Manufacturer: Rolex Year: Circa 1979 Reference No: 1680 Movement No: D’896’775 Case No: 5’861’209 Model Name: Submariner Material: 18K yellow gold Calibre: Automatic, cal. 1570, 26 jewels Bracelet/Strap: 18K yellow gold Rolex Oyster bracelet with diver’s extension, max overall length 217mm Clasp/Buckle: 18K yellow gold Rolex deployant clasp, stamped D Dimensions: 39mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement, and bracelet signed. Accessories: Accompanied by Rolex punched guarantee paper dated October 15th, 1979, product literature, envelope, leather wallet, polishing cloth, wax hang tag, fitted inner presentation box, and outer box.
Catalogue Essay
As the first Rolex sports watch to be cased in luxurious 18K yellow gold, beginning in 1969, the Submariner reference 1680 became a symbol of opulence for those with the means. Offered with the option for either black dial / black bezel or blue dial / blue bezel, it was the first step towards the decadent combinations we come to expect from Rolex today.
Not on the table as an option, however, was purple. Due to a paint defect, exposure to certain elements causes some examples to “tropicalize” and turn from blue to purple. The dial fitted to this specific watch glimmers with golden specks and has uniformly aged to a deep violet.
The present 1680 in 18K yellow gold is fitted with a so-called “nipple” dial (or “bicchierini”, Italian for “little cups”), for the conical gold markers with a small lume-filled opening at the top. Though the earliest gold Submariners are characterized by a “meters first” dial, beginning around the 2.4 million serial number. Later, the designation was reversed and subsequent dials would be printed “feet first”, like the present watch which bears a 5.8 million serial number.
With a well-preserved case, and accompanied by its original punched guarantee papers, this so-called “Purple Haze” gold Submariner is sure to impress on the wrist, whether lounging seaside or in the boardroom.
Founded in 1905 England by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis as Wilsdorf & Davis, it soon became known as the Rolex Watch Company in 1915, moving its headquarters to Geneva in 1919. Like no other company, the success of the wristwatch can be attributed to many of Rolex's innovations that made them one of the most respected and well-known of all luxury brands. These innovations include their famous "Oyster" case — the world's first water resistant and dustproof watch case, invented in 1926 — and their "Perpetual" — the first reliable self-winding movement for wristwatches launched in 1933. They would form the foundation for Rolex's Datejust and Day-Date, respectively introduced in 1945 and 1956, but also importantly for their sports watches, such as the Explorer, Submariner and GMT-Master launched in the mid-1950s.
One of its most famous models is the Cosmograph Daytona. Launched in 1963, these chronographs are without any doubt amongst the most iconic and coveted of all collectible wristwatches. Other key collectible models include their most complicated vintage watches, including references 8171 and 6062 with triple calendar and moon phase, "Jean Claude Killy" triple date chronograph models and the Submariner, including early "big-crown" models and military-issued variants.
