Vintage time – Rolex 1601 Datejust

The Rolex 1601 may be one of the most underestimated vintage models. When compared with sports models such as the 1680, 5513 or the 1675, the 1601 has a way lower price tag and it is a very good entry-level vintage Rolex.

 

 

When we speak of vintage Rolex watches, we sometimes pay too much attention on the sports models and the value they fetch in auctions. In fact, if you want to complete your vintage look, the 1601 can be a way more appropriate choice than a vintage Submariner. A real vintage watch should remind the wearer of the age in which the watch was produced. The 1601 can do just that.



 

As one of the most iconic and classic designs from Rolex, the Datejust 1601 is offered in a 36mm stainless steel case. Unlike a vintage Submariner or a GMT, a vintage Datejust is often felt to be less modern and more a “Grandpa’s watch”. However, when you are trying to look for a vintage watch, you have to bear in mind that you are not looking for something modern. That is also the interesting point about vintage watches. They are like a huge time machine that brings you style not of today.

 

 

At 36mm, the dimension is just about right for vintage style. Watches were smaller as people had smaller wrists than today. The 1601 offers you many different dial options. One of our favorite dial is the linen style dial. However, like the 1803 we introduced earlier, dials that have developed certain hue because of time are more attractive. A greyish silver dial can be very elegant with the fluted bezel, an acrylic crystal and a nice calf strap.

 

 

 

Speaking of the strap, it is another interesting point about the 1601. Just like the 1803, a dressy Rolex always gives you a lot of possibilities. You can pair the 1601 with a calf strap or on dressier occasions, an alligator strap. Other choices include leather Nato straps and bund straps which are equally stylish when used on the 1601.

 

A 1601 without the Jubilee bracelet comes under 20k HKD and no more than 30k with the Jubilee bracelet. It is indeed a very good entry-level vintage Rolex. In the sea of Submariners and GMTs, a dressy Rolex 1601 can make you stand out from the crowd.



 

 



HK Snob

 



HKWF Services

We offer these Services,

1. Sell Parallel important Authentic Rolex BNIB full set at a reasonable price.
2. Handcarry the Watch to Hong Kong, Macao,  Philippines and soon Singapore without additional Charges.
3. We sell pre-owned Rolex, AP, PP, VCM Cartier, etc
4. We sell BNIB JLC, IWC, Zenith, AP and PP.
5. We take Custom order on Painting your Rolex dial with your own Design on the Dial. We take order for DLC coating your Rolex at a very Reasonable price with Highest Quality.
6. We order Special Dial Rolex at Rolex SA Switzerland
7. We escort you to buy BNIB Full Set Rolex at AD in Hong Kong with 10% discount with card, charges only HK$500-800 each watch depends on price of the watch.
8. We welcome watch sale Promotion at our site, commission base.


Please Whatsapp for more

HK Snob

HKWF Parallel Import Watches

 

We do Parallel Import Rolex Watches, these are some of them I am about to ship to customers/friend. tomorrow.

GMT Master II Batman Ref 116710BLNR
DeepSea SeaDweller Ref 116600
Date Just Ref 116234


HK Snob

Exploring the Rolex Explorer II models

Last week, we looked into the models of the Rolex Explorer I. If the Explorer I is too simple for you, you may want to get yourself an Explorer II, which is only a little more expensive than the Explorer I and comes with a little more on functions.

 

 

 

 

 

1. Rolex 16570

 

 

 

The 40mm 16570 has a red GMT hand which indicates whether it is the morning of the night. It is important for explorers to know that. Earlier 16570 still has tritium dials while later ones have superluminova on them. Lug holes are also only found on earlier models. Used ones retail for 30k to 37k HKD for both black and white dial. However, I do recommend buying the white dial version as it has a cleaner and simpler feeling on the dial. The proportion of the dial,hands and case is also more balanced than the new 216570.

2. Rolex 16550

 

 

 

3. Rolex 216570

 

 

 

 

The 42mm 216570 is the newest member of the Explorer II family. It is almost a re -edition of the vintage 1655 with an orange 24hour hand. On the black dial version, the hands are poorly proportioned and the hands are too short. Aesthetically, it is not as appealing as it predecessor. A 216570 sells for around 49.5k HKD BNIB and around 42K for used ones.

 

Please give us your views on which Explorer II you would like to have most and we will prepare one of the voters a small gift. Do vote and get lucky.

 

HK Snob



 

 

 



 

 

 

Rare Rolex Day Date Ref. 18208 with "Ferrite" Dial

 

 

Rolex Ref. 18208 Day Date in 18KT Yellow gold with Smooth bezel, a rare "Ferrite" dial with bracelet of rare rivet oyster design.

