It's crazy to see how cheap the prices were when vintage watches were brand new!

[CrownMe]

Originally Posted by diverdick

Limited Quantities indeed!

Thanks for sharing. Cool to see those ads

[Beef]

Originally Posted by diverdick

Limited Quantities indeed!

As stated above, prices were relative. My DRSD cost $564 USD in 1978 at Bucherer's in Geneva. That was a month's pay for me. I was short a few, so my platoon leader paid for it with his AMEX, thus his name on the receipt.

[Beef]

Originally Posted by seattleal

Here are pics of both:

Wearing the PCG 55?? at 150ft off Panama City, FL;

And the 1680 during salvage of a Spanish galleon off Ft Pierce in the 1970's (I didn't get to keep the gold coin either).

Kip Wagner's company?

[Tokyo Time]

Originally Posted by seattleal

Here are pics of both:

Wearing the PCG 55?? at 150ft off Panama City, FL;

And the 1680 during salvage of a Spanish galleon off Ft Pierce in the 1970's (I didn't get to keep the gold coin either).

Beautiful. I've wanted Atocha 8 to have made into a ring or necklace but this one seems larger.

[vintage69]

Remember that $5.00 was top pay then. The average wage was $2.00 to $2.50 per hr. When the 1665 was made, the average wage was $1.50 per hr.

[seattleal]

Originally Posted by Beef

Kip Wagner's company?

No, I think he held a salvage lease earlier. This was a different salvage lease.

[Ben39]

Wish we have a risk machine Kevin!!

[nickb732]

Damn, now I wish I had a time machine...

[seabreeze]

brilliant

Originally Posted by seattleal

TELL ME ABOUT IT!

In 1970 I bought the red 1680 in my avatar new for around $180. Unfortunately, I sold it in the mid 80's for $500.

That's not the worst. In 1963 I bought a new 5512 or 5513 (I'm not sure which) with pointed crown guards for around $100 and traded it for an Accutron diving watch in 1969 because the Rolex didn't run as accurately as the Accutron.

How many times do you think I've thought about that since becoming interested in vintage Rolex about 10 years ago?

[CrownMe]

Originally Posted by Ben39

Wish we have a risk machine Kevin!!

I know buddy. ...we would be rich men

[Ben39]

Originally Posted by CrownMe

I know buddy. ...we would be rich men

Hell yeah bro, we need a time machine badly😂👍

[iclick]

Here's my receipt from 1971. U. S. MSRP was $275 (IIRC) and the PX in Viet Nam was selling them for $180. The Navy Exchange in Hong Kong offered a price I couldn't refuse. I still have the GMT and it is my daily wearer.

The price shown is in HK$ and the math calculation was scribbled on the receipt at the time of purchase to show the price in US$ given the exchange rate of 6.06:1. As was pointed out earlier, $140 was still a nice chunk of money to pay for a watch at that time.

[watchdawg]

It costs more to service my 1675 now than what I paid for it in 1975.

[CrownMe]

Originally Posted by iclick

Here's my receipt from 1971. U. S. MSRP was $275 (IIRC) and the PX in Viet Nam was selling them for $180. The Navy Exchange in Hong Kong offered a price I couldn't refuse. I still have the GMT and it is my daily wearer.

The price shown is in HK$ and the math calculation was scribbled on the receipt at the time of purchase to show the price in US$ given the exchange rate of 6.06:1. As was pointed out earlier, $140 was still a nice chunk of money to pay for a watch at that time.

thanks for sharing.

[Plongeur78]

Comex divers paid £175 ($290) for rolex comex's!

[Renoir]

I remember being in an Abercrombie and Fitch (when they were a real outfitters/adventurer store) when I was younger, I remember seeing a Sub Date 1680 with a price tag of $585.

[dralexgirus]

it is simply amazing that those watches were so cheap

I guess better to buy a good time machine …..lol

AG

Great post

[MUCCI416]

My dad told me he paid $225 in 1970 for his 69' 5513...said he had to sacrifice and save for it, but as he was a diver at the time it was the only choice
45 years X 365 / $225 that's just over a penny a day of pure enjoyment!