Rolex Datejust Ref. 1603 - Sunburst Grey 'Sigma' 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 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 from circa 1973 and it comes to us in very nice overall condition, having seen a light previous polishing and showing normal signs of wear with a few scattered impressions and scratches throughout. The 'engine-turned' stainless steel bezel retains factory finishing and shows matching wear. Inside, the sunburst grey 'Sigma' dial is very well preserved, retaining a crisp sunburst finishing with white text. The Tritium plots are uniform in color and exhibit minor loss at a few positions and the handset matches beautifully. This piece comes fitted to a period-correct oval-link Jubilee bracelet with a signed blade clasp.

All things considered, this is tough to beat, be it for your one vintage watch, or as an additional to a growing collection.