Note this is all ORIGINAL watch, dial and bracelet of Ref 18208.

A-series, just been rolled off from SVC with Service paper. It comes with Box.

Asking HKD$155,000

HK Snob

A Lange & Sohne 2016 Saxonia Moonphase

 

What does the name A Lange remind you of?
Haute horology?
Lange 1?
Super expensive?

A Lange has always been famous for its delicate finishing of the movement, the case and the dial. German silver, gold chatons and 3/4 plate are some of the most prominent features. In 2016 SIHH, Lange released an entry-level Saxonia model- the Saxonia Moonphase Automatic.
 

 

 



When one thinks of entry-level Lange watches, one may turn his eyes upon the 1815 models, which are characterized by the Arabic numbers on the hour markers. The 1815 line features hand-wound movement while the Saxonia line features automatic movements.

 

 

 

In the new Saxonia Moonphase, two of Lange’s most prominent features are there, the outsized big date and the moonphase. When flipped over, the watch shows you a movement that is very well decorated. You can see the hand-engraved balance cock , the 3/4 German silver plate with Geneve stripes on which jewels and a gold chaton are found. On top of everything is a very finely decorated gilded rotor. It has a power reserve of 70 hours. It is a pity that the movement does not feature a solid gold rotor at this price range.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lange has always been attentive to details. Look how well made the gold rotor is. The beautiful moon phase indicator disc is solid blued-gold and is laser cut to display "no fewer than" 852 stars and moons. The pink gold version is especially attractive as the color combinations of pink gold, white dial and the blue lunar disc are so harmonious. With the outsized date windows, it is a dressy, elegant and yet vivid watch.

 

The watch retails at around $280000 hkd. With say 27% off , it can make a very good-value entry-level Lange – a brand on the path towards haute horology.

 

HK Snob

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





Piaget 18KT Manual Winding Dress watch

 

 

A Pre-owned Piaget 18KT dress watch, with tiger eye stone as dial. 

HK$22,800


HK Snob

How to make your watches more special by pairing them with different watch straps?

Walking on the streets of Hong Kong, you often see people wearing the watch you are wearing. However, you may not have enough to buy a limited edition of some sort or a full gold Rolex. So, how can you sport your Rolex in a different way than others? Putting them on straps can be a cool idea.

 

1.      Leather Nato straps

It is quite common for us to wear our Rolexes on Nato straps. However, it is important to choose leather Nato as nylon Nato will make your watch look cheap. Leather Nato straps, on the other hand, are thicker and can well support your watch without looking loose. It is a way more elegant choice.

 

 

2.      Bund strap

The bund strap was used by jet fighter pilots to prevent electric shock. Today, it has become a trend. Paul Newman wore his Daytona on an alligator bund strap. John Mayer and David Beckham also wear their Rolexes on bund straps.

 

 

 

 

 

Doesn’t it make you stand out from the crowd? A bund strap is indeed very stylish.

 

Putting your watches on different straps can keep your watches fresh and make you stand out from others. In the next episode, we will talk about more on strap materials. Please keep tuning in.

 

HK Snob



 

 



A comparison of the models of the Rolex Explorer I

Rolex has in 2016 updated the 214270 Explorer I. The Explorer I is a very good entry-level model for many.

 

However, there are three references that can be confusing to some of us. The 14270, the 114270 and the 214270 are all one can consider when looking for an Explorer I. Let’s have an in-depth look at them.

 

1.      The Rolex 14270

 

 

 

As the successor of the ref 1016 Explorer, it was produced from 1989 to 2001. At 36mm, the watch has a Caliber 3000 movement. It has white gold markers filled with tritium and 3,6,9 numerals. From around 1998, Superluminova replaced tritium as the filling materials of the markers and the hands. A used 14270 is around 20-30k HKD. (the older the better condition more expensive!)

 

2.      The Rolex 114270

 

 

 

Produced from 2001 to 2010, this watch has a different movement than the 14270. It has a Caliber 3130 movement. Also, the bracelet has solid end links. The overall aesthetics did not change much. It still has a 36mm case. Price wise, a used 114270 is around 25k-30k HKD.

3.      The Rolex 214270

 

 

 

Introduced in 2010 and updated in 2016, this is the reference where more drastic changes have taken place. The 214270 has a larger 39mm case. It has a Cal 3132 movement. The bracelet has the Oysterlock and Easylink for length adjustment. The updated 2016 version has a longer minute hand and a longer hour hand. Also, Superluminova is not filled into the 3,6,9 markers so that they can now glow at night.

 

 

 

If you ask me which is best? I like 14270 or even earlier one, then the latest Ref. 214270 2016 Version.

 

Good news starting last week HK has the latest 214270 stock, though the supply is still limited.

