Platinum vintage Rolex - were they only special order or?

[/16610]

Does anyone know much about vintage platinum Rolex?

I've never seen them in a vintage advertisement, can't remember seeing them on a price list (not that I've looked at many), and was (very sadly) not born in time to wonder around a Rolex AD in which there were watches for sale

On Chrono24 (not a perfect source but probably quite useful for this) they only seem to be from the 90s on, but we know that much older ones exist:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=...AAAAAdAAAAABAD


Even now they are rare beasties - as an example, they constitute only 0.8% of Rolexes on Chrono24.

Nonetheless, they have been in adverts, and are on the website and price lists (unlike some gemset models).


So, any more info? Presumably to order one you had to speak to your AD or even the central office in your country? Would be fascinating to see them in a period ad...

[Incroyable12]

I'm curious about this as well.

They did feature in ads but it seems the ads themselves are quite rare:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CaQJyidp..._web_copy_link

[Incroyable12]

I'm also curious about when they introduced the Ice Blue dial for the platinum Day-Date.

I found this old master catalog from 1995 and it looks like they had the salmon pink dial with Roman numbers for white metal models back then. I'd always assumed that dial was a post 1999/2000 style since you mostly see it on the 6 digit DDs.

[/16610]

Originally Posted by Incroyable12

I'm curious about this as well.

They did feature in ads but it seems the ads themselves are quite rare:


https://www.instagram.com/p/CaQJyidp..._web_copy_link

Thank you so much!

Turns out I had seen the first one but I have a memory like a sieve

What a great advert it is too, some balls to compare it in price to a Porsche 911

I hadn’t seen the second one though.


I can only say that I can’t remember ever seeing the glacier blue colour on the dial of a vintage Rolex, but I can’t be definitive about that


Thanks again

[/16610]

Originally Posted by Incroyable12

I'm also curious about when they introduced the Ice Blue dial for the platinum Day-Date.

The earliest watch I associate with it is actually the Day-Date II launched in 2008. The one with the blue hands and Roman numerals… unless the glacier blue dial was quietly added before then to the selection of Day-Date 36mm dials, perhaps it was introduced then?

A complete guess

[Incroyable12]

Originally Posted by /16610

The earliest watch I associate with it is actually the Day-Date II launched in 2008. The one with the blue hands and Roman numerals… unless the glacier blue dial was quietly added before then to the selection of Day-Date 36mm dials, perhaps it was introduced then?

A complete guess

The earliest I've seen the Ice Blue dial is on the 118206 which they seem to have introduced in 2000.

https://www.catawiki.com/en/l/419287...isex-2000-2010

Prior to that it looks like the special platinum dial was the silver with the two baguettes at 6 and 9 and the larger brilliants. If you look at the diamond dials closely the platinum dials had larger diamonds than the regular diamond dials.

However the Roman style dial was available as well which I previously wasn't aware of. I'd always thought that that Roman dial was introduced with the 6 series DDs.

[Incroyable12]

FWIW the factory diamond bezel 18346 seem far more common than the smooth bezel 18206 on the grey market.

[/16610]

Originally Posted by Incroyable12

The earliest I've seen the Ice Blue dial is on the 118206 which they seem to have introduced in 2000.

https://www.catawiki.com/en/l/419287...isex-2000-2010

That answers that then! Good find

[motoikkyu]

Absolutely tracks. I tried one on in either 2000 or 2001 at the Tourneau in NYC. It's a completely impractical watch, way too heavy for daily wear. I mean, REALLY heavy on the wrist. Looks amazing in person, though.

[Incroyable12]

Originally Posted by motoikkyu

Absolutely tracks. I tried one on in either 2000 or 2001 at the Tourneau in NYC. It's a completely impractical watch, way too heavy for daily wear. I mean, REALLY heavy on the wrist. Looks amazing in person, though.

Also quite a chunk of change at MSRP.

[zapokee]

Originally Posted by motoikkyu

It's a completely impractical watch, way too heavy for daily wear. I mean, REALLY heavy on the wrist.

Gosh darn. The Ice Blue platinum Day-Date was going to be my single exit watch. Where do I go now?

[Incroyable12]

Originally Posted by zapokee

Gosh darn. The Ice Blue platinum Day-Date was going to be my single exit watch. Where do I go now?

There’s a lot of platinum DDs in Japan I’ve noticed. You used to be able to buy the 5 series used for under 20k.

[zapokee]

Originally Posted by Incroyable12

There’s a lot of platinum DDs in Japan I’ve noticed. You used to be able to buy the 5 series used for under 20k.

That's true. You used to be able to buy any Rolex for under 20k. Not so much these days, especially in super-expensive Japan.

I could fly from Japan to the USA, pick one up, stay in a hotel and then come back, and it would still be cheaper overall.

[Incroyable12]

Originally Posted by zapokee

That's true. You used to be able to buy any Rolex for under 20k. Not so much these days, especially in super-expensive Japan.

I could fly from Japan to the USA, pick one up, stay in a hotel and then come back, and it would still be cheaper overall.

