Rolex 1680 Red Submariner Tropic Tritium 4-Line Feet First Dial Circa 1973 (3-Million Series) in Stainless Steel. Black "Swiss-T<25" dial with striking yellow custard patina’d hour markers. This watch is in overall beautiful condition. The lume on the dial and in the hands has aged to a striking yellow, custard color. The bezel is well preserved and has aged so nicely, in some lights it presents as a super dark grey/black and is very attractive. It has a stainless steel Oysterlock bracelet (93150) with a flip lock clasp, an acrylic crystal, and a winding-crown protected by a crown guard. It has a solid screw-down case back, It has a solid screw-down case back, and a graduated rotating black bezel, with dive/decompression times and a luminous dot and triangle at 60 minutes. 

The 40mm diameter solid three-body case, integral lugs, knurled bezel, and bracelet are polished/brushed. It has a centered sweep second hand with a round "lollipop" luminous pointer, and "Mercedes" Rolex steel luminous baton hands with tritium inserts that match the dial. It’s a Certified Official Swiss Chronometer (COSC), and it’s water resistant to 200 meters/660 feet. The case, dial, and movement are all signed.

The mechanical automatic self-winding Rolex caliber 1570 movement is rhodium-plated. It’s constructed with 26 jewels, a shock absorber mechanism, and a straight-line lever escapement. It includes a monometallic balance that’s adjusted for temperature and to 5 positions, a self-compensating Breguet balance spring, and Microstella regulating screws.

This watch is in overall beautiful condition. The lume on the dial and in the hands has aged to a striking yellow, custard color. The bezel is well preserved and has aged so nicely, in some lights it presents as a super dark grey/black and is very attractive. 

The Submariner 1680 is a popular vintage Rolex watch to collect since it was the very first Submariner to include a date window on the dial. However, there is a specific variant within the 1680 family known as the Red Submariner that’s the most coveted of all.

The Rolex Submariner 1680, fondly nicknamed the “Red Submariner,” is a rare and highly prized Rolex model. Perhaps the most distinctive and valuable feature of the Red Submariner is the red writing on its dial. Produced from about 1967 to about 1975, the earliest batch of the Submariner 1680s featured the name “Submariner” written in red as opposed to the normal white. Red writing on Rolex watches has become highly valued and sought after by collectors. 

The Red Submariner is a historically significant Rolex reference because it was the first Submariner to feature a date window as well as the Cyclops lens above it. The watch’s crystal was also modified from other Submariner crystals, standing 3mm above the case and bezel. This unique feature makes this particular model recognizable.

As more collectors seek to add Red Subs to their collections, this important Rolex reference will be harder to find in the vintage market. The first Submariner with a date window, the only Submariner Date with acrylic crystal, and the first and only Submariner to include red text on the dial, the Red Submariner ref. 1680 is a fantastic vintage Rolex watch to study, hunt, and collect.
 

This watch is in pristine condition and comes with the Rolex box and literature booklets along with a full two-year extended warranty from date of purchase from our store and a state insurance appraisal for its full replacement value.