1991 Birth Year Suggestions for 30th Bday Next Year?

[lukiej91]

Hi All,

I'm new here and would like to get peoples feedback on what I have narrowed my search to but also open to other suggestions or if there is any significant watch that I am missing from 1991?

I have been researching watches for my birth year for the last few months to buy my first Rolex early next year for my 30th birthday.

I have narrowed to these two:

- 14060 No Date Submariner (X or N serial)

- 16700 Pepsi GMT Master (X or N serial)


Thoughts on either of these?

Any others I should consider?

Is it important or necessary to get the full package of box and papers?

Thanks in advance!

[zapokee]

Originally Posted by lukiej91

Is it important or necessary to get the full package of box and papers?

Hi, and welcome to the rabbit hole.

Either watch would be an excellent choice. B&P are neither important nor necessary, but are nice to have if the seller happens to have kept them.

Good luck with it!

[springer]

GMT-MASTER II model 16710 or even the GMT-MASTER 16700. They are very versatile watches. A nice, correct complete set runs about $10,500 to $11,000. The nicer the watch the higher the price.

[lukiej91]

Originally Posted by zapokee

Hi, and welcome to the rabbit hole.

Either watch would be an excellent choice. B&P are neither important nor necessary, but are nice to have if the seller happens to have kept them.

Good luck with it!

Thank you! Excited!

[LeBapt]

Originally Posted by lukiej91

Hi All,

I'm new here and would like to get peoples feedback on what I have narrowed my search to but also open to other suggestions or if there is any significant watch that I am missing from 1991?

I have been researching watches for my birth year for the last few months to buy my first Rolex early next year for my 30th birthday.

I have narrowed to these two:

- 14060 No Date Submariner (X or N serial)

- 16700 Pepsi GMT Master (X or N serial)


Thoughts on either of these?

Any others I should consider?

Is it important or necessary to get the full package of box and papers?

Thanks in advance!

Hi!

What a coincidence! I am from April 1991 and I started looking for a nice piece for my 30th birthday too

What I basically did was to go to chrono24, search for rolex and tudor watches and choose "1991" for the year. Then I just picked some interesting models and stick to them.

Regarding the question of the full package, well, everyone sees noon at his doorstep as we say in France. But considering that it is for an important event, I would only choose a model than reflects it: complete with box & papers.

Cheers,

[L.K Johnson]

I would do the GMT because of versatility with three different inserts plus the date and GMT function. My first Rolex was a 16710!

[Wahlberg]

Buy the best watch possible for the amount you are willing to spend. Why would you look at a birthyear watch?

For example

1. 1990 GMT - 10k usd/euro - overall condition 9/10
   
2. 1991 GMT - 10k usd/euro - overall condition 8/10 but it's the best one out of all the 1991 watches. There is no 9/10 out there.

Are you really getting the 91 one? The non-birthyear watch is the beter buy/deal/condition but you will pass?

[L.K Johnson]

Here you have it on two different set-ups:

[swish77]

Good suggestions above, but I'd also throw this one in the mix, a Sea-Dweller 16600. Here's my former 16600 from the early '90s, a great watch that I regret selling. You see far fewer of these around compared to the GMTs and Subs.

[L.K Johnson]

Originally Posted by swish77

Good suggestions above, but I'd also throw this one in the mix, a Sea-Dweller 16600. Here's my former 16600 from the early '90s, a great watch that I regret selling. You see far fewer of these around compared to the GMTs and Subs.

I understand that you regret selling it with that killer patina!!

[barneb10]

Cant go wrong with either and, like others have said, welcome to the rabbit hole

Here's my 14060.

[lukiej91]

Originally Posted by Wahlberg

Buy the best watch possible for the amount you are willing to spend. Why would you look at a birthyear watch?

For example

1. 1990 GMT - 10k usd/euro - overall condition 9/10
   
2. 1991 GMT - 10k usd/euro - overall condition 8/10 but it's the best one out of all the 1991 watches. There is no 9/10 out there.

