Rolex Datejust Ref. 16014 - White 'Boiler Gauge' 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 Datejusts was the first series to become available with a myriad of dial colors and case and bracelet materials — something that has stuck with the Datejust name ever since. What the 4-digits watches do lack, is a quickset date — something that was resolved with the introduction of the 5-digit pieces in the late 1970s.
The piece that we have here, a Reference 16014 from circa 1986, comes to us in strong overall condition. The case remains very likely unpolished, showing honest wear from age with nice and thick luge throughout. The white gold 'fluted' bezel, also unpolished, shows normal wear and retains beautiful crisp 'fluting.' The real highlight of this piece, however, is that white 'Boiler Gauge' dial within. The glossy surface remains crisp and clean, with excellent black printing and attractive, evenly patinated Tritium plots. The applied white gold 'Arabic' indices seem to blend elements from Art-Deco and Steampunk beautifully, resulting in a wildly cool flair to them.
Of course, this piece also features a handy quickset date function and comes fitted to a correct solid-link Jubilee bracelet with a signed blade clasp, also in unpolished condition matching the rest of this piece.
All things considered, this is tough to beat, be it for your one vintage watch, or as an additional to a growing collection. Either way, these don't surface all too often and this is a fantastic example.
Condition Report & Details
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Every Oliver & Clarke timepiece comes with a one-year mechanical warranty starting from the date of delivery. We ensure all watches are in wonderful working condition and are ready for daily wear. Many have been fully serviced by our team of watchmakers.
Please note:
- Due to the vintage or antique nature of many of our watches, they may not keep time as accurately as when new, nor as precisely as quartz or electronic devices.
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