ROLEX. AN EARLY STAINLESS STEEL AUTOMATIC WRISTWATCH WITH SWEEP CENTRE SECONDS AND BRACELET

The Rolex Explorer was launched in 1953 following the successful conquest of Mount Everest. Showcasing the iconic "3, 6, 9" dial, the present Rolex ‘Explorer I’ is distinguished by its “gilt” dial found on the series of watches from 1960-67. Later series pieces featured the outer chapter ring printed in silver and the signature likewise in silver. Gilt gloss dials such as that on the present watch were expensive to produce, made by a galvanic coating process which resulted in a bold, crisp text against the black surface. Reference 1016 was in production for an incredible 29 years, between 1960 and 1989.