Rolex Date Ref. 1500 “Tropical Gilt Dial”

A ref. 1500 Rolex Date is an attractive watch in any case. But this one has an absolute showstopper of a dial!

At first glance, you might take this for any old black dial. But this one has turned a very deep brown, commonly referred to as “Tropical”. That, on its own, would be highly desirable. But then this is also a Gilt dial. A brass blank dial with negative printing in black. The result is bare brass text, laying deeper than the surrounding black “background”. In other words, this is not gold-tone lettering on a black dial, but a blackened dial with exposed brass text. Nowadays, many vintage-inspired watches feature gilt-tone dials. These are, however, just gold-tone printing. This is the real deal.

So if you are looking for a modest, subtle Rolex that is at the same time very rare and collectible, this might be the one!