Rolex Datejust - 1601 - Lemon Buckley

     It was February of 2008 and the Buckley dial was born. For those unfamiliar, the "Buckley" dial refers to a specific configuration of which Roman numerals are painted onto the dial and feature color matched baton style hour, minute and second hands. But how did this unassuming - some would even say "mediocre" - dial get its very own nickname?

     The story goes that John Buckley, a known watch dealer and Rolex veteran at the time, was disgruntled. John Mayer had recently finished writing his very first post on VintageRolexForums and it was hit. The thread sparked a debate, gained a lot of traction and culminated into Mayer receiving a very specific Daytona dial configuration named after him. As someone who had spent years hustling and “slinging dials on eBay”, Buckley was having none of it. Rubbed him in the wrong way.

So in February 2008, the “Buckley dial” was born, or rather coined. Forget John Mayer. This was going to be the next big thing and rise in value– mark Buckley’s words. Why this dial configuration though? It was unassuming, classy, and timeless like a clock tower– “mediocre” even as Buckley has put it. At the time, no one really wanted to buy these dials, like Paul Newman dials in the 1980’s. There’s something so banal about it, yet at the same time… different in the context of Rolex. When’s the last time you’ve seen Roman numerals painted… on a Rolex? We’ve been spoiled by stick indices, Arabic numerals, and circular tritium plots. On the other hand, Buckley always had a soft spot for these.

And truly, when you look at one, you can see how this dial is just built different with a matte finishing that’s sooner found on vintage sports models like early Submariner 5513s and Explorer 1016s. The numerals themselves are just ever-so slightly raised, teasing you to stare for longer. What’s even more special are the hands. While not every Buckley dialed watch has this, many often have hands that match the color of the Romans. Black hands with black numerals. White with white. Gold with gold. In most cases, we’ve seen the shiny eschewed for the flat. Again, it’s plain– but brilliant for Rolex.

The name would stick– flourish even– as today, you can go on eBay or even Google, search for “Rolex Buckley Dial”, and immediately find these being sold, often at a premium compared to their non-Buckley counterparts of the same reference number. Would the name have stuck if it was something more common like a stick dial? Probably not. It just wouldn’t be as special.

                                -https://www.reddit.com/user/kippykip128

ABOUT THIS WATCH: 

MANUFACTURER: Rolex

MODEL: Datejust

REFERENCE: 1601

SERIAL: 100xxxx

YEAR: 1963

DIAL: The original pie-pan linen Buckley dial is in fantastic shape and appears to be free of any staining, patina, blemishes or otherwise imperfections. The dial sports printed roman numeral style hour markers and matching black baton hands. The lume on the dial has taken on a charming cream patina and matches the lume plots on the dial. The lume plots glow brighter than the hands in the dark; however, it is known that lume for dials and hands were at times made from different manufacturers with varying levels of tritium. 

CASE: The previously polished 36mm steel case is in fair shape. The lugs appear more rounded due to past polishing and have lost their original brushed finishing and crisp lines. The 18kt yellow gold fluted bezel is in good shape. The case is complete by its screw-down case back and original crown. 

MOVEMENT: Rolex automatic self winding caliber 1570. 25 Jewels, 19800 frequency, 48h power reserve. Service history is unknown. The watch winds, sets and runs and is currently keeping good time. The watch was timed over a 24hr period. The 24hrs included periods of wear and non-wear. Over those 24hrs the watch lost 14 seconds. 

BRACELET: Comes on the pictured Vero Cuoio Italian suede strap. 

ACCESSORIES: None.

BOX/PAPERS: No.

BANK WIRE PRICE: $4,000 shipped.