Prices of 4-digit datejusts on the rise? 1600, 1601, 1603

[SubMarine]

These could be had for $2500 as recently as 2016. Nowadays, finding an unpolished example with a nice dial has become a Herculean task. Nice ones are selling for as high as $4.5k. What’s happening?

[carwashchris]

I saw one at a pawn shop last month for $3200. stretched band and engraved on back, but otherwise decent.

[watchbiao]

Well the entire vintage market has gone up during that time. The tide lifted all boats...


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[dhknola]

Agreed with the above, but these models also seem to be very slowly rising in price.

[abarth750]

The 1600 series Buckley dial Datejusts seem to be leading the charge.

[Richard Carver]

The DJ has been the top seller since the 50s so there's a lot of them. But like all vintage Rolex condition is king. The high end resellers like Bulang and Son handle top quality watches with good dials and a fresh service and consistently get over 4k euros no B&P.

At an auction last year a NOS 1603 full kit brought 6300US, sense a pattern? Quality costs money. Even the pencil lug head only with gasket channel corrosion are going for 2k or so.

Like all rising Rolex it's still very possible to find a seller still in 2013 land and score a nice watch for a 2013 price. But those are getting rare as well.

[SubMarine]

People are starting to pay serious attention at rare dials: Buckley, wide boy, blue, linen, non-tritium, sigma, etc

[BradSomrak]

I hunted down a blue dial 16030 recently and paid more than I wanted to, but what can you do? The market is the market. Prices for everything have gone up significantly.

[SubMarine]

Originally Posted by BradSomrak

I hunted down a blue dial 16030 recently and paid more than I wanted to, but what can you do? The market is the market. Prices for everything have gone up significantly.

How much did you pay? Any chance you’d like to share a pic? What made you choose it over a modern reference? Congrats!

[BradSomrak]

Originally Posted by SubMarine

How much did you pay? Any chance you’d like to share a pic? What made you choose it over a modern reference? Congrats!

I wanted sometime vintage. I like the newer DJs, for sure, but wanted something with years on I t. This is from 1988. I paid $4400 for it, which stung. Wish I would have gotten it 4-5 years ago. But I didn’t.

[Richard Carver]

Nice dial.

[SubMarine]

Gorgeous watch!!

Originally Posted by BradSomrak

I wanted sometime vintage. I like the newer DJs, for sure, but wanted something with years on I t. This is from 1988. I paid $4400 for it, which stung. Wish I would have gotten it 4-5 years ago. But I didn’t.

[Old Expat Beast]

I bought this doorstep-dial 1603 here on TRF in 2014, complete with original bracelet, box, USAF base warranty papers (1968), cigarette card, red tag and an airmail letter of receipt from RSC Geneva to the owner, all for US$2,300. What's interesting is it had been bumped by the seller about 30 times as I recall.

[Dan S]

Originally Posted by BradSomrak

I wanted sometime vintage. I like the newer DJs, for sure, but wanted something with years on I t. This is from 1988. I paid $4400 for it, which stung. Wish I would have gotten it 4-5 years ago. But I didn’t.

That's a crazy price, unless it had B&P and a perfect original bracelet. People sometimes confuse market prices and dealer asking prices. I bought my blue 16000 with oyster bracelet in early 2017 for $1900 in a no-reserve eBay auction. Prices may have gone up since then, but not THAT much.

[Mansell92]

Originally Posted by Old Expat Beast

I bought this doorstep-dial 1603 here on TRF in 2014, complete with original bracelet, box, USAF base warranty papers (1968), cigarette card, red tag and an airmail letter of receipt from RSC Geneva to the owner, all for US$2,300. What's interesting is it had been bumped by the seller about 30 times as I recall.

Jackpot

Thats a beauty.

[zapokee]

DJ prices have risen but haven't gone silly yet like sports models have. I say get in while you can.

I overpaid for the watches I bought five years ago because they were in super condition and/or had box and papers. With today's market prices, I'm glad I did. I couldn't afford many of them now.

[SubMarine]

Blue dials are worth a premium.

Originally Posted by Dan S

That's a crazy price, unless it had B&P and a perfect original bracelet. People sometimes confuse market prices and dealer asking prices. I bought my blue 16000 with oyster bracelet in early 2017 for $1900 in a no-reserve eBay auction. Prices may have gone up since then, but not THAT much.