 

 

 

HK Snob

Pre-owned Rolex Sea Dweller Ref 16600 on sale.

 

F series Rolex Sea Dweller Ref.16600 Unpolished, Keep Excellent time., No Hole.

With Warranty paper. No Box

 

HK$43,500

 

HK Snob



Vintage Time- Rolex Ref 1803

Vintage watches are still in vogue today thanks to a lot of stars and celebrities wearing them. Vintage Rolexes are here to stay. We have brought to you some of the more popular vintage sports models. Let’s also take a look at the ref that is gaining popularity - the Day Date 1803.

 

 

 

 

 

Modern Day-Dates sell for more than 150kHKD. If you want to get the newest Day-Date 40, you have to pay over 200kHKD. However, going vintage can be a good idea if you want a taste of the Rolex Day-Date.



 

 

A Day-Date 1803 yellow gold sells for around 100k on President Bracelet. Without the bracelet, it sells for around 50k. Paying that amount of money to get a solid gold Rolex is not a bad deal. The 1803 features an acrylic crystal which is domed in shape. At 36mm, the watch offers many versions of dials. The more interesting dials are those which have aged to obtain a certain hue of other colors.

 

 

You can pair your 1803 with different straps for different styles. While dial variations are very interesting to play with, a 1803 will certainly stand out in a forest of sports models. There are also special dials such as the Stella enamel dials and the gem stone dials. They are very good choices to pair with your vintage style clothes.



 

 







 

 

Picking up a 1803 now is a good choice as its price is still lower than it should be. Nobody knows when the price of it will increase drastically after one of the stars wear them and starts the hype.

 

Remarks

A Stella Dial Day-Date is a rare example of a 1970s watch that came with a colored, hard enamel dial.  They came in a variety of rich, bright colors.

They are solid enamel, they are prone to cracking, so perfect examples are quite rare.  Over the past few years, they have become rather popular, and valuable, with some examples hitting the $30,000 at auction, though we should say the average Stella dial sells below $20,000.  Collectors often put these enamel dial Presidents on matching leather straps.



HK Snob

To gold or not to gold – The Rolex Daytona

How much are you willing to pay to be extraordinary? I am talking about your watches. A Rolex Daytona is not rare scenery in Hong Kong. You can see a lot of people wearing the same watch in the MTR or in the restaurant you dine in. When two men walk past each other on the street in Hong Kong, the battle starts instantly. The battle is about your looks, which are based on your clothes, your sneakers and most importantly, your watch. To become superior, going gold may well be your choice.

 

Here are some of HKWF’s recommendations of the Rolex Daytona – not in stainless steel

 

1.      Rolex 116508 Green Dial

 

 

The new 2016 Rolex yellow gold Daytona will leave you breathless and your potential competitors impressed. The watch has a very sharp sunburst green dial with red accents next to every hour marker. Also, the sub-dials are surrounded by red rings which complement with the green color very well. With the color of Rolex on a yellow gold Rolex cult icon that now has the accuracy rate of +2/-2 per day, what more can you ask for? It also has a new-style tachymeter bezel that has been used only on rose gold, white gold and Daytonas of precious metals on straps. To get one green dial 116508, you have to have around HKD200k. It will be worth your money.

 

 

 

 

2.      Used yellow gold 16528

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

Do not want to pay a premium for a yellow gold Rolex? No

Problem. At below 150kHKD, you can always find a 16528

ellow gold Daytona in good condition. It has a movement

modified from the famous Zenith El Primero movement and

has less shiny sub-dials than the newer 116528.

 

 

 

 

On the wrist, from a layman’s view, it looks like you are wearing a 200k+ Daytona.

 

3.      Rolex 116515 (new or used)

 

 

Want a ceramic bezel but want it not on the new steel 116500ln? The rose gold 116505 may well be your choice. As the ref has been out there for quite some time, you can get a bnib 116505 with some discounts or get a used one at a fairly reasonable and affordable price. What you are getting is a rose gold Daytona with a  brown ceramic bezel on a nicely made alligator strap. The price? Bnib 116515 costs you around 160k HKD while used ones cost you around 120k-130K HKD.

5.      Used Rolex 116509

 

 

 

Afraid of yellow gold? Want something more understated? You should get your hands on any used Rolex white gold 116509 Daytona. It will cost you around 140kHKD. If you want to impress, do try to save up for the diamond paved dial. Your watch will shine like a star under any proper lighting.

 



 



Some of us always hold a negative attitude towards yellow gold watches. However, a yellow gold watch is always there to catch your attention. If you can afford one, it is never a bad thing to wear one.

 

 

 

 

Usher wearing a 116528 Paul Newman dial

 

 

Rolex 116528 worn by actress model Brooklyn Decker.

 

HK Snob