1982 Rolex Datejust 16030 Buckley Dial with Box
Ref: 16030

Specification

Points of Mention

This watch is sold with a Rolex box and no papers. The watch comes paired with a Rolex Jubilee bracelet with a Rolex-signed clasp. The watch is from Circa. 1982 and is in worn, vintage condition as you can see from the photos. Overall, however, the watch is in very good condition for its age and the dial is completely original and never touched. The watch comes with our 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty.

The Watch

In 1905, German-born Hans Wilsdorf and his brother-in-law Alfred Davis set up a company in London that imported Swiss movements which were installed in British cases and sold to jewellers who put their names on the dials. Recognising the potential for their brand, Wilsdorf created the brand name Rolex in 1908. In 1910, a Rolex became the first wristwatch to carry the Swiss Certificate of Chronometric Precision, awarded by the Official Watch Rating Centre in Bienne, Switzerland. Demand for Rolex watches rose swiftly, and British taxes on the Swiss movements Rolex used prompted Wilsdorf to move the business to Geneva, Switzerland, in 1919. With production costs lowered, Wilsdorf quickly set out to solve the age-old problem of moisture and dust entering a watch case and damaging the movement. The Rolex watchmakers came up with a fully sealed watch case, which Wilsdorf named the Oyster, and released to an appreciative audience in 1926. In 1931, Rolex introduced the first automatic winding wristwatch, giving it the legendary name Oyster Perpetual. In 1945, they released Datejust. The Datejust was the first watch to have the date jump instantaneously at midnight. The 1950s saw a whole lot of releases such as the Air-King (1958), the Explorer (1953), the Submariner (1953), the GMT-Master (1955), the Day-Date (1956), the electromagnetic field resistant Milgauss (1956), the Lady-Datejust (1957) and the first Deep Sea model (1960). Wilsdorf’s death in 1960, saw ownership of Rolex S.A. (a collection of sub-companies) passed to the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation which was founded by Wilsdorf in 1945, the mission of which is simply to sustain Rolex S.A. indefinitely. Rolex first introduced the Datejust in 1945 to commemorate the company’s 40th anniversary, the Rolex Datejust first made its appearance as the reference 4467, and upon its initial release, it was only available in solid 18k yellow gold. It wasn’t until the 1950s, with the introduction of the reference 5030 and reference 5031 Datejust, that stainless steel and Rolesor (two-tone) versions became available, and the “Datejust” name started to appear on the dial.

The Buckley dial has Roman numerals printed in a particular “font” rather than the usually applied indexes. The name of the dial is derived from John Buckley, a vintage watch dealer from New York, who owns the company, Tuscany Rose, Buckley is a respected watch expert and highly respected in the Rolex world and over time these particular style dials took on his name. Our 1982 Rolex Datejust 16030 has a 36mm Oyster stainless steel case, the lug-to-lug length of 44mm elegantly fits your wrist with finely tapered lugs. On the right side, is a signed screw-down crown, polished and brushed surfaces transition with crisp lines. An engine-turned stainless steel bezel holds a bevelled flat plexiglass crystal. The striking white Buckley dial has an outer minute track with Tritium lume pips, finely printed Roman numeral indexes mark the hours. At 3 o’clock a framed date window with a cyclops magnification on the crystal, making the date easily read, slim black pencil hands have Tritium lume infill along with a tapered sweeping seconds hand, an applied Rolex crown sits at 12 o’clock with text printed clearly at 6 o’clock. On the reverse, a coin edge screw-down case back, inside an automatic Rolex Cal. 3035, 27 jewels, 28,800 beats per hour. Fitted on its original 20mm Jubilee bracelet with Rolex folding clasp and the watch also comes with a period correct Rolex box.

Personal Note

We have stocked multiple Buckley dials over the years and all have been appreciated for what they are and rightfully so. This is a wonderful example in great condition, well worth picking up if you've been after a lovely vintage Datejust but want something a little different, something a collector will notice and also appreciate.