DJ 1601 Bracelet and End Links Question - Help Please!

[Fletcher's Dad]

Afternoon everyone,

First, thanks for your time in advance. Really hoping I can get a few quick answers to questions that have been on my mind re bracelet options for the DJ 1601 back in the day.

First, is it correct that if desired in the late 1960's/early 1970's you could swap out your jubilee bracelet for an oyster bracelet?

Second, if so, I would assume that the 7206 rivet bracelet was that oyster option, at least in the late 1960's?

And finally, if so, what end links would be appropriate for a DJ 1601 with a 7206 rivet bracelet?

Once again, thanks for your help!

[Dan S]

I would tend to think 58 endlinks, but unfortunately I don't have one on hand to try for you at the moment. Given the relative prices of a good 7206 bracelet and a 1601 DJ, I suspect that it's not common these days for someone to buy a 7206 for their 1601.

There were of course locally made bracelets, like C&I in the US.

[TimeToGo]

.
Other options and more economically, C&I Rivet and/or 7836 Folded.

Have a looksy here for what was available:

https://rolexhaven.com/bracelets.html

[TuRo]

Yes back in day was much less rigid.

So for example my AD (Upchurch in Colchester UK) in 1975 offered me a 1601 which came to them as a loose head and paired at the AD dealers from a huge drawer of bracelets etc, with either a 5210 folded or 7836 folded or tropic rubber 55855.

The Jubille was about 15% more expensive than the oyster ironically, given values today are c 2 to 3 x more for a Oyster over a Jubilee.

Ps The desirability of jubilees has changed a lot over the years. 60s and 70s considered great and sporty and hence 6542/1675 often had them.

Then 80s, 90s, early 2000s considered by some as a bit 'effete', and as such not seen that much on new sales of professional pieces except reintroduced t-o-g's (50/50 Oyst v Jub roughly).

A renaissance occured in c 2017 with Rolex putting GMTs back on Jubillee (as standard) as a key differentiator for the piece.

[springer]

By 1970, the 7206 was replaced with the 7206 Oyster, so, early 1970s would have come with the 7836 folded link Oyster bracelet. If you are looking for a late 1960s Oyster bracelet, then you would want the 7206 model.

As others mentioned, the USA version of the Oyster bracelet was available during the 1960s and 1970s. The USA Oysters do not have end link numbers but they do have a month and year stamped on one of the bracelet blades - such as 3-72, which is March 1972

[Fletcher's Dad]

Many thanks for the quick replies everyone! I suppose now it is just a question of what end links would work on a late 60's DJ 1601 with a 7206 Swiss Bracelet? I assume it would be 58 end links but I can't seem to find anything anywhere online to support this. Any insight on this point would be super - thanks again!

[Dan S]

Originally Posted by Fletcher's Dad

Many thanks for the quick replies everyone! I suppose now it is just a question of what end links would work on a late 60's DJ 1601 with a 7206 Swiss Bracelet? I assume it would be 58 end links but I can't seem to find anything anywhere online to support this. Any insight on this point would be super - thanks again!

I can say for sure that the 58 endlinks work well with a 1016 case, which is also 36mm. Also, in my experience, the endlinks really weren't as model-specific in that era, and the same endlinks were used more broadly. Perhaps you can convince a friend to try it out for you. But keep in mind that your options are fairly limited, since the vast majority of 7206 endlinks will be either 80 or 58. Now and then you may run into something obscure like 75, but I wouldn't count on it.

[TuRo]

Your gonna have a steel DJ whose bracelet is worth more than the rest of the watch (unless it's a Boiler Gauge, wood or stellar, onyx, lapis lazuli, UAE crest or the like), which I have to say is a bit of fun !!!

[Fletcher's Dad]

Thanks. From a little further research, it appears the 75 end links with the 7206 swiss bracelet were used for the 1601 back in the day.

[Dan S]

Unfortunately, the 75 endlinks are pretty uncommon. I saw a 7206 with 75 endlinks sold last month, but it was the first one I'd seen in more than a year. Maybe someone will offer up a bracelet to you if you're lucky.

[Fletcher's Dad]

Thanks Dan

[springer]

Originally Posted by springer

By 1970, the 7206 was replaced with the 7206 Oyster, so, early 1970s would have come with the 7836 folded link Oyster bracelet. If you are looking for a late 1960s Oyster bracelet, then you would want the 7206 model.

As others mentioned, the USA version of the Oyster bracelet was available during the 1960s and 1970s. The USA Oysters do not have end link numbers but they do have a month and year stamped on one of the bracelet blades - such as 3-72, which is March 1972

Sorry about any confusion in my earlier post noted above. Let me edit the complete post which should read:

By 1970, the 7206 was replaced with the 7836 Oyster, so, early 1970s models would have come with the 7836 folded link Oyster bracelet. Also during the late 1960s, the Submariner came with the 7206 which was replaced with the folded link 9315 Oyster bracelet with the flip-lock clasp around 1970.

If you are looking for a late 1960s Oyster bracelet, then you would want the 7206 model. If your Datejust is circa 1970 or a few years after that, I would opt for the 7836 Oyster bracelet.

As others mentioned, the USA version of the Oyster bracelet was available during the 1960s and 1970s. The USA Oysters do not have end link numbers but they do have a month and year stamped on one of the bracelet blades - such as 3-72, which is March 1972

[Fletcher's Dad]

Thanks Springer, much appreciated!