Rolex

In the history of Submariners, the reference 16800 is an important model following the success of the reference 1680 as the second generation of the Submariner Date. Introduced in 1979, this model stands out as the first Submariner to feature a sapphire crystal instead of the usual Plexiglass. The movement was upgraded to the caliber 3035 and, importantly, the depth rating was increased from 200 to 300 meters. Furthermore, the bezel would now only rotate unidirectionally, ensuring the watch would be safer for divers to time their decompression.

Upon introduction, the reference 16800 was offered with a more vintage-looking matte-finished dial with tritium luminous hour markers applied directly to the surface. In 1984, Rolex began fitting this reference with gloss-finished dials featuring applied white gold luminous indices, which were filled with the same tritium luminous materials. This updated dial look has come to be a calling card of the Submariner, the current references featuring roughly the same design.

The present watch dates to 1984, making it among the first Submariners ever to be fitted with a glossy dial and applied “white gold surround” indices. The look of these dials is particularly intriguing to collectors as it is a blending of vintage and modern looks. While the white gold surround hour markers call to more modern references, the tritium luminous material and its propensity to patina call to a more vintage Submariner.