When did the datejust introduce matchstick hands

[grenada2003]

Hi all,

I have a DJ 1603 dated to 1960 (pic attached) as you can see it has matchstick hands and an unusual coffin marker bezel. Does anyone know when rolex introduced the matchstick hands they are so perfect I'm wondering if they were replaced along the way.

Thanks as always in advance,
Joe

[Old Expat Beast]

What is the serial of the watch?

[offrdmania]

If the serial is from 1960 then it should have coffin hands and dial markers. The dial and hands on your watch look like they are from the 70s. Could have been later service replacements.
Here is a 1961 example. Notice the style of the markers on the dial. They match the coffin hands.
Late 60s was the introduction of the thin stick hands and the single thin stick markers on the dial. There were thin stick dials in the early 60s but the 6 and 9 position were usually double stick markers.

Watch should also have a jubilee bracelet instead of an oyster bracelet.

Also, your redial isnt a great one. Coronet doesnt line up with the hash mark at 12 and the lume plots at the bottom are badly aligned at 6 and 7.

Your bezel is super over polished too, should be crisp, sharp edges

[adam78]

Actually, I think you mean "dauphin" hands...

Yeah, the OP's watch looks to have service replacement dial and hands. The baton hands came out about 1965-66.

[offrdmania]

I always call them coffin hands because they are shaped like a coffin

[adam78]

I agree that some of the markers look like coffins, but the hands are most commonly called arrow, dagger, or dauphin type (alpha hands are similar but narrow toward the center pinion).

[actionkwj]

Originally Posted by adam78

I agree that some of the markers look like coffins, but the hands are most commonly called arrow, dagger, or dauphin type (alpha hands are similar but narrow toward the center pinion).

Agreed The hands do NOT look like coffins!


The Rolex Cowboy