[Richard Carver]

Originally Posted by Dan S

That's a crazy price, unless it had B&P and a perfect original bracelet. People sometimes confuse market prices and dealer asking prices. I bought my blue 16000 with oyster bracelet in early 2017 for $1900 in a no-reserve eBay auction. Prices may have gone up since then, but not THAT much.

Oh wow! So you have a nice blue dial 16030 you could have sold him cheaper! That's too bad! How much do you want for it?

[BradSomrak]

Originally Posted by Dan S

People sometimes confuse market prices and dealer asking prices.

Here’s the thing, I understand the difference. But I looked for several months for a mint blue dial and couldn’t find one. Talked to well known TRF dealers, nothing. So when I finally found one, I had no issue paying. Now, did I contribute to raising the market? Maybe. But I don’t really care. God willing, I’ll have this for 40 years, and my son thereafter. So if I “overpaid” by a little bit, oh well. I’m ok with it.

I’m guessing this is the rationale that is leading to the far more extensive explosion in sports models.

Just my two cents.

[Dan S]

Originally Posted by Richard Carver

Oh wow! So you have a nice blue dial 16030 you could have sold him cheaper! That's too bad! How much do you want for it?

If you're serious, send me a DM. But it's a 16000, not a 16030, and it's the purple-blue color.

Otherwise, I don't understand the sarcasm. I am simply relaying the auction price I paid in 2017 for a similar watch. If a buyer needs to buy a watch right away, I understand that he will pay a premium to a dealer. That's fine, and it seems that @BradSomrak did this willingly. So I apologize if my tone seemed critical ... I promise you that I am not a troll. But I define market price as the price at a fair no-reserve auction. And I do understand that these don't go up for auction every day so it requires patience to buy a watch at fair market value. I often hunt a watch for a year or more, and I imagine you do the same.

[jfmiii]

ive seen more chatter on 1018s recently and noticed some pretty absurd prices being asked for them. yes, they are rare but so are 1600s, more so with black matte dial, and more so with confetti black matte dials like mine. ive toyed with selling this one but havent been able to bring myself to do so as it took me several years to find one.

[BradSomrak]

Originally Posted by Dan S

That's fine, and it seems that @BradSomrak did this willingly. So I apologize if my tone seemed critical.

I did not think you were critical, nor did I take it that way.

[jdmi32]

There are a ton of them out there compared to other models, they're not considered as sporty as Subs and GMTs and their smaller size works against them in the minds of many collectors. Still didn't stop me from getting mine.

[swish77]

Originally Posted by SubMarine

These could be had for $2500 as recently as 2016. Nowadays, finding an unpolished example with a nice dial has become a Herculean task. Nice ones are selling for as high as $4.5k. What’s happening?

Agreed. Many, many vintage DJs out there, but a surprisingly small number in collector condition. So many are over polished, probably because they're regarded more like dress watches, so most guys wanted to keep them nice and shiny. I still think they're undervalued in the crazy over-priced vintage Rolex world.

I sold this one exactly a year ago for $4200, full set. Now I regret it, of course. Doh!

https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=578283

[BradSomrak]

Originally Posted by swish77

I sold this one exactly a year ago for $4200, full set. Now I regret it, of course. Doh!



https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=578283

Ironically, I hesitated on this, missed it, and then spent months looking for one.

[Adambrown]

Although there are quite a lot of the mentioned out there a good one is still pretty hard to find. Patients is key . Agreed prices seem to be increasing slightly as well although no where near the rate of any sports model. Still love my 1601, non tritium, slate grey dial bought last year


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[zapokee]

Got my 1600 a couple of years ago for about 3,000 USD. No box and papers, but super condition.

[swish77]

Originally Posted by BradSomrak

Ironically, I hesitated on this, missed it, and then spent months looking for one.

Just curious ... why did you hesitate? Price?

[Richard Carver]

As quality DJs become rarer and more expensive you absolutely have to pay attention to case condition. Never buy a vintage Rolex of any kind without checking for corrosion.

This is clean...



This is corroded...



Corrosion can be from a few black spots to a moon crater looking black ring. It can also appear under the bezel and between the lugs,



Great strides are being made in micro welding to repair this but a few pics can keep you from having to deal with it in the first place.

[BradSomrak]

Originally Posted by swish77

Just curious ... why did you hesitate? Price?

Nope. I just hadn’t sold some pieces I owned yet. And I wanted to do that first. Just a time thing.