What year did Rolex start using white gold on hands and marker surrounds?

[TakesALickin]

Complete noob as a Rolex owner, so I'm just trying to learn. Interested in when this occurred on Submariners. TIA...

[Paladin]

Mid to late 1980's and approx. 8.6 mm to 9mm sequence serial numbers and beyond. Watches like the GMT 16750, the Sub 5513 and 16800 straddled the changeover having started with matte dials and then were made in their last years with the gloss dial/white gold surrounds on their lume.

The sub 168000 was the first sub reference to be made with only gloss dial/WG surrounds. The subsequent sub 16610 and 14060 were only avaiable with the gloss/WG dials.

The GMT 16760 "fat lady" was the first of the GMT series to be made with the gloss dial/WG surrounds followed by the GMT 16700 a few years later.

[TakesALickin]

Originally Posted by Paladin

Mid to late 1980's and approx. 8.6 mm to 9mm sequence serial numbers and beyond. Watches like the GMT 1675' the Sub 5513 and 16800 straddled the changeover having started with matte dials and then were made in their last years with the gloss dial/white gold surrounds on their lume.

Thanks, Paladin...

[springer]

The first Submariner with the WG surrounds was the 16800, which originally was introduced with the matte dial and transitioned to the gloss WG surrounds dial. The first GMT to have the WG surrounds was the 16750 which was also initially introduced with the matte dial without the WG surrounds.

As Paladin noted, the Submariner 168000 and the GMT II 16760 were the first exclusive Sub and GMT models to come only with the WG surrounds.

The year of introduction that I use, based on what I've seen is 1983.

[Paladin]

I think the yer of introduction is more like 1985/6 and then sporadically until 1987/8

[bondtoys]

If memory serves right, Rolex started with the WG surroundings with the upcoming GMT II (16760).
I purchased my first Rolex, that GMT II (with WG surroundings) in September 1984 and it was a pretty new model then.

[mike]

As you see from the response nailing Rolex to a bright line timeframe is tough. I've seen matts as late as 1987 and gloss as early as 83. In the day Rolex used whatever was available.

The timeframes given are accurate with the necessary changeover period.

[GeoGio Greece]

Originally Posted by Paladin

I think the yer of introduction is more like 1985/6 and then sporadically until 1987/8

Correct. My 5513, on the left, ser 8.16 mil is .....

[Sub Man]

When where white golds hands introduced? From my understanding all 16800 had white gold hands even before the white gold surrounds on the hour markers...

[kooltzar]

Actually introduction was in 1984.

[clarkhardball]

I am interested as to WHY they did this? There was really no need for it IMO. The fallacy that borderless markers "melted away" into non circular shapes after time has been disproved by the countless beautiful vintages here...

[joe100]

My 1985 5500 has WG markers on the dial.

[Sub Man]

Originally Posted by kooltzar

Actually introduction was in 1984.

For the white gold hands too?

[jedly1]

actually id say wg hands were for sure introduced at least a couple years before the WG surrounds ..the very early 80's see's the first ones drift in.,. you often see untouched matt dial watches but with clearly wg hands that match perfectly ..there is a change in both the luminous compound formula and the introduction of the wg hands ..maybe around 82 IMHO..


the late 1970's saw a lot of bad reactions to the luminous compound formula they were using , and a lot of corrosion is seen in those years ...i think the first step was to fix this by introducing the WG hands ...did this lead to the idea of the WG surrounds ..who knows ....

[Jason71]

Originally Posted by jedly1

actually id say wg hands were for sure introduced at least a couple years before the WG surrounds ..the very early 80's see's the first ones drift in.,. you often see untouched matt dial watches but with clearly wg hands that match perfectly ..there is a change in both the luminous compound formula and the introduction of the wg hands ..maybe around 82 IMHO..


the late 1970's saw a lot of bad reactions to the luminous compound formula they were using , and a lot of corrosion is seen in those years ...i think the first step was to fix this by introducing the WG hands ...did this lead to the idea of the WG surrounds ..who knows ....

Interesting theory Jed

[Kingair]

Originally Posted by Jason71

Interesting theory Jed

x 2 !

HAGWe

[gold lexes]

x3

[964RS]

Originally Posted by jedly1

the late 1970's saw a lot of bad reactions to the luminous compound formula they were using , and a lot of corrosion is seen in those years ...i think the first step was to fix this by introducing the WG hands ...did this lead to the idea of the WG surrounds ..who knows ....

I would say so. The hands of the late 70's early 80's 'corroded' far more than from any other time period from my experience...so it wouldn't be a surprise for Rolex to think if we are changing the hands then why not a solution for the dial also...