Fratello’s Top 5 Pre-Owned Full-Gold Rolex Sports Watches — Featuring The GMT-Master, Submariner, And More…
Another Friday, another Top 5! After a little break last week, we are back with our articles highlighting outstanding pre-owned watches. One of the most talked-about watches during Watches and Wonders inspired this week’s list. Is the new full-gold Rolex Deepsea truly an unnecessary statement of opulence? Many people questioned whether the existence of a full-gold version of Rolex’s top-of-the-line professional dive watch was necessary. This then sparked a lively discussion about gold Rolex sports watches in general. We were inspired by this and decided to pick our favorite full-gold pre-owned Rolex sports watches for this week’s list.
Many watch fans agreed that Rolex didn’t have its best showing at Watches and Wonders this year. The yellow gold Deepsea was a hot topic, especially regarding this year’s introductions from The Crown. This new full-gold Deepsea clocks in at just over 320 grams and is anything but discrete. Many vocal enthusiasts were certain that Rolex had lost the plot with this full-gold version of its most professional dive tool. That said, some people enjoy gold Rolex sports watches, and the discussion/debate prompted us to look back at some of the brand’s full-gold sports models from the past. We picked our five favorite pre-owned models that show the brilliance of gold Rolex sports watches.
Image: The Watch Club
Rolex Submariner Date ref. 1680/8
Let’s start these pre-owned picks with the Rolex Submariner Date ref. 1680/8. Not only was the 1680 the first Submariner with a date function, but it was also the first reference produced in gold. The yellow gold ref. 1680 debuted in 1969 and stayed in production until 1979.
Image: The Watch Club
During that decade, people could choose between a black-dial version and a blue-dial one. The watches came with the characteristic “nipple” dial that most watch enthusiasts will know from the GMT-Master. But the nipple dial also works its magic on this vintage Sub. It’s simple, and it’s brilliant to see the watch with this type of dial.
Image: The Watch Club
The watch is a gold translation of the stainless steel 1680. Thus, it has a 40mm yellow gold case with a gold bezel and a gold Oyster bracelet. Inside the case, Rolex used its caliber 1575. The movement operates at 19,800vph and has 48 hours of power reserve. For the later ref. 16808, Rolex switched to the caliber 3035, which upped the beat rate to 28,800vph. The aesthetic of the successor was mainly the same, with the nipple dial and the same available colors.
Image: The Watch Club
If you are looking for the more affordable version, the ref. 16808 is a great option with prices starting well under €30K. We picked the ref. 1680/8, though, because it was the first. Expect prices to start at around €35K and move up quickly. But that sum does get you the best-looking full-gold dive watch that Rolex has ever created.
Image: Bulang & Sons
Rolex GMT-Master ref. 1675/8
You probably saw this one coming. The Rolex GMT-Master and GMT-Master II have always been available in yellow gold. Even the first ref. 6542 was available in gold for only two short years, in 1958 and ’59. While we could have picked that one, the GMT-Master ref. 1675 served as the basis for the watch that most people know today. An aluminum insert replaced the Bakelite bezel insert of its predecessor, and the movement got an upgrade.
Image: Bulang & Sons
As most of you will know, the GMT-Master ref. 1675 was one of Rolex’s long-running references, and it stayed in production from 1959 until 1980. The gold ref. 1675/8 was available in two versions both with a nipple dial. The first has a black dial and bezel insert, while the second is the one you see pictured with its glossy brown dial and brown bezel insert. Both watches look stunning on the gold Jubilee bracelet that’s perfectly at home on a GMT-Master.
Image: Bulang & Sons
But since the brown color is unique to the GMT-Master, that would be our pick. Then again, I would not complain about a black version on my wrist, which is also stunning. Rolex used multiple calibers during the ref. 1675’s production period. It started with the 18,000vph caliber 1565 and was replaced by the updated 19,800vph caliber 1575. Rolex updated the latter with hacking seconds in the early ’70s without changing the reference.
Image: Bulang & Sons
The full-gold ref. 1675/8 and its successor ref. 16758 are among the most beautiful GMT-Master models that Rolex produced. Expect asking prices for nice examples of the former to start around €30K and move up quickly. In comparison, the full-gold ref. 16578 starts at roughly €25K, and you can have it in great condition for less than €40K. That’s not exactly pocket change, but the watch sure is impressive.
