Rolex Datejust Ref. 1603 - Matte Black 'Sigma' Dial Silver Text Unpolished

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 were also the first series to become available with a myriad of dial colors and case and bracelet materials.

This particular piece is a Reference 1603 dating to circa 1975 and it comes to us in simply fantastic condition. The case, the 'engine-turned' stainless steel bezel, and the Jubilee bracelet all remain unpolished and show normal, uniform wear with no major damage or blemishes. Inside, the dial is the real highlight of this example. Black in color, the surface has a matte finishing and very uncommon silver text, rather than the usual white. It also features two small 'Sigmas' flanking the "T Swiss T" signature at the 6 o'clock position, denoting the presence of gold on the dial, in this case, the white gold 'baton' indices and matching handset. Thankfully, the dial is beautifully preserved, with a clean surface and fully intact Tritium plots, which exhibit a nice and even patina throughout with a matching handset.