Rolex Datejust Vintage (Model : 1601) from 1972

I have been doing lots of reading on the Rolex Datejust vintage model no. 1601 but looking for a good example with an affordable pricing has been like looking for a needle in a haystack. If monies was not a problem, then obviously you could just locate for a good 18k gold example (or stainless steel ones as these were more affordable). These were some of the ones that I saw on Mudah and eBay ranging from RM8,500 for incomplete set to RM19,000 for complete example, these few days :

14k Gold Two Tone at RM10,500.

18k Gold Two Tone with Genuine Bracelet at RM19,000.

18k Gold Two Tone without Bracelet starting bid at RM8,500.

18k Gold Two Tone with Bracelet at USD5,853.

Sure, you could march to a Rolex AD and get the latest rendition of Datejust for north of RM20,000; but I am pretty interested in getting the vintage 1601 model with genuine 18k gold bezel, crown and bracelet links, and that oh-so-vintage domed plexi crystal. You just can't get designs like this anymore.

I am particularly interested to get an example from the 70s for personal reasons, and have been hunting high and low for the better part of quite a long while. When word came that a fellow collector whom had managed to track down an example from 1972 for the exact same model in two tone colour that I was looking for, I had to send word to gauge if he was interested in flipping it off.

He agreed to meet up and I soon learn more about the said Rolex. He had purchased it at a whim and having had purchased a few Swiss watches at the same time from the said shop, he managed to get a good discount for just below five-figures for the Rolex. The watch had been serviced at the shop, and came with a one-year warranty from 27th March 2014 - 26th March 2015.

I fell in love with the watch when he produced it and the only bummer was that he was unsure where he had misplaced the box and receipt. He did however assured me that he would pass the items to me if he managed to locate it later on.

Oh well, I could use the Rolex travel pouch to keep it safe during travels, so that's alright still.

Such a pristine example was not easy to get, and I had brought my tools along. I inspected the insides to ensure that it was in its original mechanism, that the serial and model no corresponded to the particular example, and that it was a genuine Rolex bracelet with gold middle links. It was increasing hard to get an example with the genuine bracelet given its vintage age and would cost about RM10,000 to get a new Rolex bracelet for replacement. As such, many people replaced with aftermarket bracelets so getting a DJ 1601 with a genuine bracelet was a great bonus!

I tried to negotiate for a lower price from the collector but he was adamant at the price that he wanted. After all, it was his luck that he had managed to get this previous gem while looking for other watches; and I already considered it as my good luck that I managed to be given an opportunity to retrieve this beautiful example.

RM10,688 changed hands for the pieces that I wanted that night, and I now have this beautiful Rolex DJ 1601 gracing my wrist. Nice!