Rolex Frog Foot Explorer I Reference 1016 Unpolished Box & Papers

Introduced in 1960 an icon was born in the Rolex Explorer reference 1016. The 1016 was produced until circa 1989. The ref. 1016 marked the first Explorer with “Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified" printed on the dial. It is one of the most desired timepieces and for great reason. The 1016 is one of the purest expressions of watch design and for this reason that I am probably asked for vintage Explorer reference 1016s more than any other watch.

his example features a 1.73 million serial number, dating the watch to circa 1967. It is paired on a 7206 Oyster bracelet dating to 1969 with 58 endlinks and made by Gay Frères. This example features the beautiful MK I (Mark 1) Frog Foot dial dial, and attractive warm luminous material. The case which appears to be unpolished. It features a beautiful case back engraving “IN APPRECIATION TO DONALD BECKER LAVERN ASMUSSEN DEC. 6, 1969”.  For those looking for an epic Rolex Explorer reference 1016 with box and papers, this watch is an outstanding choice!

To learn more about the history and evolution of the Rolex Explorer I, you can see my video and corresponding article Reference Points A Comprehensive Collector's Guide To The Rolex Explorer I.

The watch comes full set with box and papers. We do not know the service history, but it is running well. It recently passed a water resistance test of 5 bar.

PRICE: $39,000 (Item SBUXYT5464)