Image: The Watch Club
Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ref. 16528
Could you make a list like this and leave out the Daytona? If ever there were a full-gold Rolex sports watch that is generally “accepted” by even the most purist of tool-watch fans, it’s this famous chronograph. But with so many choices, which is the one to go for? We picked the most affordable option, actually, which is a five-digit Daytona.
Image: The Watch Club
We sure love our five-digit Rolexes here at Fratello, and it’s no different this time. The watch is part of the so-called “Zenith Daytona” series that debuted in 1988 and stayed in production until 2000 when it was replaced by the 116500 series housing the brand’s first in-house chronograph movement.
Image: The Watch Club
The full-yellow-gold Daytona was available with different dial variations. The main colors were white with gold accents, gold with black accents, and the black one with gold accents that we picked. Inside the 40mm case, Rolex used the caliber 4030 to power the watch.
Image: The Watch Club
The movement was based on Zenith’s El Primero 400 and modified by the Genevan brand to meet Rolex standards. I love that the overall aesthetic consists of just gold and black with a tiny hint of red in the “Daytona” name above the sub-dial at 6 o’clock. The Daytona ref. 16528 a statement that can be your pre-owned starting at roughly €35K and easily moving up to €75K for variants with rare dials.
Rolex Submariner Date ref. 16618
Another five-digit pick is the Rolex Submariner Date ref. 16618. The watch was most commonly available with a combination of a blue dial and bezel or a black dial and bezel. But don’t be fooled by the image you see. The watch in these pictures features a stunning and rare lapis lazuli dial that gives this specific version so much more depth and style.
It was one of the few exotic dials that Rolex also introduced for this reference. But let’s stick to the basic details. As Robert-Jan explained, the Submariner Date ref. 16618 debuted in the late 1980s and remained in production until around 2008 when the ref. 116618 took its place.
Inside the 40mm case, Rolex equipped the watch with its famous caliber 3135. The movement operates at 28,800vph and has a 48-hour power reserve. Generally, I would pick the black version over the blue version, but I might make an exception for this reference. It’s also a more affordable option (with a standard dial, that is).
The ref. 16618 is a great choice for people looking for a relatively affordable full-gold Submariner. Prices on the pre-owned market start at roughly €20K, and there are plenty of options out there, moving up to €30K. That won’t get you the stellar lapis lazuli version, but it does get you a stunning full-gold Submariner with a blue sunburst dial.
Image: The Watch Club
Rolex GMT-Master II ref. 116718
Our last pick is a bit of an oddball regarding looks, but it is a significant model in Rolex’s history. This full-gold 50th-anniversary GMT-Master II ref. 116718 was the first Rolex with a Cerachrom bezel insert. With the green dial and black bezel insert with gold numerals, the color combination looks pretty exotic, but I like it quite a bit. It also isn’t overly shiny like many of the modern Rolex watches with ceramic bezel inserts.
Image: The Watch Club
The ref. 116718 was also the first Rolex sports model with the “super case” that later found its way into more Rolex lines. The 40mm case had fatter lugs, a wider bezel, and a thicker overall profile, resulting in a greater wrist presence.
Image: The Watch Club
Inside the case, Rolex equipped the watch with its caliber 3186. The GMT movement operates at 28,800vph, has 50 hours of power reserve, and offers the convenience of an independently adjustable 12-hour hand.
Image: The Watch Club
Rolex fans slept on this 50th-anniversary GMT model for quite some time, but current asking prices are between roughly €33K and €55K, which is serious cash. However, that cash gets you a special GMT-Master II that still offers glimpses of the vintage charm while marking the change to modern-day Rolex sports watches.
Final thoughts on this week’s pre-owned watches
There you have it — our list of five great full-gold Rolex sports watches. This compilation not only shows some stunning examples (especially dive watches) but also that the brand has a longstanding history of offering sports models in precious metals. That’s why it should not come as a huge surprise that the brand gave the Deepsea the full-gold treatment. Granted, it is a different beast than a gold Sub or GMT-Master. But sometimes things are not that complicated.
Rolex has created gold versions of many of its sports watches over time and Rolesor versions of watches we never thought we’d see in two-tone, like the Explorer and the Sea-Dweller. Whether you like it or not, there is always room for more gold in the Rolex history books. While I am not necessarily a fan of the full-gold Deepsea, I do like that idea. Let us know in the comments section which of these is your favorite, and we will see you next week for another installment in this series!