Last time I was in Japan pre Covid it was already hard finding the platinum DDs.

[southtexas]

Just yesterday I was in a little jewelry store and they had this one for sale in the estate case (my smaller town is not exactly a hub of flashy jewelry, so it was surprising to see it). It’s the 4th one I’ve seen in a few months. Prior to that, I don’t recall seeing one in the wild. Odd coincidence I guess. And they are incredibly heavy.

[zapokee]

Originally Posted by southtexas

Just yesterday I was in a little jewelry store and they had this one for sale in the estate case (my smaller town is not exactly a hub of flashy jewelry, so it was surprising to see it). It’s the 4th one I’ve seen in a few months. Prior to that, I don’t recall seeing one in the wild. Odd coincidence I guess. And they are incredibly heavy.

That is some serious bling right there. Anybody know what that bracelet style is called? I've seen it before...

[southtexas]

Originally Posted by zapokee

That is some serious bling right there. Anybody know what that bracelet style is called? I've seen it before...

Pearlmaster (?)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[zapokee]

Originally Posted by southtexas

Pearlmaster (?)

Yes, I think you're right. To my eye, it looks more suited to a lady than to a gentleman. Tastes may vary.

[Incroyable12]

Has anyone ever bought one of the old platinum DDs at retail back in the '80s and '90s?

Curious to know if they were a stocked item or a special order. Then as now the platinum premium was quite high from the old price lists I've seen. This 1995 price price list has it listed as $36,500 retail while the 18k yellow gold equivalent was only $15,850.

[7enderbender]

Originally Posted by Incroyable12

Has anyone ever bought one of the old platinum DDs at retail back in the '80s and '90s?

Curious to know if they were a stocked item or a special order. Then as now the platinum premium was quite high from the old price lists I've seen. This 1995 price price list has it listed as $36,500 retail while the 18k yellow gold equivalent was only $15,850.

$16000 in today’s money would be around 30K. Retail price today is 33k.

[Incroyable12]

Originally Posted by 7enderbender

$16000 in today’s money would be around 30K. Retail price today is 33k.

The prices have essentially kept up with inflation.

The platinum DD40 retails today at $63k.

[motoikkyu]

Tourneau was a multi-store dealer at the time I tried on the platinum, 2-3 stores in NYC more than they have now. I was in the store to try/buy a used 1501, I was young(er) and the sales rep offered me the platinum to try, perhaps to teach a lesson about the grass being greener. They had it on display with others, no extreme fanfare, so I would believe it was NOT a special order item, but I would believe that Tourneau probably only had one or two between their 6 stores and moved it around.

[motoikkyu]

As for the price, yes, it was fantasy-level in those days. I had just bought the newest used car I had ever bought, a Plymouth, a car I would drive for 9 years, 16,000 miles a year, for $4000,

[/16610]

Originally Posted by motoikkyu

They had it on display with others, no extreme fanfare, so I would believe it was NOT a special order item, but I would believe that Tourneau probably only had one or two between their 6 stores and moved it around.

Interesting anecdote - thank you…

[Incroyable12]

I wonder what percentage of Day-Dates were made in platinum?

It must be quite a small amount particularly back then.

[77T]

Like the tide, Pt popularity rises and falls periodically.

After WWII, platinum jewelry regained its former popularity before the depression. This led Rolex to meet new demand with an increasing use of Pt.

In the 60’s, Japan - and in the 70’s, Europe - it peaked. Production reduced accordingly.

More recently China has become a hot market for platinum jewelry and Rolex has been increasing Pt models again.

The precise numbers are unknown. But one can easily imagine how small the actual percentage might be. For example, today Rolex doesn’t offer its highest production volume models in Pt. DJ’s, Sub’s, OP’s, GMT’s aren’t produced in Pt.


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[/16610]

Originally Posted by Incroyable12

I wonder what percentage of Day-Dates were made in platinum?

It must be quite a small amount particularly back then.

I'm sure its a pretty questionable method, so take this with a bucket of salt, but looking at Chrono24 is the only way I can think of arriving at an actual number...

3,927 Day-Dates for sale, 279 of which are platinum = 7.1%

[Mark020]

1975 Swiss catalogue. Ungefahr = approximately

[/16610]

Originally Posted by Mark020

1975 Swiss catalogue. Ungefahr = approximately

Very interesting... that being one with a diamond bezel and dial

Now, my German is non-existent, but that seems to show the 'invisible' clasp as an 'upgrade' to the President bracelet... maybe Google Translate is letting me down, but perhaps you would otherwise have a 'box clasp' like on Jubilees and Oysters

[miamiclay]

Originally Posted by /16610

Now, my German is non-existent, but that seems to show the 'invisible' clasp as an 'upgrade' to the President bracelet... maybe Google Translate is letting me down, but perhaps you would otherwise have a 'box clasp' like on Jubilees and Oysters

Maybe we’re saying the same thing, but I’d assume the non-hidden platinum clasp would be the same style as the older one that was offered on other President bracelets. (It’s the same 7286 model number.)