“Let’s make the most illogical watch imaginable” must have been exactly what Rolex designers were thinking in the 90's. Not only did they produce a professional diver’s watch in solid yellow gold, they decided to adorn it with a hard stone dial as well. A wonderful way to increase production costs tremendously while creating something that was, in practical terms, entirely senseless.

As most collectors know, the reference 16618 was available with either a black dial and bezel or a blue dial and bezel. What far fewer people are aware of, however, is that Rolex also offered factory hard stone dial variants. These were never widely advertised, but the internal Rolex dial catalogue from 1993 clearly lists both Lapis Lazuli and Onyx dials as available options. Prices were set at 37,500 and 32,200 lira respectively. Interestingly, a 1995 dial catalogue only still lists the Onyx dial, suggesting the Lapis Lazuli version had already been discontinued by then.

Naturally, very few clients opted for such an impractical and expensive upgrade, making these watches exceptionally rare today. Fewer than twenty examples are known to the market.

Both the Onyx and Lapis Lazuli dials can easily be distinguished from the standard black and blue dials by their framed date aperture; a signature detail familiar from the stone dials Rolex used on Day-Dates and Datejusts. The dial printing is also noticeably different. The Lapis Lazuli variant is particularly distinctive due to the natural calcite and pyrite inclusions found within the stone, while its vivid blue tone is far richer than that of the standard dial. Equally important is the condition of the dial itself: absolutely flawless, with no hairlines or cracks.

This spectacular dial is fitted to a strong and well-preserved case with matching Oyster bracelet. The watch is offered as a full set and dates back to 1993.