Lapis dial gold Sub!

[Boopie]

I just saw this on Rolexpassionmarket.com: a gold Submariner, reference 16618, made in 1991, with a lapis dial. I’ve never seen or even heard of one of these. $145k seems like an unbelievably huge premium on this watch for the dial. Apparently this is the ultimate “Bluesy.”

Does anyone know the history? How many of these exist?

https://rolexpassionmarket.com/watch...tch-ref-16618/

[peterpl]

WOW

Absolutely amazing!! I would love to own that.

[JoeyT]

That is a beautiful watch but that price is insane

[BNA/LION]

Beauty!

[214270Explorer]

No way that is worth any 145K; I don't care how "rare" it may be or how many were made.
That price is just outrageous.
It's just a watch.

[peterpl]

Originally Posted by 214270Explorer

No way that is worth any 145K; I don't care how "rare" it may be or how many were made.
That price is just outrageous.
It's just a watch.

Thats what ppl are saying for other various models that sell for 500k+ or $1m+

It will sell for that price or close to it. I've never ever seen that dial and not in videos/instagram posts/facebook - nowhere.

Its very very very rare piece. We are not talking mass produced watches like the Hulk or Batman that has been in production for 10+ years - this one would be very limited run and dial colors for the lapis dials.

[GreenLantern]

It's too bad Rolex doesn't make any more special dials these days (for their larger sport watches), except meteorite.

[77T]

A puzzling set of papers. Appears it was sold as pre-owned in 11/1999 for almost $19K (which was par for a standard used 16618 at the time).

Then on same day a $23K Appraisal was done - which was what I figure a new Lapis Dial 16618 MSRP would have been then.

So how would this otherwise normal 18K Sub attain a value that’s so far above a $25K 16618 or an exotic dialed 1680 fetching $75-80K?


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[HogwldFLTR]

Is RPR really a good gauge? I've read them before but to me it's not a major auction house (Phillips, Sotheby's...) and their valuations could seem inflated. But the market is inflated in general and people are looking for bargains and unique pieces. Hell, a diamond dial Platona is in the same range.

[envuks]

I remember almost buying a lapis 16618 long ago for under $20k. I ended up passing. These have shot up exponentially over the past few years as collectors are hungry for any nuanced / special Rolex product.


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[Etschell]

Originally Posted by 214270Explorer

No way that is worth any 145K; I don't care how "rare" it may be or how many were made.
That price is just outrageous.
It's just a watch.

while i agree this one probably sold north of 100k

https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=800520

[Highend7]

That's an outrageous price for a watch but then again that's my point of view considering what I can afford...

But generally, I think it looks really nice.

[Boopie]

Originally Posted by 77T

A puzzling set of papers. Appears it was sold as pre-owned in 11/1999 for almost $19K (which was par for a standard used 16618 at the time).

Then on same day a $23K Appraisal was done - which was what I figure a new Lapis Dial 16618 MSRP would have been then.

So how would this otherwise normal 18K Sub attain a value that’s so far above a $25K 16618 or an exotic dialed 1680 fetching $75-80K?


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I do totally agree that it is extraordinarily expensive, especially given the initial retail price, but this whole market seems crazy to me.

Another TRF-er (sorry, forgot who) posted on another thread that he had a vintage muscle/sports car that he listed for an outrageous price, and someone came along and bought it because it happened to be the buyer’s birth year.

I guess all it takes is for one super-wealthy person to want it, because it’s so beautiful and rare, and buy it at that price. This is still (relatively) less expensive than a “Platona” or a Nautilus on the secondary market (but of course those started with much higher retail prices), but more rare.

Does anyone have any idea how many of these were made?

[77T]

I would imagine as many as Rolex forecasted would be special ordered each year.

Maybe between 100-1000 but no real way to know.

I don’t think it was a “floorplan combination” in the Submariner line in the 1990’s.


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[garyk]

Wonderful watch. I’ll take a Meteorite Daytona thank you very much!

[Rashid.bk]

Originally Posted by 214270Explorer

No way that is worth any 145K; I don't care how "rare" it may be or how many were made.
That price is just outrageous.
It's just a watch.

I think it’s reasonable. A stainless steel 5711 that really isn’t rare is selling for the same numbers just because.
At least this is gold and the dial is incredible.

What an amazing watch and condition.

[Rashid.bk]

Originally Posted by garyk

Wonderful watch. I’ll take a Meteorite Daytona thank you very much!

But right after my post I read this……..and yeah, I agree very much.

[77T]

I don’t think a 16618 to 5711 is an apt comparo.

If a 5711 was priced at 1.5x of the going rate for 5711’s then one might say it was over priced.

That’s what most people are saying about this 16618 the OP linked to.


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[Off Script]

Hot damn that's sharp! But 145K , I don't know about that.

If they made this today I might be tempted to swap my sunburst blue.

[Fleetlord]

This could qualify as a solid grail watch. They rarely come up for sale and only when an individual chooses to let one hit the market.

Price is almost irrelevant with a piece like this. Could sell for 5x estimate with no concern from buyer whatsoever. It’s harder to find than fund…that rockets the price to the moon!

[roadie1]

That’s one gorgeous bluesy!

[ltmgeller]

Beautiful

[s7horton]

I didn’t know they made that. I love it. I wonder how different it looks in person. The price is insane as is any vintage niche piece right now.

[Jackie Daytona]

There was one for sale here very recently as well. Might be the same one.