Rolex John Bull Purple Dial Submariner Reference 16803 Two Tone

The Rolex Submariner is one of the most renowned sports watches of all time. This reference 16803 features a 9.4M serial number dating to circa 1987. The case was hand finished / carved at time of purchase at the Bahamian official Rolex retailer John Bull by their master watchmaker Günter Miethe. This was a popular request by the Bahamian retailer throughout the 1980s and these watches are highly prized by collectors for their unique look and island vibes. Our understanding is that Rolex gave their blessing to their official retailer John Bull to customize these watches for the local Bahamian market at the time. While most of the John Bull watches with a bark carved finish were all-steel Submariners and a few were all-steel GMT-Masters. This example features a very attractive purple dial which we see in examples from the 1980s into circa 1990.

To learn more about the Rolex Submariner, you can watch my ‘Reference Points: Understanding The Rolex Submariner’ video and read the corresponding article.

The watch does not come with box and papers. We do not know the service history, but it is running well.. The watch and bracelet have not been polished since new beyond the John Bull finish, so it has its full proportions.

I fell in love with this watch when I first saw it and I think any buyer that gets this can have a watch they will never see on another person’s wrist. I can’t imagine a more fun watch to wear on a trip to The Bahamas!

PRICE: $19,000 (SBUXYT3083)

ON HOLD