THE ESSENTIALS

MAKE: ROLEX
MODEL: 1680
YEAR: 1976
BOX/PAPERS: YES/YES
CASE DIAMETER: 40MM
CASE MATERIAL: STAINLESS STEEL
BRACELET MATERIAL: STAINLESS STEEL
MOVEMENT: AUTOMATIC

The Rolex Submariner 1680 has long been held in high regard amongst aficionados and collectors worldwide, The 1680 was, after all, the first of the Submariners to incorporate a date function, a simple yet groundbreaking feature. This singular attribute effectively bridged the gap between the practicality of a tool watch and the prestige of a status symbol.

From its inception in 1967 until 1975/76, these timepieces were affectionately known as the "Red Subs", a nod to the distinctive red lettering on their dials. Six dial configurations emerged during this period, further diversifying the collection. Between 1976 and 1979, the 1680 evolved once again, presenting white text across three different dial variants known as the MK1/2 and 3 white.

The present example is a MK1 variant from 1976 (one of the earliest white 1680s) and a wonderful example - the dial and hands have a pale cream hue whilst the Mk3 bezel has ghosted beautifully. We put the watch on a True Dome crystal. The case remains nice and thick with signs of polishing in the past  The fully linked 93150 bracelet, although the correct type, is coded MA11, dating back to 2005. 

The watch comes with its inner and outer box, wallet, calendar and punched US papers showing the sale in 1978 and the papers leaving the factory (according to cypher) in Apr 1977. The movement after a recent service runs superbly at -1 s/d, 280 amps, with a 0.3 ms beat error.