Mk3 insert or 80s service.

[Gina Marie]

I showed to 2 well respected friends. Each said the opposite. Which is it? The watch is a 6.0 serial. The 4 and the 3 do not match what I understand to be a mark 3. Thx.

[springer]

Late 1970s insert. Not a Mark III.

[swish77]

Originally Posted by springer

Late 1970s insert. Not a Mark III.

x2. Same one on my late '70s 1680 Sub. The font is a little thinner than on the MK3s.

[buenosdias]

@John: +1

@Aaron:
your inlay is different from the GinaMaries.
Have a look especially at the 5. GianaMaries is kinda "long five" (not related to the early Long5s).
Often seen on late 70's/very early 80's Subs and Seadwellers.

Your Inlay has a completely different 4 and 5. I have the same on my 1680 and until today I'm not sure, in which period I would put it.....

[swish77]

Hmmmm .... not sure. They look pretty darn close to me. Keep in mind that angles in photos, and how they're blown up can create slight perceived differences. Neither are MK3s, that's for sure.

[springer]

Originally Posted by swish77

Hmmmm .... not sure. They look pretty darn close to me. Keep in mind that angles in photos, and how they're blown up can create slight perceived differences. Neither are MK3s, that's for sure.

You are correct Aaron .. . . they do look pretty darn close, but, they are not the same. The fours and fives have different fonts when comparing the OP's insert to your insert which is not caused by lighting or camera angles.

[swish77]

Originally Posted by springer

You are correct Aaron .. . . they do look pretty darn close, but, they are not the same. The fours and fives have different fonts when comparing the OP's insert to your insert which is not caused by lighting or camera angles.

Ah, OK, any ideas what either of these inserts are, category-wise? Would they have been original to late '70s into mid-80s, or Rolex replacements around that time? Neither of them are thin-font service inserts, but I can't find a lot of info on other post-MK3 Sub inserts, other then vague references to "mid-font" inserts.

[Subspecies]

Well this is turning interesting. It appears that mid fonts have their own subtle differences. Hope this develops into a good resource for these. Here's mine for comparison.

ps. Must clean watch, doesn't look that grubby in real life but macro certainly shows things up.