A stainless steel and eighteen carat gold Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust reference 16233. This example has the classic champagne dial with 'stick' markers and a fine black printed chapter ring running around the edge. These dials are very beautiful with a slightly softer hue to the gold. This wears well for people that enjoy wearing white metal as well as gold. All original lume plots are in tact as well as in the hands, and are not re-finished.
The dial is stamped "T Swiss T" at the six o'clock position, meaning that it contains tritium luminous material. This material replaced the highly dangerous, and radioactive Radium in 1963. Just like radium, tritium was also radioactive; however, it came with a much lower level of radiation and a much shorter half-life. While tritium was exponentially safer than radium, it only had a half-life of twelve years. This meant that after just a few decades, only a tiny fraction of the initial luminescence would remain. Additionally, as tritium ages, the color changes, which creates often beautiful, and highly sought after patinas on the luminous markers on these older Rolex watches. Tritium was far from perfect, which lead Rolex to search for a better alternative, which happened in 1998 with the introduction of Luminova. The Tritium in this case is all original to the dial, is in perfect condition with every lume plot in tact and in perfect condition. The color is a very beautiful warm latté color, and the same for the hands. All of which respond the same under ultra violet light.
The watch is powered by a Rolex, Swiss made, twenty seven jewel automatic calibre 3035 movement that powered all of the acrylic crystal Datejust quick set date models, such as this. These models can be told apart from one another as they do not have the earlier, characteristic, 'pie pan' style dial. They have the newly designed completely flat dials. Otherwise, they look very similar to their early 1603 predecessors.
This case has the spring bar holes exposed from the side; a 'holes' case, which was phased out around the early 2000's. The watch is fitted to its original Rolex Jubilee stainless steel and eighteen carat gold bracelet with five removable links in place, which, if needed, can be removed to make the bracelet smaller. The clasp is stamped "O12" for the twelfth month of 1990 production. There is a little sag to it, but nothing out of place from thirty three years of careful wear.
The watch was made circa 1985 with serial number E592XXXX. The watch is in excellent condition throughout, showing signs of light polishing to case. However, the case is very strong, with thick lugs. The watch comes with its original punched Rolex papers, Datejust and Oyster brochures, wallet, calendar, wax seal tag and Rolex Datejust green hang tag, outer box and inner box and even extra links. There is also an extensive Rolex service history that accompanies this watch. It is one of the best, most well preserved watches we have handled in many years.
The Datejust is perhaps one of the most produced models by Rolex, but examples like this are hard to come by, and in this condition, even more so. This watch came from the original owner who cared deeply for it, but no longer wore it, and was ready to let it move on to a new, deserving home.
