In the rich and long history of Rolex, not many model lines can pride themselves in being as significant as the Datejust. Born in 1945, the Datejust has seen many variations of cases, bracelets, and dials combinations. This specific timepiece sports the most timeless configuration of Datejust, with its silver dial, fluted white gold bezel and jubilee bracelet. It remains probably one of the most sought-after and versatile timepieces of all time. The dial is in fantastic condition. The yellow patina of the tritium on the hour markers and the hands evoke a vintage feel and add to the charm of the watch. Both the case and the strap are in superb condition. This piece is the perfect starting point for a collection and a must-have for any serious watch enthusiast.
The case is 6.0 serial, which would indicate a very late production in 1979, which is very late for a 1601. Yet the case doesnt bear any evidence of it being a servie case as the typography of the engraving is the same as early 70's examples. It's not certain when exactly the production ended for the references 160x, the latest examples we've seen so far were from 1978. Some people suggest that the production of these references could have lasted until 1980 even though the first 160xx went out of factory in late 1977. It's well known amongst Rolex collectors that many references overlapped in production especially during transition periods.