Why there are so few 1973 subs?

[Poohsan]

Well I attended the NAWCC show this weekend. Going into the show I new finding a 1973 Sub or GMT would difficult, which turned out to be correct as I returned home empty handed. On the positive sided I did get to try on many vintage Rolex models and ask a lot of questions.

I’ve been looking for only a short while but I have noticed something interesting. It seems that there are plenty of pre and post 1973 sports watches but not a lot of 1973 models, (serial numbers 3523678 – 3741300).

This makes me wonder if there was something going on economically which affected sales and production in 1973.

One dealer suggested that the reason there are so few 1680 Subs for this period is that people are converting the non reds to reds in order increase their value.

I’ll open up to the TRF why there are so few 1973 subs.

- Arron

[Tools]

Where did you come up with your numbers for a "1973" model ........ ?

That is a spread of only ~217,000 watches, probably a fraction of their yearly production back then.... but since they don't actually release production data, you may be unnecessarily restricting your search.

Go to a chart and look at the 1972 serial, and go to the 1974 serial.... the numbers in between those could all be 1973 models..

[Black Knight]

I blame Richard Milhous Nixon.

[Poohsan]

Originally Posted by Tools

Where did you come up with your numbers for a "1973" model ........ ?

That is a spread of only ~217,000 watches, probably a fraction of their yearly production back then.... but since they don't actually release production data, you may be unnecessarily restricting your search.

Go to a chart and look at the 1972 serial, and go to the 1974 serial.... the numbers in between those could all be 1973 models..

I'm using www.oysterworld.de for the reference numbers.

[Tools]

Originally Posted by Poohsan

I'm using www.oysterworld.de for the reference numbers.

Alright...

But you are reading those numbers as absolutes..which they are not....

If you look at the '72 and the '74 numbers you will see that there are 100's of thousands of numbers unaccounted for on both sides..

Any list of serials is just a compilation of numbers where somebody has said "I bought this serial on such and such a date." and then bang, it gets put on a chart.

Rolex has never released manufacturing serial number data....never.. And they do not release watches sequentially.. in other words, on release, 5xxxx may be in the system before 2xxxx, or 9xxxx may come before 6xxxx etc..

So, if you are looking for a "73, without paperwork which would only have a "sold on" date not a "manufactured on" date, you can easily go a 100,000 numbers on either side of listed dates and still be just as likely to have a '73 manufacture as not.

[KJacques]

Originally Posted by Poohsan

I’ve been looking for only a short while but I have noticed something interesting. It seems that there are plenty of pre and post 1973 sports watches but not a lot of 1973 models, (serial numbers 3523678 – 3741300).

This makes me wonder if there was something going on economically which affected sales and production in 1973.

One dealer suggested that the reason there are so few 1680 Subs for this period is that people are converting the non reds to reds in order increase their value.

I’ll open up to the TRF why there are so few 1973 subs.

- Arron

Is it a fact that there are less 1973 subs or are you just having trouble finding one? I have a 73-74 355xxx red sub and remember looking at them back then and they seemed plentiful to me at the time.

[Poohsan]

Originally Posted by KJacques

Is it a fact that there are less 1973 subs or are you just having trouble finding one? I have a 73-74 355xxx red sub and remember looking at them back then and they seemed plentiful to me at the time.

No it was not fact just speculation, based on my attempts to find one at this moment.