Are you really getting the 91 one? The non-birthyear watch is the beter buy/deal/condition but you will pass?

Thank you for your input and advice! Thats a great point. I just figured that it being a milestone birthday and not owning a Rolex already, getting a Birth Year piece would be nice. But now you have me rethinking! I would probably top out at $10k price wise.

[lukiej91]

Originally Posted by barneb10

Cant go wrong with either and, like others have said, welcome to the rabbit hole

Here's my 14060.

Wow! Thats a beauty!

[lukiej91]

Originally Posted by swish77

Good suggestions above, but I'd also throw this one in the mix, a Sea-Dweller 16600. Here's my former 16600 from the early '90s, a great watch that I regret selling. You see far fewer of these around compared to the GMTs and Subs.

Beautiful piece! I will take a look at some 16600's. Thank you!

[lukiej91]

Originally Posted by LeBapt

Hi!

What a coincidence! I am from April 1991 and I started looking for a nice piece for my 30th birthday too

What I basically did was to go to chrono24, search for rolex and tudor watches and choose "1991" for the year. Then I just picked some interesting models and stick to them.

Regarding the question of the full package, well, everyone sees noon at his doorstep as we say in France. But considering that it is for an important event, I would only choose a model than reflects it: complete with box & papers.

Cheers,

Awesome! Thank you for the tips! Cheers!

[zapokee]

Originally Posted by lukiej91

Thank you for your input and advice! Thats a great point. I just figured that it being a milestone birthday and not owning a Rolex already, getting a Birth Year piece would be nice. But now you have me rethinking!

Yes. Limiting yourself to a particular year will make it much more difficult to find a good one. Additionally, it's not possible to know exactly which year a watch is from - serial number charts are notoriously approximate.

The concept of a birth year watch is fuzzy anyway. What if the case (bearing the serial number) was made in one year, but the watch was assembled in another year, with parts made in yet another year? Or maybe you mean the year of the original purchase as indicated on the paperwork, which often differs from the serial number-based year estimate because watches sat on the shelves before being sold.

I'd abandon a strict birth year criterion and just get the best watch you can from *around* that period. Or not even from that period - just get what you like best, and forget about the birth year thing.

The rabbit hole is deep, but it's pretty nice down here.

[lukiej91]

Originally Posted by zapokee

Yes. Limiting yourself to a particular year will make it much more difficult to find a good one. Additionally, it's not possible to know exactly which year a watch is from - serial number charts are notoriously approximate.

The concept of a birth year watch is fuzzy anyway. What if the case (bearing the serial number) was made in one year, but the watch was assembled in another year, with parts made in yet another year? Or maybe you mean the year of the original purchase as indicated on the paperwork, which often differs from the serial number-based year estimate because watches sat on the shelves before being sold.

I'd abandon a strict birth year criterion and just get the best watch you can from *around* that period. Or not even from that period - just get what you like best, and forget about the birth year thing.

The rabbit hole is deep, but it's pretty nice down here.

Wow! Thank you for your insight. That has completely changed my outlook now. Maybe I will jump back to the 80's and look for a no date sub and get the birth year out of my head. Thanks again!

[Dr.Smellody]

Here is my 1991 167188:

[brockburst]

Originally Posted by lukiej91

Hi All,

I'm new here and would like to get peoples feedback on what I have narrowed my search to but also open to other suggestions or if there is any significant watch that I am missing from 1991?

I have been researching watches for my birth year for the last few months to buy my first Rolex early next year for my 30th birthday.

I have narrowed to these two:

- 14060 No Date Submariner (X or N serial)

- 16700 Pepsi GMT Master (X or N serial)


Thoughts on either of these?

Any others I should consider?

Is it important or necessary to get the full package of box and papers?

Thanks in advance!

Daytona MK3 16520 w/ Inverted Six (I prefer white)

[JBZ]

One other to consider might be an Explorer blackout. I suggest it because it was only released for a short period of time that happens to correspond to the 1990-1991 era, so it might be something unique that would also serve as a birthyear watch.

But they can be hard to find and they ain't cheap the last I checked.