Manufacturer: Rolex Year: Circa 1976 Reference No: 1680 Movement No: D'424'560 Case No: 4'198'668 Model Name: Submariner "Purple Haze" Material: 18k yellow gold Calibre: Automatic, cal. 1570, 26 jewels Bracelet/Strap: 18K yellow gold Rolex Oyster bracelet, measuring 230mm max Clasp/Buckle: 18K yellow gold deployant clasp and diver's extension Dimensions: 39.5mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed Accessories: Accompanied by Rolex Guarantee and Rolex wallet
Catalogue Essay
Visually arresting and achingly good looking, the present Rolex reference 1680 can only be described as brutally beautiful.
The yellow gold case and blue bezel are a perfect frame for the dial, which originally was blue but turned purple with time. In fact, the blue is still present on the periphery of the dial and subtely turns to a lighter purple as we get closer to the center of the dial.
Launched in 1967, reference 1680 was the first Submariner to feature a date. As a tool watch, the majority were made in stainless steel, with the first examples displaying the depth rating in meters first followed by the equivalent in feet. Furthermore, these models featured the name of the model, Submariner in red, leading collectors to nickname the model “Red Submariner”.
However, the present watch was a little more than just an extremely performing tool watch; it was a wristwatch catering to active people who wanted an extra touch of luxury while performing their favorite sport. Reference 1680 was the first diver's watch Rolex cased in gold.
In overall excellent condition and offered with its original guarantee the present watch is a completely theatrical and extravagant version of the iconic Submariner.
Founded in 1905 England by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis as Wilsdorf & Davis, it soon became known as the Rolex Watch Company in 1915, moving its headquarters to Geneva in 1919. Like no other company, the success of the wristwatch can be attributed to many of Rolex's innovations that made them one of the most respected and well-known of all luxury brands. These innovations include their famous "Oyster" case — the world's first water resistant and dustproof watch case, invented in 1926 — and their "Perpetual" — the first reliable self-winding movement for wristwatches launched in 1933. They would form the foundation for Rolex's Datejust and Day-Date, respectively introduced in 1945 and 1956, but also importantly for their sports watches, such as the Explorer, Submariner and GMT-Master launched in the mid-1950s.
One of its most famous models is the Cosmograph Daytona. Launched in 1963, these chronographs are without any doubt amongst the most iconic and coveted of all collectible wristwatches. Other key collectible models include their most complicated vintage watches, including references 8171 and 6062 with triple calendar and moon phase, "Jean Claude Killy" triple date chronograph models and the Submariner, including early "big-crown" models and military-issued variants.