Rolex Datejust 1600/8 'Saudi Armed Forces'

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Until some years ago, Rolex allowed sovereign and corporate clients to commission special order watches. Some of the most collectible among these are the ones bearing crest dials from the various Arab monarchies in the Persian Gulf.Arab crest dials appear on a variety of watches, but most commonly either on stainless steel Datejusts and Air-Kings or precious metal Day-Dates. This particular watch is an odd one out as it’s the first crest dial Datejust we’ve ever had in a precious metal case.This ref. 1600 from 1971 features a 36mm 18k yellow gold case with an uncommon 18k yellow gold domed bezel. The silvered dial pie-pan dial features the crest of the Saudi Arabian armed forces, which consists of a stylized palm tree and two crossed swords surrounded by green laurels, with the text “القوات المسلحة السعودية” (“Saudi Armed Forces”) underneath. The dial also sports applied 18k yellow-gold baton markers and a matching 18k yellow gold handset.This 1600 runs on the workhorse caliber 1575 automatic movement and features a vintage boxy plexiglass crystal. We’ve paired the watch with one of our ultra-soft toffee-colored leather straps and a Rolex signed ardillon buckle.

Introduction

Rolex DatejustIn 1945 Rolex created the flagship Datejust to mark the company’s 40th anniversary. This model was the world’s first self-winding wristwatch with a date indication. With the Datejust, Rolex also introduced the iconic 5-piece jubilee bracelet, first in solid gold and later in bicolor and stainless steel. On the tenth anniversary of the Datejust in 1955, the magnifying ‘cyclops lens’ was introduced on the Datejust.Ref. 16xx (1600, 1601, 1603)The Datejust 16xx series was produced in the 1960s and the 1970s. These affordable and user-friendly Datejusts are the perfect vintage ‘daily beaters’ that can be combined with any outfit and worn on every occasion.The Datejust is usually fitted with a Jubilee bracelet, but the ref. 1600 could also be ordered on an Oyster bracelet. This reference came with a smooth bezel (domed bezel) and was available in either (white, yellow, or rose) gold or in stainless steel. The ref. 1601 came with a fluted bezel in gold and was available with a steel, bicolor, or (white, yellow and rose gold) case and bracelet. The ref. 1603 was only made in steel and featured an engine turned bezel in steel.The dial colors and configurations varied among the 16xx series Datejusts. Characteristic for this era of production is the so-called ‘Pie-Pan’ dial where the dial looks like an upside-down pie-pan (a concentric ring that slopes down from the flat centre).

Specifications

Shipping

Packages are generally dispatched within 2 days after receipt of payment and are shipped within the Netherlands by Registered Mail through the Dutch carrier PostNL and for other countries by Fedex. Consult us if you prefer another method of shipping. For most destinations tracking is available.