4 Digit DD & DJ Lume ?

[carwashchris]

What's the last year Rolex produced a N0N-Lume dial for a 4 digit DD or DJ. I'm asking because I'm looking at a 2,84X.XXX { 1972 } that is non-lume. That seems very late to me I was under the impression they stopped in 63" 64" ish.

Thanks Chris

[miamiclay]

They certainly made *some* no lume DD/DJ hands and dials into the 90s, e.g., the stone dials without markers. But for the dials which came both ways, idk - Good question

[vintagewatch]

Which color and style dial does the Datejust or Day/Date in question have?
Color: Silver, Champagne, black, black, white, slate, and so on
Style: Numbers (Roman, Arabic...) or indices,
Dial type: solid color, linen, tapestry, …

Some 4 digit references have lumed marked dials some don't.

[carwashchris]

DD Minute track dial, no lume on dial and hands.
Thanks. Chris

[AJMarcus]

My DJ 1603 from 1969 has non-lumed dial and hands. With Rolex vintage there’s not always a definitive date for much of what they used to do. The Swiss, being ever frugal and practical, did not want to waste perfectly good parts!

[carwashchris]

Originally Posted by vintagewatch

Which color and style dial does the Datejust or Day/Date in question have?
Color: Silver, Champagne, black, black, white, slate, and so on
Style: Numbers (Roman, Arabic...) or indices,
Dial type: solid color, linen, tapestry, …

Some 4 digit references have lumed marked dials some don't.

DD silver/white minute track, gold bars

Thanks

[carwashchris]

Originally Posted by AJMarcus

My DJ 1603 from 1969 has non-lumed dial and hands. With Rolex vintage there’s not always a definitive date for much of what they used to do. The Swiss, being ever frugal and practical, did not want to waste perfectly good parts!

I spent almost 2 years looking at early DG's, bought #'s 823, 880, 1,003 all 3 were Swiss only non- lume, perhaps I just assumed that the non- lume were very early only.

Thanks for your input Chris

[AJMarcus]

Originally Posted by carwashchris

I spent almost 2 years looking at early DG's, bought #'s 823, 880, 1,003 all 3 were Swiss only non- lume, perhaps I just assumed that the non- lume were very early only.

Thanks for your input Chris

Happy hunting

[miamiclay]

Originally Posted by vintagewatch

Which color and style dial does the Datejust or Day/Date in question have?
Color: Silver, Champagne, black, black, white, slate, and so on
Style: Numbers (Roman, Arabic...) or indices,
Dial type: solid color, linen, tapestry, …

Some 4 digit references have lumed marked dials some don't.

OP & I have communicated, and I believe the DD he’s looking at is like the one shown below, except with a) non-tapered baton hands, b) doorstop 6/9 markers, and c) of course, no lume on dial nor hands. (Credit to bradleyt09 for his photo & DD below)

Acknowledging that the thrifty Swiss would have continued to use existing stock, do we even know whether there was *any* point during the 1803 run (‘58-‘77) when Rolex stopped making (or acquiring, or distributing) no-lume pie pan dials? (E.g., is there any serial number, beyond which there are no known no-lume pie pans?)

Also, did Rolex ever list “no lume” as a catalog option for 1803s (or any DDs)? The OP’s question has gotten me thinking about the no-lume DDs generally - If there was never a “lume delete” catalog option (& I don’t think I’ve seen any such), were a certain % just made as no-lume pieces, and distributed to ADs at random along with their lumed DDs or, ... what?

[Yachtbuoy]

Originally Posted by carwashchris

What's the last year Rolex produced a N0N-Lume dial for a 4 digit DD or DJ. I'm asking because I'm looking at a 2,84X.XXX { 1972 } that is non-lume. That seems very late to me I was under the impression they stopped in 63" 64" ish.

Thanks Chris

I’ve even seen a 90s DJ36 with white gold baton indices and no lume dots. As others have stated, the absence of lume dots isn’t really indicative of anything other than it likely being a “dress dial”.

E: I haven’t seen any evidence that the reference number was different. They certainly aren’t common, but not outside the scope of legitimacy.

[carwashchris]

Compliments of Slique and the new owner. Here is a 3,0xx. that dates to 1972.
A WB non-Lume dial. Congrats to the new owner.