Opinion needed on 16030.

[RobinJ]

Hello fellow watch collectors,

My first post here :)

I recently got my first rolex, a 16030 datejust from 1980. When I removed the bracelet I found the engraving of the serial and model number hard to read, so I was wondering if this is normal for a datejust of this period? The rest looks fine to me? but again, I’m new to rolex as I’ve always collected Omega.

Happy to hear your opinion.

Kind regards

Robin

[mrs_LA]

Usually the ones that aren't legible are due to the rubbing of the end links to the case. That looks very legible to me. Looks like someone tried to try and deliberately scrap the serial number (can be attributed to stolen/theft) but it still looks very clear, and you can make out the numbers properly via a loupe. It shouldn't be an issue unless someone reported it as such.

[Dan S]

As long as the numbers are legible, it's really not a big deal. If there are numbers that can't be read, it detracts a bit from the desirability, but would probably not be a deal-breaker on a DJ that is priced right.

This particular case has significant pitting, in additional to the fairly common end-link rubbing and the weird diagonal scratches previously mentioned. Hopefully you have seen the watch with the case-back removed to check the sealing surfaces.

[214270Explorer]

Wear on the case from the end links is normal, but those scratches certainly are not.

[zapokee]

Originally Posted by 214270Explorer

Wear on the case from the end links is normal, but those scratches certainly are not.

The scratches kind of match the curved profile of an end link.

Sometimes bracelets are a MF to get back on once you remove them, so it's not beyond the realms of possibility that somebody scratched the case with the end link trying to refit it.

[rootbeer7]

That actually looks like years of accumulated detritus between endlinks and case from a time when these watches were actually worn daily for everything from work to vacationing.

[RobinJ]

Thanks for the reply everyone, so it seems that this kind of wear and tear could happen over a long period of time. It had me worried for a while, Like mrs_La said.

Kind regards