Red 1680 vintage question

[GMTSpas]

I am on the verge of purchasing a nice example of a red 1680 through a reputable vintage dealer. My only hang up is coming from research I’ve done on the forum discussing durability of some of these watches. I want to be able to wear the watch daily and enjoy it. It’s been pressure tested and is running COSC. I’ve heard the acrylic can crack at anytime and that swimming might not be a smart idea. Does anyone have experience with wearing a vintage 1680 as a daily driver? Not sure I want to only wear the watch special occasions. Any feedback would be great!

[GMTSpas]

Thank you for moving this to vintage discussion, sorry I posted this in general!! Any help would be great

[1675-David]

If it's pressure tested and the crystal is new then swimming shouldn't be a problem but... a new dial is not an off the shelf component that is easily swapped out at by your AD. I use mine as a daily and has been on my wrist throughout a major house project that I'm building these last 3 years, and is with me every day in my workshop where I work with my hands using power tools and machinery...

[tjbender]

Is a vintage 1680 as solid as lets say a new explorer II? Absolutely not. However, pending the watch is as described, you'll have no issues wearing it for daily use. The original bracelet would have been a 9315 but many people opt to replace for a 93150 as it's more rugged. That's the route I'd go as well. All this said, I wouldn't be comfortable swimming with it. There are better tools for that job that are far less expensive. Hope that helps.

[swish77]

Properly serviced (gaskets, replacement/service crystal, crown, etc ...) a 1680 or any vintage Rolex should be able to withstand anything for which it was originally designed. I wear a 6263 all of the time without any concerns (although I baby it).

As far as swimming with a 1680, again, properly serviced it should be fine. The question is, do you want to risk it? I'd take a modern dive watch into the pool/ocean, but not any of my vintage watches, even though they could probably handle it.

[tjbender]

Originally Posted by 1675-David

If it's pressure tested and the crystal is new then swimming shouldn't be a problem but... a new dial is not an off the shelf component that is easily swapped out at by your AD. I use mine as a daily and has been on my wrist throughout a major house project that I'm building these last 3 years, and is with me every day in my workshop where I work with my hands using power tools and machinery...

While a dial is a replaceable part, you'll be hard pressed to find a replacement red sub dial under $10K if/when you find one. Even service red sub dials are in the $5K range and are becoming much harder to come by. There are stories of people successfully getting them from Rolex but it sounds like a very hard/lengthy process. You're better off getting a modern Rolex if you're looking to swim with it.

[Racer X]

I agree that the watch "should" be fine if recently serviced. Personally, however, I don't swim with my vintage watches as it's a risk and these are valuable time pieces. I would hate to find out the hard way that the watch wasn't really ready for a dive and it would really be a shame if I ruined my red sub's dial because of water ingress. So, I use my 16610 for water work.

To me, it's similar to owning a vintage car. I drive and enjoy them, but I wouldn't use them as a daily driver or for a really long road trip because they're old, more likely to break, and expensive to fix.

In the end, you need to decide for yourself how much risk you're comfortable with. It's your watch!

[GMTSpas]

Originally Posted by Racer X

I agree that the watch "should" be fine if recently serviced. Personally, however, I don't swim with my vintage watches as it's a risk and these are valuable time pieces. I would hate to find out the hard way that the watch wasn't really ready for a dive and it would really be a shame if I ruined my red sub's dial because of water ingress. So, I use my 16610 for water work.

To me, it's similar to owning a vintage car. I drive and enjoy them, but I wouldn't use them as a daily driver or for a really long road trip because they're old, more likely to break, and expensive to fix.

In the end, you need to decide for yourself how much risk you're comfortable with. It's your watch!

What about just wearing to an old boring office job everyday?

[dat_watch]

Originally Posted by GMTSpas

What about just wearing to an old boring office job everyday?

That would be perfectly fine, I suspect this is what most of us do. The main advice for wearing any vintage watch would be: don't get it wet if it's not been tested and don't drop it.

[SOG DIVER]

While good advice costs nothing, ultimately it will be your wear decision- if you purchase the watch.
I am the original owner of a 1969 red 1680 Submariner, and it has been through more than I care to recount. Keep it serviced with all gaskets new and intact-regularly pressure tested. Make a friend out of a vintage-capable Rolex service watchmaker.
My 1680 was on a couple of real SCUBA dives in 2017, probably the last for awhile.

The real danger can be with the small error of an unscrewed crown-49 years hard service and no errors or omissions. Treat it like a usable expensive Rolex.

[Styles Bitchley]

Mine was daily until recently. Never had an issue swimming, diving, whatever. Keep it serviced and it will serve you well.


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[fusionstorm]

I’ve been wearing mine almost daily for the past 7 years, though I’m not involved in a blue collar profession nor any dangerous pastimes. I wouldn’t allow it anywhere near bodies of water.

[Swearengen]

Its fine for daily use, just don't get it wet. There are been some near disasters involving paddling pools