Rolex Datejust Ref. 1603 - Blue Sunburst Dial - Near Unworn
Straight Facts
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, like the present example. The 4-Digit series is also the first Datejust to become available in a myriad of colors and styles.
The present example is an Engine-Turned 1603 with a stunning blue sunburst dial. Its unpolished case and exceptional dial condition are easily discernible at first glance. The case is in truly untouched condition, still retaining its well preserved caseback sticker. The dial itself shows some signs of wear around the lume markers - which is something that these dials are incredibly prone too. Speaking of lume, this dial has incredibly stunning puffy pumpkin lume which is exactly what we love to see in a Rolex watch. Fitted to on our of elegant hand-made leather straps, this is an incredible everyday wearing vintage watch for the person who wants something a little more special than a standard fare Datejust.
*Some marks or spots on the dial are reflections or dust on the crystal and are due to high intensity strobe lighting used while photographing. They are not actually on the watch or visible in natural lighting
About the brand
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Shipping & Returns
At Oliver & Clarke, domestic shipping is on us. If you are international and require a quote – please feel free to reach out to us at info@oliverandclarke.com so we can get you squared away!
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 always love, trades are final, except of course if the watch is grossly misdescribed or misrepresented.
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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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