Rolex 1603 Sigma Linen dial - so... when is a dial rare?

I recently liquidized a fair portion of my vintage Seiko watch collection to acquire my first steel vintage Rolex - 1967 Rolex reference 1603 Sigma Linen dial. I chose it specifically for the "rare" combination of 1603-specific stainless steel machined bezel (most DateJusts have the white gold fluted bezel; reference 1601), pie-pan textile-like "linen" dial (most DateJusts do not have textured dials), and white gold "Sigma" indices and hands (most DateJusts have steel indices and hands). I like the utilitarian look and resilience of an all-steel DateJust (especially on an Oyster bracelet with the discretion (and corrosion resistance) of white gold hands and indices:

During my pre-acquisition search phase, I saw a Chrono24 ad calling a linen dial a "rare piece" and speculated what the definition of "rare piece" is. After some thought, I defined "rare" as:

A watch I can expect to see "once-or-less-in-a-lifetime" by chance 

...and had a basis to determine whether the combination 1603+Sigma+Linen is rare - or not.

I started with the date range of 160X four-digit Datejusts (1960 to 1979) and the serial numbers starting and ending this range (0,5M to 5.7M) for all references which gave 5M pieces produced, assumed (optimistically) 40% of all Rolexes made in this period were DateJusts (2M 16XX) produced of which half (1M) remain. I then checked Chrono24 to see the distribution of the various 160X references and dial types: 30% were 1603s, 4% 1603 Sigma, 3% 1603 Linen and 0.4% were 1603 Sigma + Linen dials. 

So - are the 4.000 remaining 1603 Sigma+Linen dials "rare" (by my definition)? 

Well, assuming 8B people globally and 4000 1603 Sigma+Linen dials, my calculation suggests there will be 2 million people for every 1603 Sigma+Linen (or 3 in Denmark -pop.6M - where I live). I asked Google how many people faces (or in this context - watch faces :-) I will see in a lifetime (ie. be within eye-identification-of-the-watch-on-their-wrist distance) and the estimate was 1,5M people. And with that, we have the number of 1603s I can expect to see in a lifetime as:

(1603: 56; 1603 Sigma: 8; 1603 Linen: 6 and 1603 Sigma+Linen: 0.75)

From this, I deduce that there might be 3 or so 1603 Sigma+Linen dials in Denmark (population about 6 million) but I'll be lucky to see one in a chance encounter in my lifetime... 

Of course, I'll now probably see a 1603 Sigma+Linen dial in the queue in Aldi tomorrow, and another next Thursday... I'll keep you posted!

1967 Rolex DateJust 1603 Steel Chronometer, Piepan Sigma Linen Dial

As an avid collector of 1960's Seiko watches, I have focused on the attributes that make Seiko watches attractive to me: the solid build quality which allowed these pieces to survive and be useable after more than 50 years, the cross-compatibility and availability of donor movements for maintenance and repair, industry-leading innovation, long and colorful brand history, classic design elements and extensive information available through books, forums, and blog posts.

One other brand provides all of the above and adds an additional attribute: a superlative brand image. That brand is Rolex. 

My passion for watches was kindled reading Rolex advertisements on the back cover of National Geographic as a youngster back in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and an aspirational dream was born to one day own a Rolex.

Life - and priorities - came in the way, but the aspirational dream remained. Eventually, I was able to indulge in the watch passion, and vintage Seiko offered an affordable entry into vintage watches. I read, researched, and blogged my way into building up themed collections, which I traded up for fewer, better pieces, but Rolex prices kept increasing, and the brand remained at arm's length for me. 

After nearly 20 years of collecting I was finally in a position to celebrate a professional aspiration (two years of successful self-employment), sold much of my existing collection, and acquired my first vintage Rolex: a 1967 Rolex DateJust 1603 with linen dial and 18K white gold coronet, markers  (sigma dial) and hands and stainless engine-turned bezel:

The 36mm Oyster case is a perfect size - perhaps THE perfect size for a "gentleman's steel wristwatch" and together with the jubilee bracelet, engine-turned bezel, and cyclops date lens possibly the quintessential Rolex wristwatch. The steel engine-turned bezel is a discrete, sober alternative to the shinier 18K white gold fluted bezel of the contemporary reference 1601 DateJust.

