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Old 13 January 2018, 12:52 PM   #1
rushca01
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When do Rolex’s attain vintage status?

Using the sea dweller as an example when do the legacy 16600 attain vintage status? Is it commonly accepted that all sea dwellers prior to the gold surrounds are now vintage (which I believe are the 16660 reference) but if they have gold surrounds (16600/tritium) they aren’t quite vintage yet? Would the next step be the 16600 tritium sea dwellers with gold surrounds the next to become vintage? What is the natural progression of this? I used the sea dweller as a reference as I’m most familiar with its variations over the last 30 years.
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Old 13 January 2018, 12:59 PM   #2
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Great question. Can't wait to see a response from the vintage guys here. I always think this thread is a good starting point: https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=551004
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Old 13 January 2018, 01:08 PM   #3
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4 digit = vintage.

5-6 digit = wait and see.
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Old 13 January 2018, 01:40 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by springer View Post
Great question. Can't wait to see a response from the vintage guys here. I always think this thread is a good starting point: https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=551004
Thanks for sharing that, I will have to take a look...lots of info there. Your thread should be a sticky, I should have searched, and we could probably close this one down.

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4 digit = vintage.

5-6 digit = wait and see.
I was thinking the same thing as well but some of the 5 digit are pretty long in the tooth now like the 16660. The 16660 sea dwellers have been around long enough to display a fair amount of patina, even some of the older tritium 16600 references are showing nice patina.

I would define vintage for the sea dweller as 16600 references with tritium would be vintage. The last tritium sea dwellers are pushing 20+ years old now.
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Old 13 January 2018, 01:48 PM   #5
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70's and below for me
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Old 13 January 2018, 02:18 PM   #6
mattedialdoc
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4 digit, acrylic crystal. The 16750 matte dial is the only 5 digit that I would consider vintage now.


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Old 13 January 2018, 04:16 PM   #7
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A possible answer could be between 30-40 years.
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Old 13 January 2018, 04:17 PM   #8
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When they get old John.
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Old 13 January 2018, 04:59 PM   #9
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Over the years I’ve heard “vintage” described as:
Anything over 25 years
Anything over 30 years
Anything with a Matte dial
Anything with a Tritium dial
Anything without White Gold surrounds
Anything Rolex won’t serve
Any 4 digit reference
Anything with a plastic crystal
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Old 13 January 2018, 05:00 PM   #10
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When they get old John.
Why.... thanks so much. I never knew!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Old 13 January 2018, 06:17 PM   #11
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My personal opinion is that any Rolex designed before they entered the luxury watch segment is vintage. This would translate into a break at approximately mid 80s. So some 4-digit references with sapphire crystal is vintage and some 5-digit references with plastic crystal too.

In any case, it is mostly a marketing term, hence the confusion here at the vintage side of the forum...
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Old 13 January 2018, 10:35 PM   #12
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The true answer is ever changing, according to the purchasing generation and their financial ability to do so. This has been true for centuries, and will remain so, with one exception ........................ internet. As individuals become more reliant on the web, and their ability to make decisions lessen, they will will have a tendency to collect what the latest and coolest website declares as such.


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Old 14 January 2018, 12:42 AM   #13
landroverking
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There a fine line between vintage and just old imo.
The same is true between vintage and classic.
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Old 14 January 2018, 12:45 AM   #14
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They’re all vintage eventually

I think most of the real vintage pieces are the 4 digit references, (at least for me)
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Old 14 January 2018, 01:56 AM   #15
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2 generations or more for me. So there’s the current model (new) the prior model (older version) and ones before that (vintage).
For the no date sub I don’t count the 14060M as they weren’t in production for that long. Using my above formula it would be the 5513 (16800 for the sub dates)
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Old 14 January 2018, 02:40 AM   #16
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30+ years old?
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Old 14 January 2018, 02:41 AM   #17
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When do Rolex’s attain vintage status?

When they start collecting dust.
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Old 14 January 2018, 07:20 AM   #18
springer
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rushca01 View Post
Using the sea dweller as an example when do the legacy 16600 attain vintage status? Is it commonly accepted that all sea dwellers prior to the gold surrounds are now vintage (which I believe are the 16660 reference) but if they have gold surrounds (16600/tritium) they aren’t quite vintage yet? Would the next step be the 16600 tritium sea dwellers with gold surrounds the next to become vintage? What is the natural progression of this? I used the sea dweller as a reference as I’m most familiar with its variations over the last 30 years.
Since the question has yet to be answered, I'll use GMTs as my point of reference.

Vintage........................................... Classic......................Modern

1950s……1960s……1970s…….1980s………………..1990s …………2000 on up
6542 ----1675----------------16750 16760 16700…....16710…. 116710

Plug in your model .....and the debate goes on.
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Old 14 January 2018, 07:25 AM   #19
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plastic crystal is my tester ,,,
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Old 14 January 2018, 09:02 AM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rushca01 View Post
. . . What is the natural progression of this? I used the sea dweller as a reference as I’m most familiar with its variations over the last 30 years.
If you listen to some of the answers, then your answer is "Never".

Of course, there is no real definition of "vintage". Call it what you want. My feeling is that if it's discontinued, it's definitely on it's way, but certainly, watches that are already older than half the members on the forum ought to be there.
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Old 14 January 2018, 10:35 AM   #21
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I have a '48 Omega same age as me and it is definately, absolutely NOT vintage Larry.
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Old 14 January 2018, 10:44 AM   #22
rushca01
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Thanks for the replies. After springers most excellent post this one can seriously be shut down. I didn’t mean to bring it up once again.
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