ROLEX
VINTAGE SUBMARINER
Ref,16800
Cal.3035
1980’s
VERY NICE MATTE DIAL…
Sold Out…
Description
The Rolex Submariner is an icon. It's the first real dive watch. Rolex keeps improving it in small ways, and it's now a very mature product in that it is perfect for its intended use. It wasn't always so, and that is what makes "transitional models" so interesting.
This 16800 is from circa 1980. The Submariner 16800 introduced the caliber 3035 with quick set date, a minor engineering modification but a great convenience to the owner. The 16800 also introduced the dial with the metal "surrounds" for the hour markers and the sapphire crystal. Lastly, whereas previous Submariners were rated (on the dial) as water resistant to 660 feet, the 16800 was the first Sub to be rated water resistant to 1000 feet.
This 16800 is an extremely early watch in the production series, as it still has the older and much more desirable matte style dial with no metal surrounds and an acrylic crystal, making it quite rare.
Movement is the aforementioned caliber 3035 automatic winding with Breguet spring with free sprung balance, 27 jewels and adjusted to 5 positions and temperature and is a C.O.S.C. chronometer. This is a robust workhorse of a movement designed to take abuse and keep on keeping on.
Case is stainless steel, 40mm diameter, with screw down crown. Bracelet is Rolex Oyster reference 93150/593 with 11 links. Overall condition is mint and original throughout, and the case presents with full metal.
Ted
過去從60年代開始，勞力士的進化演變中，壓克力風防扮演著極為重要的角色，不管是Date Just或是Submariner，都有著不同錶款客層需求的扮演，而大約從1978年之後勞力士公司已經針對旗下產品做細部的修正，當然這不外乎是以耐用度及高質感提昇為主軸，不過當時因改款交替所更動的新型號只有Ref,16800(原為Ref,1680)、Ref,16660(原為Ref,1665)、Ref,17000、Ref,17013、Ref,17014、Ref,19018、Ref,18038(原為Ref,1803)Ref,16018(原為Ref,1601)…ect等錶款進行修正並改為新款發行。
當然我一直最喜歡的組合就是，古典汎黃的印刷面盤Matte Dial+Sapphire Crystal水晶玻璃風防，老實說：因為可以保有過去的溫文儒雅的老味外，在強硬的水晶玻璃保護下，錶款使用上更加讓人安心許多！當然還有一些死忠的收藏朋友，他們還是很喜歡老式的壓克力風防 (Acrylic Crystal)，我只能說：我都愛，但要看在那個錶款上使用吧！因為不需要擔心珍藏錶款上壓克力風防容易刮傷，這樣的改變更加適合在任何情況下使用，不再像過去那般”躲躲藏藏”的使用它。
這一只為1980’s所生產的錶款，也算是初期的過渡性改款(Transitional Models)，因為它有著年輕人的外在，但內在卻有著一付Old Face，誠如上一段所說的使用觀感，也因為在1985年後勞力士已經全面改為現今同Ref,16610般的金屬螢光圈的標點，所以此款過渡期的Ref,16800則顯得更加難能可貴，不知收藏錶友們都認同嗎？
Ted
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