18 Vintage Rolex Watches I Fell In Love With In 2023
By Charlie Dunne
No watch is as awesome and as compelling a product as a vintage Rolex. The functionality, style, and timeless nature is satisfying beyond belief. In 2022, I fell in love with The Crown. In 2023, it is no surprise that vintage Rolex watches have continued to amaze me. I have spent countless hours at Wind Vintage admiring the smallest attributes of various vintage Rolex watches. I am very fortunate that I can share this excitement and passion with Eric Wind as well as so many collectors and clients.
Being obsessed with vintage watches, we are not going start the year by looking forward into 2024 with predictions of which Rolex watches will be released. Instead, we will be looking back at our favorite watches sold in the previous year. In case you missed any of these fantastic watches, here is a small selection of the vintage Rolex watches I fell in love with at Wind Vintage in 2023!
Rolex Air-King 36mm Reference 5504 with Honeycomb Dial
Around April I opened up a package containing what is perhaps the coolest Air-King watch I have ever seen. It featured the rare and unusual applied numerals at 3, 6, and 9 with beautiful patina. These are among my favorite numerals: a blocky style found on the Rolex “Padellone” reference 8171 dials made by Stern Frères as well as Movado and Patek Philippe models. They can also be see on the Rolex Oyster Reference 6082 or the Rolex Oyster Reference 6426, among other references. Beyond the dial, it is a large case at 36mm! This watch now belongs to a prominent and powerful collector!
2. An Unpolished Submariner Reference 5513 with Faded Bezel Insert
The above 5513 is one of my favorite Submariners I have ever held! It was right around this time that I was discussing with Eric about getting my first vintage Rolex sports model. I was struck by how thick and strong the case was on this example and it also had a faded bezel insert and sharp outer bezel assembly. The provenance was also remarkable: it came from a US Navy officer. It I thought long and hard about the subject and felt I would be more happy pursuing a watch with a touch of color as my foray into the sport catalog, so I went for a GMT-Master reference 1675. Needless to say, this Sub is out of this world and I would say it was the first Submariner I loved. I hope to see it again in the future!
https://www.windvintage.com/rolex-submariner-reference-5513-unpolished-2
3. An Ornate Rolex Cocktail Watch
On the more delicate side of Rolex, this Rolex Precision “cocktail” dress watch was something truly special. We didn’t have it for long - as it really resonated with a number of people after the listing went live. The non-luminous textured “honeycomb” dial remains in impeccable condition and the applied 3, 6, 9 numerals with alpha hands were such a cool attribute, There is certainly more to life than sports Rolex - and that includes Rolex ladies’ dress timepieces!
4. An Unpolished GMT-Master Reference 1675
Shortly after the 5513 was sold, I had the privilege of seeing a remarkable Rolex GMT-Master reference 1675 from circa 1972 that Eric found. These early 1970s GMTS have such great color in the hours and hands. It was just an all-around stellar example, and while I would later trade it to acquire a GMT-Master with a gilt dial weeks later, I have to say it was a watch that I will always cherish. A few months later, there was an example that came into our office that was equally attractive! It featured the same faded red and “petrol” blue insert! I was shocked at the condition and am eager to find more compelling GMT-Masters from this period.
https://www.windvintage.com/rolex-gmtmaster-reference-1675-unpolished-1
5. Another Unpolished GMT-Master Reference 1675
https://www.windvintage.com/rolex-gmtmaster-reference-1675-unpolished-nov2023
6. An Unpolished Rolex GMT-Master Reference 1675 with “Pointed Crown Guards”
After owning my matte dial GMT for only a few weeks, an unpolished and extremely attractive reference 1675 with pointed crown guards came into the office. It had the perfect amount of wear. Eric and I looked at each other as I was taking it into our inventory system. Without saying a word, Eric gave me the nod of approval when I put it on my wrist. The watch has been a great companion over the short period of ownership and led me to write up a Collector's Guide: The Rolex GMT-Master Reference 1675 In Steel.
7. An Unpolished Rolex King Midas Reference 9630 in Yellow Gold
In March, Eric and I headed up to New York for his Horological Society of New York presentation. While in the City, we came across this super attractive early King Midas reference 9630. Eric fell in love with the vibe when he put it on and was walking around like he owned the City. These King Midas watches are remarkable and the bracelets are fascinating to admire. It cost a fortune to create these timepieces at the time and that shines through in well preserved examples like the one above.
