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Rolex Datejust Ref. 1601 - Rose Gold Olive Green Prototype Dial
Hard to believe - but the Datejust has been around since 1945. It is far older than its bigger and attention-hogging Submariner brethren. The Datejust was Rolex’s idea of the perfect everyday watch. The robustness of the Oyster case, combined with the elegance of an Oyster Perpetual. The ‘4 digit’ series of Datejust are particularly attractive for their pie-pan dials which offer a layer of three-dimensionality to the dials that went away with the advent of quickset date and 5-digit Datejusts. These early Datejusts were available as the 1601, with a fluted white gold bezel, or the 1603, with an engine-turned steel bezel. The 4-Digit Datejusts wear also the first series to become available with a myriad of dial colors and case and bracelet materials.
This particular piece, for starters, is a solid-gold Datejust, which are rare to begin with, full stop. Rolex did not make a lot of these so it didn’t compete with its more expensive sibling, the Day-Date, which were exclusively produced in solid gold.
And then, there are sold rose gold Datejusts, like the one that we have here — rarer still!But the real story here, is the dial that this piece bears within...
Seldom surfacing on the open market, it features an absolutely stunning olive green prototype dial with vertically-brushed finishing, applied rose gold indices, brown printed text and minute markers on the outside edge, and a matching rose gold handset. Color aside, the dial has a few interesting things to note: It does not feature the “Superlative Chronometer” text found on the lower half of the dial and it is devoid of the “SWISS” signature almost always found at the bottom of the 6 o’clock position. It is also worth noting that the back of the dial features the usual Singer stamp — the hallmark of the Singer Dial company that was producing Rolex dials during this era.
The case and Jubilee bracelet have got to beone of the most stunning examples that exists in rose gold. Both case and bracelet remain in unpolished condition and show light signs of wear throughout, with thick, symmetrical lugs all around and well preserved factory finishing on the tops of them.
This is an extremely rare opportunity to grab a piece of Rolex history as ultimately, this dial never made it into production.
To read a little more about the Rolex prototype dials produced by Singer, check out this excellent write-up from Phillip at Rolex Passion Report.
Condition Report & Details
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At Oliver & Clarke, we offer free global shipping on all orders over $150.
Returns (accepted within 3 days of initial delivery of your purchase) must be sent overnight or by priority international delivery, fully insured and paid for by the customer. For payments via Credit Card, a 5% restocking fee will be in place for any returns or cancellations in order to cover our processing fee. Of course, watches must be returned in the same condition as initially shipped.
If you happen to trade a watch with us, which we welcome, trades are final, except of course if the watch is grossly misdescribed or misrepresented.
We back each Oliver & Clarke timepiece with a one-year mechanical warranty starting at the date of first delivery. We service or perform necessary maintenance to the extent necessary to all of our watches, unless otherwise noted. All watches are listed and sold running and functioning as intended.
*Please note that due to the vintage or antique nature of many of our watches, these machines may not run as accurately as they did when new, nor will any mechanical timepiece keep time as accurately as a quartz or electronic device.
We do not guarantee water resistance, thus do not warranty against moisture incursion or water damage.
*We also do not recommend deliberate exposure to water or worse - steam!
Our warranty is voided under the following circumstances:
- Internal or external damage caused by an accident, mishandling, abuse, modification, or handling/service performed by a third party individual other than one of our own.
Our warranty is non-transferable.
The Oliver & Clarke Guarantee
Through rigorous vetting of each watch offered, we’re able to guarantee authenticity of our pieces. Ultimately, your satisfaction is our mission, as is helping you get YOUR perfect watch. If you have any questions at all, we will get back to you ASAP.
Each of our timepieces are vetted, evaluated, authenticated, and approved by our experienced team prior to sale. We guarantee the period-correctness of all components unless otherwise disclosed. We guarantee the authenticity of each watch in perpetuity.
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Rolex Datejust Ref. 1601 - Rose Gold Olive Green Prototype DialSale price$45,750.00 USD Regular price
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"As collectors themselves, Oliver and Clarke are on a mission to make buying vintage watches as painless as possible."
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From Rolex & Patek Philippe, to Cartier & Audemars Piguet. As collectors first, we love the small details that separate the Submariner from Daytona and Calatrava from Royal Oak. This is why you'll find our curated assortment spans decades of generations of models and brands. We believe that watches don't just tell time, they tell history - and life is too short to wear a boring watch.
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