The chronometer-certified 26 jewel 1575 automatic movement running at 19800 bph is currently within 1 second a day - a tribute to the precision and durability of a 53-year-old watch. Much of this precision comes from the trademark Rolex free-sprung balance and Breguet overcoil which are less susceptible to positional variation and state of wind than conventional fixed-inertia regulator balances. Together with automatic winding, vintage Rolexes tend to be awesomely precise, decade after decade!

The trademark of the DateJust is the instantaneous date changeover at midnight, facilitated by a spring-loaded jeweled yoke operating a cam mounted on the reverse of the calendar wheel. The date function on these vintages is non-quickset and requires you to invest a few minutes and quite a bit of hand-turning to change the date, but this is an acceptable compromise allowing you to own a pie-pan linen sigma dial only found on these vintage four-number series pieces from the 1960s and early seventies... it's the price of admission to an exclusive club!

While much of the robustness comes from the overengineered 1575 movement, the classic Oyster case with its trademark screw-down case back and screw-down crown provides a water-and dustproof environment that has protected the movement and dial from the ingress of the elements for more than half a century.

Vintage Rolex watches are far from cheap, but is the price justified? For me it most definitely is. The 1603 Datejust is a "portable, tangible asset".

To be able to purchase this watch, I had to release ten vintage Seiko pieces from the collection I had carefully curated over the last 10 years. While it took me six months to sell my Seiko pieces and realize my initial investment in them, there are always ready buyers for a vintage DateJust, especially for less-common variants with linen- or sigma dials, and prices have steadily increased - doubling over the last decade, corresponding to a very reasonable 7% return on investment.

Tangible assets are however more than financial investments. In the DateJust I attained my aspirational goal, a watch that speaks to me, connecting me to my boyhood dreams and lifting my spirits every time I wear it. 

 

In a single watch, I have a design icon that defines the canon of perhaps the greatest design generation - 1950-60s RayBan Wayfarers, Levi 501s, Zippo lighters, Porsche 911s... and the Rolex DateJust.

As a design icon, the DateJust is perfect for everything from a t-shirt and jeans to a formal business suit, and as a portable asset I can - unlike say a classic car - wear and enjoy it, and have it lift my spirits all day, every day.

So yes, a vintage DateJust is absolutely worth it. 

Check out my Instagram profile for more pictures and impressions:

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1964 Rolex ref1002 Oyster Perpetual Chronometer

1964 Rolex Oyster Perpetual Chronometer

This 1964 Rolex Oyster Perpetual Chronometer is stunning, with its rarity and collectibility due in part to its Dauphine hands and original rivet bracelet, dated I-65.

There is no 7205 stamp on the back of the largest link (correct for the period) and the clasp blade is stamped with the year (1965) to match this. I have never used the original bracelet in order to preserve its pristine condition, and I wear this watch on an additional aftermarket Oyster bracelet for daily use.

The original tritium dial is correctly marked "T SWISS T" (for pre-1965) with tritium plots. The dial is in excellent condition, with minor age marks visible under the loupe. The rare Dauphine hands show signs of aging, visible under the loupe.

The cal 1560 with its Microstella screws and Bregeut free-sprung hairspring was used until 1965 in a number of chronometer-certified models, including the legendary Rolex 1016 Explorer and the Rolex 5512 Submariner. The movement is clean, and accurate to a few seconds a day.

This watch comes with an original Rolex box, cigarette card, Bucherer Rolex spoon as well as a 1960s advertisement extolling the Rolex Oyster Perpetual 1002 as the chronometer chosen by Sir Francis Chichester to accompany him on his single-handed circumnavigation of the globe in 1966.

