One for the true Date Just geeks..

Yesterday I posted my newly acquired 16014 from 1986. In true WIS fashion I have been examining and admiring quietly by myself.

It was during one of these moments of scrutiny that it occurred to me that mine has a Roman Numeral chapter ring which then instigated extensive Google searching. It took quite a bit of searching to determine that the dial does exist but I could not find in the exact configuration as mine. I am confident that all is original to the watch and will keep searching. The more common dials also have lume plots at the outer end of the indices where mine are applied to the indices.

Happy for anyone to chime in with more info😊

My watch:


Search findings so far:
https://shop.hodinkee.com/products/...grey-tappeserie-dial-1?variant=39249028513867



https://properwatch.co.uk/products/1984-rolex-datejust-16013-champagne-tapestry

It could just be a later dial where they have moved from the very fragile dots to lume filled indices. The late 80’s is when lume filled indices came to the explorer, gmt and submariner as well

I thought the same and searched for later models. Both other examples that I found are from around the same period, one from 1983 and one from 1987.
Will keep searching.

I don't remember exactly when the 160XX moved from T SWISS T to T SWISS MADE T, but I think it was somewhere in the mid or late 80s. I don't have any concerns about the authenticity of the dial, although it could be a replacement.

As I recall from my experience with Rolex approximately 35 years ago, that dial is called a “Tapestry” dial. I have always liked it, regardless of the colour of the dial.

To update, after hours of sifting through hundreds of pics I found numerous standard dials of the same configuration as early as 1978 up to late eighties, a number of 16013 tapestry dials around the mid eighties and two 16014 tapestry dials from the mid eighties but no grey.
A couple were complete sets and sold as totally original.

Spotted in Hong Kong just last week, from a shop called Vintage Universal 1954. Looks quite similar?


Plus utterly random photo of HK in the evening.

Besides the watch browsing (no, I didn't buy anything), the food was good!

Well, there you go. Brilliant, would love to know the year.
I couldn’t find another the same when I was searching.
Thank you

Nothing which a trip to HK couldn't solve 😉