8. An Unpolished Rolex Small Crown Submariner Reference 6536/1
This Rolex “Small Crown” Submariner reference 6536/1 came in a few months back from the grandson of the original owner and I really was amazed at the 1950s attributes within the Submariner. The watch had its original crazed crystal on it, but when it was replaced with a period correct crystal without cracks the dial was breathtaking, Although I have realized I prefer wearing the subsequent 5512 and 5513 models from the 1960s, these thin cases wear super well on the wrist. The touch of white on the seconds hand of this example is something you could stare at all day. It had a perfect amount of character and was really an enjoyable vantage into 1950s sports Rolex - the origin of the species.
https://www.windvintage.com/rolex-small-crown-submariner-reference-6536/1-unpolished
9. A Rolex Small Crown Submariner Reference 5508 with “Exclamation” Dial
The above Rolex Submariner reference 5508 had one of the most attractive glossy dials I had seen all year. Rolex produced these models from circa 1958 to 1962 and they represented the end of the Submariners without crown guards era. This example had an "exclamation point" dial (as seen by the little luminous dot below the rectangular lume plot at 6:00) and had a case production of 1962, one of the last few Submariners without crown guards made by Rolex. These late examples also never had a red triangle and have lower radioactivity than earlier examples. Overall, another important watch from the 2023 highlight reel and it was picked up by an astute collector!
https://www.windvintage.com/rolex-submariner-5508-glossy-dial
10. A Rolex “Wide Boy” Day-Date Reference 1803 with Box and Papers
I am not usually a Day-Date guy, but this reference 1803 is a phenomenal example that really stood out. It had an incredibly attractive “wide boy” dial, featured an unpolished case and bracelet, and on top of that, it came with box and papers reflecting that it was purchased on a U.S. Navy Exchange in 1970. This had it all in terms of condition and provenance.
https://www.windvintage.com/rolex-wide-boy-daydate-reference-1803-unpolished-full-set
11. A Rolex “Meters First” Submariner 5512
Winding down from an extremely productive 2023, I borrowed a spectacular “meters first” 5512 for a holiday weekend. The lume was outstanding and I continually admired the watch over my Thanksgiving with my family. Upon returning to the office, Eric surprised me by gifting this watch to me as a promotion to Vice President, Senior Watch Specialist for Wind Vintage! I have been wearing it constantly, and am still in awe of the watch. You can read about my 5512 by clicking the link!
12. An Unpolished Rolex Explorer Reference 1016 with Tropical Gilt Dial
This Rolex Explorer was out of control. When it came in, my jaw was on the floor. The dial was an extremely warm tropical fade and the gilt font was practically screaming from the dial. It was an insanely cool example and didn’t last a moment on the site! As if this one was not as crazy enough we got another one that same week!
https://www.windvintage.com/rolex-explorer-i-tropical-dial-reference-1016-unpolished
13. A 1966 Tropical Rolex Explorer Reference 1016
https://www.windvintage.com/rolex-tropical-dial-explorer-i-reference-1016-unpolished
14. An Unpolished Submariner Reference 5513 with Gilt Dial
This Submariner reference 5513 was another watch that ended the year on a strong note. Eric told me about an incredible gilt 5513 he was working on and it certainly lived up to the hype. It was the most beautiful 5513 with gilt I had ever seen and the case was immaculate. The watch now belongs to an enthusiastic new collector who has developed a strong passion for vintage Rolex!
15. Rolex Submariner Big Crown Explorer Dial Reference 5510 Australian Military
Eric found this unusual Submariner reference 5510 in Australia and it is a rare Submariner believed to have been ordered for the Australian military. Seeing an Explorer 3-6-9 dial in side a Big Crown case is extremely unusual outside of the early Big Crown reference 6200, so we were extremely excited to see it. This was a grail watch for the person quick enough to snap it up and we are happy he is loving it!
16. Rolex “Paul Newman” Daytona Reference 6241 Full Set
This “Paul Newman” was a jaw-dropping example that ended up in the collection of a good client. It’s a dream watch in so many ways and our watchmaker even made it water resistant to 5 bars, so it is perfectly capable of daily wear - the beauty of a vintage Rolex over 50 years old. The dial color was a beautiful creamy white and it feels like a watch that could have been made yesterday. If only the new Le Mans looked more like this I would want one!
https://www.windvintage.com/rolex-paul-newman-reference-6241-full-set
17. Rolex Paul Newman Daytona Reference 6239 with Box, Letter of Provenance and Service Receipt
Black dial Paul Newman reference 6239s are quite extraordinary and the dials are unmistakable from any other dial design. This particular example was so attractive with the distinctive exotic “Paul Newman” subdials. The watch came with the box, service receipt, as well as a letter of provenance regarding the original owner! And a Rolex “Made in Mexico” bracelet. Moreover, it featured the “Mark 1” dial and earlier 300 bezel. Again, if the new Le Mans looked anywhere as good as this, I would be begging on my knees at every AD I could to try to get one!
18. An Unpolished Rolex Explorer II Reference 1655
The Explorer II reference 1655 is one of Eric’s favorite watches. Over the last few months, we have discussed how retro the dials are. For how well-known they are, the 1655 is surprisingly hard to find - particularly in original condition! The above example came in right before Christmas and was reserved almost instantaneously after I published the page listing. The watch came from the original owner and was paired on its original Jubilee bracelet which looked outstanding!
https://www.windvintage.com/rolex-explorer-ii-reference-1655-unpolished