Vintage Rolex Submariner 1680 Steel Oyster

Vintage Rolex Submariner 1680 Steel Oyster

Pre-owned Rolex Submariner ref 1680 (1972) is in overall great vintage condition. Inner case back is stamped “1680” & “III.71.” Serial and reference numbers are clearly legible. The case is in good condition with normal signs of wear. The bezel is in attractive condition and has aged to a beautiful grey color throughout. The bezel has some nicks along the inner edge. The pip is a later replacement. The dial is in excellent condition and the lume has aged to a lovely and even beautiful marshmallow color. The hands have developed patina and the lume has aged to a very pale yellow color; it matches the color of the lume on the dial nicely. It has a 93150 bracelet with 12 links, 580 endlinks and a divers extension link. The clasp is marked “H” indicating it is from 1983. The bracelet is in good condition with some of stretch between the links.

Rolex introduced the reference 1680 around 1969 and it was in production until roughly 1979. This was the first Submariner to feature the date function and Rolex still offers date and no-date models to this day. This example has the word “Submariner” written in red text and collectors refer to these as the “Red Submariner.” Rolex did this until around 1975 and then they switched to all white text. Collectors tend to gravitate towards these Red Subs and we have seen demand increase significantly in the last couple years.

This watch is in overall beautiful condition. The lume has aged to an attractive marshmallow color which pairs nicely with the beautifully faded bezel.  The watch features a Mark V dial. The Mark V dial is distinguished by the feet first depth rating with open 6’s; the red “Submariner” text is also applied directly to the dial for this version and the coronet on the dial is specific to this variation.

Authenticity