Vintage Rolex Explorer 1016

[Jeannie]

After sizing my new Seiko last Friday, my jeweler brought this little beauty out to show me. He says his dad bought it between 1965 and 1967 while stationed in Vietnam and wore it through the war.

It's not currently running and the bracelet is long gone, but it looks in reasonable shape cosmetically otherwise. He has passed it to his son but it's really been sitting in a drawer since it's not running and neither is interested in shelling out the needed costs or effort to get it that way. He admits he's not really a watch guy beyond sizing bracelets.

I have no way of knowing what's wrong with the innards. I did recommend a couple of watchmakers that specialize in vintage Rolex and I certainly hope at some point it gets the love and care it's crying out for. I'm a sucker for an heirloom watch and one with a story like this should be treasured.

I did tell him it was worth the service / repair costs and then some. I'm figuring that it's probably in the $6-8k range as long as the movement is salvageable. If so, I think I can convince him to send it to Arlington or Los Angeles.

Enough talk, here's the quick picture I snapped with my iPhone when he sat it on the counter. I'm a poor photographer under the best of conditions and those were not the best of conditions, so apologies for the image quality.



And yes, I did have an almost overwhelming desire to rescue it. But, of course, it needs to stay with its family.

Jeannie

[Blanchy]

That looks ro be in really good shape. Hopefully he sends it to be fixed

[Nokie]

It looks like it have alot of potential.

[Imitation of Life]

Case looks sharp. Hope he doesn't have it polished.

[Martin]

I would have made him a $2k offer
Seriously, the watch is worth getting restored, in a sense that it's running again.

[whatmeworry]

I'd love to see after pics of that one if he does get it restored.

[Jeannie]

I'd love to see after pics of that one if he does get it restored.

I will ask. When last I talked to him, he said they had decided it was worth a sympathetic restoration.

Jeannie

[Matt]

If I'm honest, precisely that Rolex is the only one that will not let go After the trainwreck that was the James Bond's watch threads, when I was still about as furious as the internet has ever got me, Eric (Eptaz) over at the old place sold me an Air KIng which was in all but dial Identical to the 34mm predecessor to the 1016 Explorer for a price that still feels like a gift, but was probably closer to a consolation prize:



I have built the slightly infamous Omlex using the correct Rolex case and hands I prefer:



And bought a few watches that are direct competition, but while the Omlex has turned out to be one of my favourite watches, it's one of those cases of an itch that isn't going to be scratched any other way.

Now if I'd recognised that early on, I could have picked up an explorer when their prices were still sane, but now they are not and while I can afford it, I really can't justify it, because it's a lot of money to pay for an iconic dial and handset in a watch that would otherwise cost around a thousand quid. So I'm speechless that Jeannie just passed up what might have been an opportunity to give a loving home to a distressed watch - that I could have wheedled out of her eventually...

[Jeannie]

To be fair, Matt, the watch wasn't for sale and I doubt I could have changed his mind. Whether it is ever restored or not, it clearly has sentimental value to the family.

When I mentioned the overwhelming desire to rescue it, I was thinking more along the lines of a grab and run.

Jeannie

[gnuyork]

Wowza! Nice one.