ROLEX Submariner ref.16800 / Matte Dial, No Lume Surrounds, 82xxxxx

Ref.16800 was born in 1980 as the second Submariner Date.

This example is one of the early ref.16800 watches, with no metal surrounds on the lume plots.

The dial is a matte black with little damage.

Tritium lume burnt to cream gives it a fine vintage character.

Appearing during a period of change at Rolex, this model brought in a number of specification changes that are carried forward into the modern Submariner.

The crystal changed from plastic to sapphire, and the specification rose from the previous ref.1680's 200m water resistance to 300m.

The movement changed from the Cal.1570 (19,800 vph) to the high-beat Cal.3035 (28,800 vph), achieving higher accuracy.

The Cal.3035 also has a quick-change date function, which improved usability dramatically.

The bezel gained a unidirectional mechanism to prevent misreading, and from around 1985 the dial's luminous indexes were given metal surrounds.

Ref.16800 is the model that inherited the simple, unwasteful design of a diver's watch while evolving, through innovative new technology, into a working watch with both function and usability.

With the bracelet's extension closed the wrist size is 16.5cm, opening to 21.5cm.

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