1962 Rolex Explorer ref. 1016 “Matte, Tritium, Service Dial”

Up for grabs is a Rolex Explorer I

Reference 1016

745,XXX serial number circa early 1962 production

Excellent vintage condition case with even and thick lugs. Fully legible numbers between the lugs.

The watch is very clean, without dings or dents or deep scratches. Appears to have spent its life being regularly serviced.

For this yea, the dial should be a gilt one, with exclamation point and chapter ring. The current dial in the watch is a later service replacement that’s matte with tritium lume. This specific typography and coronet crown was only used for service dials. So, this is not a watch that just had a later 70’s dial swapped into it. The dial has nice patina on it.

Caseback is original, stamped 1016 inside and dated 62.

The bracelet is a Rolex 7206 with 11 links, 80 ends, dated ’68 also presumably updated during a service in 1968.

No box or papers. The watch winds very smoothly and runs basically spot on showing 0/+1 seconds per day with ~285 amplitude like in a textbook.