline glossy dial is in overall great, attractive condition with some scratches and imperfections that can be hard to notice. The dial has aged to a lovely brown mostly on the three o'clock side. We have seen glossy 1016 dials age in this uneven way before. The lume on the dial has developed light patina and is a lovely pale yellow color. The hands have developed patina and the lume in the hands was color corrected/ relumed to match the color of the lume on the dial. This watch has a C&I USA Rolex rivet bracelet with 12 links; the clasp is dated "78" indicating its from 1978. The bracelet is in good condition with normal signs of wear and some stretch between the links which is not uncommon.
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. This example is from the earlier glossy style and has some special attributes. First off, the dial has aged from jet black to brown on the three o'clock side. This gives the watch a unique look and really adds character to the watch. It's not uncommon to see these glossy 1016s go tropical like this in an uneven way, we have seen it multiple times before. One theory is that the person wearing the watch back in the day wore it on their left wrist with a cuff covering half of the dial most of the time so only half was exposed to light - who knows if this is true, but its fun to theorize about how this stuff happens. When the light hits this dial just right, you can see the three o'clock side light up to almost a caramel, golden-brown color and the nine o'clock looks black with almost a dark chocolate vibe - we love it. Taking this watch to the next level of rarity is the "underline" dial. Meaning that the dial has a little minus symbol applied in silver on top of the dial under the chronometer text at six o'clock. Collectors have come to the conclusion that this means that Rolex was transitioning from radium to tritium lume. The movement on this watch is stamped "ROW" meaning it was destined for the US market as this was the US import code for Rolex at the time. It's typical to see underline dials in these US market watches; we love it when these little details line up!
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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