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I’d say first, give some thought to exactly what it is that appeals to you - Is it yellowed lume, is it a faded bezel insert, is it tropical dial color, is it the overall look of honest wear, or is it more about a vintage design/look generally? If it’s faded insert, the advice above to put one in a 16750 may be just right. Tropical dials can be tricky - People can and do mistake (or even flat-out misrepresent) undesirable dial damage from moisture intrusion for color change from honest age.
I think most vintage folks would agree with rolexest above, to find the best example of a reference that is in your budget, vs. getting a second-rate piece of one specific IG-hyped model. You might even surprise yourself - Just for one example, below is a very nice classic (1963 IIRC) Wide Boy Day-Date I recently got from ocwatchguy which, while not patinated as such, certainly has the vintage look, can be dressed up with a gloss black lizard strap or dressed down as shown or on a NATO strap, is solid 18K gold, and was thousands under your budget. (If yellow gold is just too-too, you could also look at white gold.)
Because this is new to you, I’d say keep scanning the trusted vintage sellers’ sites until something grabs your eye, and don’t be in any rush. Buying this way won’t get you a massive “steal,” but more important, you also likely won’t get taken. (I’ve personally had good experiences with HQMilton, Patrick at ocwatchguy.com, Morgan and Matt at matthewbaininc.com, Carl at Veralet.com, and others - see the trusted vintage sellers list in this forum.)
Post clear pictures here of any piece you’re seriously considering (before buying it), and get feedback - I expect you’ll find that the pros here are hugely generous with sharing both their time and their hard-won expertise.
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