{"id":7386,"date":"2021-11-12T15:59:29","date_gmt":"2021-11-12T15:59:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swisswatchexpo.com\/TheWatchClub\/?p=7386"},"modified":"2025-08-02T06:31:59","modified_gmt":"2025-08-02T06:31:59","slug":"rolex-defects-that-collectors-love","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swisswatchexpo.com\/thewatchclub\/2021\/11\/12\/rolex-defects\/","title":{"rendered":"Rolex Defects that Collectors Love"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

Rolex is world renowned for its exacting standards. The manufacture controls as much of the watchmaking process as they can \u2013 from creating in-house movements to mixing their own alloys \u2013 to make sure every aspect of their watches is done to perfection.<\/p>\n

That said, mistakes are a part of life, and even in the world\u2019s preeminent watchmaker, they do happen. In its history, Rolex has released watches with imperfections \u2013 the result of experimenting with new materials or a quality control oversight \u2013 but these are very, very rare instances.<\/p>\n

In the case of vintage Rolex, some watches change in appearance over time, given the unique aging process that every watch goes through.<\/p>\n

As such \u201cimperfections\u201d are quite rare to see, they make these watches even more desirable. Here are some Rolex defects that collectors love.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n

ROLEX TROPICAL DIALS AND COLOR CHANGES<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

The main appeal of collecting vintage watches is knowing that no two pieces will be exactly alike. Each watch may change in appearance based on its exposure to elements and how it is worn. One interesting phenomenon that occurs with vintage Rolex is the color change \u2013 black dials turn into a \u201ctropical\u201d brown shade, and blue dials and bezels become an interesting shade of purple.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\"Rolex<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n
Rolex Submariner and Rolex GMT-Master that have faded to purple<\/em><\/h5>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n

Prime examples of these are older Rolex Submariner<\/a> blue dials, which fade into a regal shade of purple, thereby complementing the gold or two-tone finish. There are also Rolex GMT-Master<\/a> \u201cPepsi\u201d models whose blue and red bezels turn into a bright fuchsia color. These dials are the result of long-term exposure to sunlight and humidity, and yield very interesting results that collectors seek.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\"Rolex<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n
Rolex Daytona 16520 ‘Patrizzi’ Dial<\/em><\/h5>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n

There is also the case of the Rolex Daytona<\/a> 16520 \u201cPatrizzi\u201d dial, whose chronograph registers have gone from white to brown. Produced sometime in the early 1990s, these Daytonas are coated with an organic varnish called Zappon. As the varnish couldn\u2019t sufficiently protect the dial, it resulted in natural oxidation that gave the registers a unique shade of brown.<\/p>\n

These dials are named after Osvaldo Patrizzi, an Italian auctioneer who first discovered these dials in 2005.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n
\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n

ROLEX SPIDER DIALS<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

In the 1980s, Rolex went through a transitional period where they experimented with new materials and different types of finishes to give their watches a more luxurious appearance. One of these changes was the switch from matte to glossy dials, which used lacquer to create a glistening effect.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\"Rolex<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n
Rolex Submariner 5513 ‘Spider’ Dial<\/em><\/h5>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n

The earliest versions of these dials have not been perfected, resulting in a cracked texture that mimics the look of a spider web. These happy accidents, now called \u201cSpider dials\u201d, give each watch a unique appearance, making them somewhat collectible.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n
\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n

ROLEX ERROR DIALS AND MISSING TEXT<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

There are also rare and novel examples of watches with missing text or misprints, that are apparently due to quality control oversight. These \u201cmistakes\u201d are incredibly rare and in the world of watchmaking, rarity can prove highly desirable.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\"Rolex<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n
Rolex GMT-Master II 16710 ‘Error’ Dial and 16760 ‘Without Date’ Dial<\/em>
\n(photo: SWE \/ WatchProSite)<\/h5>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

The Rolex GMT-Master has been released with many subtle dial differences; and Rolex has inadvertently produced some outliers. In the case of the ref 16760 \u201cFat Lady\u201d, there is an uncommon variant that reads \u201cOyster Perpetual\u201d, when the rest of the collection reads \u201cOyster Perpetual Date\u201d. There is also a small sub-variant of ref 16710 watches where instead of Roman numerals, the \u201cGMT-Master II\u201d print appears with stick markers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

There are even more rare and bizarre instances where only one piece out of the entire production appears with the \u201cerror\u201d \u2013 and these happened with modern Rolex references.<\/p>\n

A Rolex Daytona<\/a> ref 16520 from 1999 and a ref 116520 from 2003 were discovered without the usually found red ‘Daytona’ script at 6 o’clock. There is only one known instance per reference, both of which appeared in the auction market.
\n<><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\n

Can you guess why this Rolex is unusually valuable? https:\/\/t.co\/dbLHbtltH6<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/pX4lpOBx5H<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 GQ Magazine (@GQMagazine) May 26, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n