It won’t happen often but every once in a while as a watch collector you will run into something genuinely rare and special. I’ve been fortunate in my relatively brief years in the hobby to have more than my fair share of these moments. But the one watch that arguably stands out for pure Wow! factor is this early solid 18k gold reference 1680 Rolex Submariner:

Now there is nothing particularly uber-rare about an acrylic crystal “Nipple” dial gold Submariner, although they are not all that easy to come by. But what made this example really special and drew me to it is that the dial was meters-first, which is very uncommon in a Gold Sub. Rolex manufactured the Submariner line for 15 years before they decided to make a version in gold. (This despite the fact that they had always produced a GMT-Master in solid gold from the beginning of that reference in 1955. Who knows with Rolex?) But from it’s introduction at the Basel watch fair in 1954, the Submariner was only available in stainless steel. Also notable is that their dials had always had the proud depth rating with the metric measurement of 200 meters first. Furthermore, no Submariner had ever been produced with a date complication. But in 1969, Rolex was about to change all of these things. 

They began to transition their Submariner dials with the Imperial depth rating first, i.e. feet-first: 600ft = 200m. And they decided to introduce a very deluxe Sub in 18 carat gold to help debut their brand new date model Submariner, the ref. 1680. Famously and as is well known among Rolex enthusiasts, the original early steel 1680 models had SUBMARINER printed in red. But while the steel 1680 Submariner was produced in relatively large numbers right from the get go and you can find 3 different meters-first dials within the space of about a year and a half (although they’re still not all that common compared with later dial variations), Rolex must have been somewhat reluctant about producing such an expensive gold version because very few meters-first Gold Subs have ever surfaced. When they did ramp up production, they immediately got the feet-first depth rating dial (circa 1970).

Thanks to some great collector friends who had a passion for this watch, I knew just how scarce such a Gold Sub was when when it popped up on my radar about 6 years ago. You see, this watch didn’t just have the great–no, make that perfect–meters-first dial but also a gorgeous thick case with sharp chamfers. (This is something to always try to look for in a Vintage Rolex Sports watch but particularly in a gold one, as they are so prone to be polished down with a heavy loss of the softer metal.) It also had its original bezel insert, a standard thick font Sub insert of the period, while later and at service they would have inserts with gold numerals installed, not silver tone. But wait, there’s more: Testifying to the unmolested state of the watch, it also still had its original Twinlock crown without the iconic 3 dots beneath the Rolex coronet…

Because the watch was produced prior to the advent of the Triplock crown a year or two later, this is how it was meant to be, something that is vitally important in the Vintage Rolex hierarchy. Learn these two words if you want a shortcut to informed Rolex collecting: Period Correct. So far, this watch was definitely all that. But the superpowers on this piece went even further. Just check out that original gold Oyster bracelet with Fliplock diver’s clasp:

The Rolex coronet is on the clasp itself, not on the Fliplock bar, as it would be in later years. And the clasp blade date stamp perfectly matched the 2.1 million serial number of the case:

In fact, on the diver’s extension itself was a rare and period correct inscription, also perfectly matching the case serial:

For in 1969, the diver’s extension was such a new concept pioneered by Rolex–the idea of a bracelet that could expand to fit over a wet suit–that their patent was still under review at the beginning of of the year and only pending, not granted.

So yes, all that added up to one helluva rare and special Rolex and a very special Submariner, one of probably only a dozen or so meters-first Gold Subs still completely in their original configuration. And I enjoyed wearing it immensely and also the accolades of my peers, of course. Who doesn’t like to show off their new pride & joy and just what a clever lad they were to score it.

So what happened and why isn’t it still in my collection these years later? Well… I could tell you that the thrill of the chase is more fun than the capture. But I’d be lying because I love, love, love wearing and owning my watches and this sexy beast was no exception. It really turned me on to the appeal of gold in general and matured me as a collector. Or maybe me maturing made gold more appealing–who knows?

But in the end, it came down to receiving an offer I absolutely could not refuse, “crass” as that may sound. A Canadian friend put me in touch with a French collector (yes, the hobby is definitely that international in the age of the Internet) who simply bowled me over with a massive offer when I was already thinking of realigning my collection. While I paid a small fortune for the meters-first Gold Sub in 2007 from a pro dealer (my credo: find the finest pieces by paying full retail–very savvy!), this fellow was offering more than double that just a few years later. I had a strong feeling that I would never get another offer close to this one–sometimes there really is just one buyer for a particular piece who is willing to go all out for it–and kudos for him for his determination and passion. But I simply could not justify keeping that lovely watch under the allure of all that pretty green persuasion. And so… I took the money and bade au revoir to my golden dream…

I sometimes wonder if I should have kept the watch, although I’m sure I could never sell it for as much again today. Then again, neither I nor anyone else is likely to run into such an unmolested example. It’s possible, sure, but not probable. And there’s something to be said as a collector for having the ne plus ultra of a given reference or model. That really can be a sore temptation to keep a given watch, bragging rights and all that.

But in the end, what I made on the Gold Sub I plowed back into other watches (a big saver or unemotional profit-driven dealer I am not). And that reverse alchemy of turning gold into steel led me to another passionate affair. One that is still going strong, I’m happy to say.

A special watch goes so that another may come–gold or not, it’s simply the collector’s way.

The best place by far to research and talk about Vintage Rolex is the vintagerolexforum.com–hope to see you there.