1964 Grand Seiko Chronometer vs. Rolex Oysterquartz

Today, I had the opportunity to compare a colleagues Rolex Oysterquartz, which he had inherited from his father, with the 1964 Grand Seiko Chronometer. Both are discreet, vintage steel watches, and both lie in approximately the same price frame, with the Rolex slightly more expensive.

Rolex Oysterquartz: For those not familiar with the Oysterquartz: "In 1977, after five years of design, development, and testing, Rolex introduced their first completely in-house quartz movements (the 5035 and 5055) and the Datejust (5035) and Day-Date (5055) Oysterquartz models that would house them. When they were introduced, the 5035 and 5055 quartz modules were marvels of technology as well as fit and finish. These 11 jewel movements utilized the latest CMOS circuitry, a 32khz oscillator, and analog thermocompensation. In addition, they were finished to even higher standards than Rolex's mechanical movements. It is no exaggeration to say that even today, no quartz movement produced by any watch company can compare to the 5035/5055 from the standpoint of sheer beauty." Reference: http://www.oysterquartz.net/


Grand Seiko Chronometer: The 1964 second-generation cal.430/43999 Grand Seiko Chronometer presented here is an original low-beat (18000bph) chronometer, superseded by high-beat (36000bph) and VFA (very fine adjustment) chronometers developed following Seiko’s international successes at the Astronomical Observatory Chronometer competitions. The present watch contains a chronometer-grade cal.430 movement defined by hand-selected components, fine regulator, self-compensating hairspring (reference needed), generous jeweling and large balance. Reference: http://vintageseikoblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/reflections-on-1964-cal-43043999-grand.html



The following is a pictorial summary of my half-hour sojourn with both watches:

The Rolex is marginally heavier than the Grand Seiko (112g / 107g). The Rolex was relatively small at Ø=34mm with the Grand Seiko weighing in at 36mm diameter. The Grand Seiko has an aftermarket bracelet (19mm endpieces/22mm SuperOyster bracelet) while the Rolex has a slightly less substantial integrated bracelet. The Rolex bracelet has a simple click-clasp while the Grand Seiko has a spring-loaded clasp with safety catch.

Indices and hands (bamboo leaf shape) on the Grand Seiko are multifacetted and highly polished, giving pleasing reflections of light while increasing readability. The Rolex has simpler indices and baton hands, giving a more subdued look - my colleague complained he couldn't read the dial as easily as he could his quartz Seiko.

The Grand Seiko has a simple pull-out crown, quick-setting date and time is very precise and there is no "slop" in the movement. The Rolex has the legendary Oyster screw-down crown, opening and closing the crown is very smooth and precise. The crown wobbles slightly when unscrewed, quick-setting the date was a bit fiddly, otherwise timesetting was precise and without "slop". The Grand Seiko has a nicely framed, legible date while the Rolex has the amazingly effective, trademark cyclops.

The Grand Seiko flashes and sparkles charmingly in spite of its discrete layout, while the Rolex is considerably more conservative. Both watches are very discrete and competent and both are a pleasure to wear.

1964 Grand Seiko Chronometer SuperOyster "mod"

While the 1964 Grand Seiko Chronometers are perfect in many ways (history, significance, dial, hands and indices and, above all, the handwind chronometer cal. 43999 movement, I have found it difficult to pair an 18mm bracelet or strap to the heavy lugs without feeling a sense of imbalance.


http://catalog.antiquorum.com/catalog.html?action=load&lotid=159&auctionid=253

On the way out of the door to a party last night, I decided on a whim to pair 18mm endlinks with William Jean's 22mm SuperOyster from eBay. Wow - harmony! IMHO the heavy lugs combine perfectly with the SuperOyster:

On the SuperOyster, the GS is reminiscent of the 1960's Rolex Oysterdate Precision, another watch I wouldn't throw out of my bed:



(Image from beckertime.com)


Of course, a Precision would buy you about 6 GS chronometers, and you would still not have a certified chronometer, hacking, quick-set date, a solid link Oyster bracelet or a spring-latched safety clasp.


I still need to spend an hour or two tweaking the endlinks for a perfect fit, but I'm very pleased with this "mod".